This document summarizes a presentation given by Karuna Ramanathan, President of the Information & Knowledge Management Society in Singapore, on June 26, 2015 about knowledge management and change leadership. The presentation discusses how leadership at all levels can lead to organizational learning, and how learning can create knowledge which then enables growth when harnessed. It emphasizes that leadership, learning, knowledge and growth are interlinked, and that measuring growth can help organizations strategize their knowledge potential.

1. KM CHANGE LEADERSHIP:
STRENGTHENING KNOWLEDGE
READY ORGANISATIONS
KARUNA RAMANATHAN
PRESIDENT
INFORMATION & KNOWLEDGE
MANAGEMENT SOCIETY, SINGAPORE
26 JUNE 2015

2. ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Karuna Ramanathan is currently the Senior Organisational Development Consultant in the Public
Service Division (PSD), Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Singapore. In his current role he supports
large system change in and between public service organisations to realize organizational
effectiveness and employee engagement, as part of the Public Sector Transformation initiative.
Prior to this, and as a career naval officer, Karuna was the Deputy Head of the Center for
Leadership Development in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), a position he held for a decade.
In that time, he led organization-wide leadership, learning and knowledge management
programmes. He is credited with architecting action learning and the military lessons learnt
process, implementation of the leadership coaching conversations, introducing organisational
storytelling and gamification.
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Karuna is the inventor of several storytelling models. One of his models, the 251, was presented in the US, is currently in
use in the SAF, and also the United Nations. With his narrative expertise, he led the SAF team to 1st place with the entry
“Decisive Combat” at the 2013 Serious Games Global Showcase. In a testimonial from CLD on retirement, Karuna was
acknowledged as a global leadership development expert.
Karuna is the current President of the Information and Knowledge Management Society of Singapore (iKMS). Under his
leadership, iKMS as a non-profit organization has grown in membership, introduced new and innovative KM initiatives,
and has seen increased interest and participation. He is often consulted on KM ideas, initiatives and strategies.
Karuna gained a PhD in Business and Management researching Leadership and KM, an MSc (KM), researching
Workplace Learning and KM, several postgraduate diplomas, and a first degree in Business. He is a trained Erikson
Executive Coach, certified facilitator, and certified Performance Technologist. He is also involved in the NUS Business
School as a leader mentor, and has previously taught in the KM Masters Programme in NTU.
Karuna is often approached to keynote and run workshops on Leadership, KM and organizational storytelling. To date,
he has shared in more than 50 such events in Singapore and internationally including USA, UK, Germany, Middle East,
India, Hong Kong and Malaysia. During the Global Learning Summit in 2012 he was voted as best presenter. He has also
published several book chapters and numerous conference papers.
26 June 2015

3. OUR MISSION
To increase the awareness, understanding
and application of information and knowledge
strategies, knowledge management systems,
processes and practices, so as to strengthen
learning, productivity and innovation in
organisations in Singapore.
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©2015 Information and Knowledge Management Society. All right reserved. 26 June 2015

4. “UNLOCK LATENT TALENT FOR THE 21ST
CENTURY” – KLAUS SCHWAB WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
“Indeed in a future of rapid technological change
and widespread automation, the determining
factor – or crippling limit – to innovation,
competitiveness and growth is less likely to be the
availability of capital, then the existence of a
skilled workforce”
“All must rethink what it means to learn,
the nature of work, and the roles and
responsibilities of various stakeholders in
ensuring that workers around the world
are able to fulfill their potential.”
©2015 Information and Knowledge Management Society. All right reserved.
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26 June 2015

5. OUR SMART NATION VISION
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“We are making a home for all
Singaporeans – young and old, not
just technology-savvy, but everyone.
We want to transform our lives for the
better, and we have what it takes to
achieve this vision. This is our country,
this is our future… Imagine it, let’s
decide on it , let’s make it happen.”
– PM Lee
Smart Nation will improve the
quality of lives for all by
leveraging on technology as
an enabler
©2015 Information and Knowledge Management Society. All right reserved. 26 June 2015

6. 6
A VISION FOR SMART TVS
“Everyone has got their own personal devices but I want to go
beyond each of us individually looking at our own devices…
Let’s not forget that at the end of the day, we want to build
communities, we want people to share common interests,
common experiences and to build that sense of unity and
cohesion which is so essential, even in the Internet era.”
- Minister Vivian, Internet of Things Asia Conference (8 Apr)
©2015 Information and Knowledge Management Society. All right reserved. 26 June 2015

7. 7
LEADERSHIP
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As a process of influence, towards achieving the
desired outcomes, and by doing so, inspiring
commitment and improving the organisation.
LEADERSHIP when practiced at ALL levels in an
Organisation will lead to LEARNING, as a matter of
practice.
26 June 2015

8. 8
LEADERSHIP & KNOWLEDGE
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The Ship is a
COMPLICATED
system!
Does training
equal knowledge?
How much can
one really know?
Especially when
there is so much to
know!
26 June 2015

9. 9
LEADERSHIP & KNOWLEDGE
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Naval Operations
are COMPLEX!
How do teams
create
knowledge? How
can the Leader
better lead his/her
team? Especially
when he/she
clearly cannot
know everything!
26 June 2015

10. 10
LEADERSHIP & KNOWLEDGE
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The Sea is
UNCERTAIN given
tides, currents,
pressure, wind,
cloud and swell.
How does the
Leader behave
when clearly
he/she will know
very little. How
does he/she lead
hundreds of crew
members?
26 June 2015

11. 11
DRIVERS OF CHANGE IN ORGANISATIONS
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Environment
Marketplace Requirements for
Success
Business Imperatives
Organisational Imperative
Cultural Imperatives
Leader and Employee
Behavior
Leader and Employee
Mindset
We need more than
traditional KM Audits,
Strategies and
Masterplanning to really get
people to lead, learn and
grow their knowledge!
WHAT BELIEFS, ATTITUDES &
BEHAVIORS DO LEADERS &
EMPLOYEES HAVE
TOWARDS KNOWLEDGE?
Ackerman and Anderson, 2002
26 June 2015

12. “7 OUT OF 10 CHANGE PROGRAMMES FAIL”
Reflection:Encouraging critical reflection and self-reflection.
By critical we mean 'objective and non-judgemental' not 'criticising’.
Encouraging the individual to stand ‘outside of themselves’ and to
objectively appraise their own taken-for-granted opinions and beliefs.
Engagement:Inviting the individual’s willingness and
motivation to cooperate with the change process as opposed to
imposing it upon them. Potentially you are asking the individual to
change at a deep level so it will require integrating with their values and
beliefs. Ultimately their heart will need to be in it not just their mind. You
cannot make someone change!
Support:Lastly, through creating an environment that supports
individual change, creating the space for individuals to process the
impact of the change for them. Allowing them time to reflect, for
example, on questions such as 'what are the implications for me?' 'how
does it fit with my current values?' and 'how do I feel about the
change?' This comes down to operating at an individual level, not just a
group one.
©2015 Information and Knowledge Management Society. All right reserved.
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HR Zone 2015
26 June 2015

13. 13
WAYS OF ORGANISING FOR WORK
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Workplan & Tasks
“I was directed to
complete this, so I do
this, you do that, lets
get it done”
Matrix Organisation
“Based on your work
responsibilities/scope,
you will work for
him/her and also for
me, give your time
and get it done ”
Collaborative Groups
“Everyone knows better,
lets all get together to
discuss what we need to
do”
Engagement
Performance
Agile “Knowledge
Based” Teams
“These are the best
people, based on their
experience and
expertise, to get this
done”
“ORGANISATIONALEFFECTIVENESS”
“ORGANISATIONAL HEALTH”
26 June 2015

14. 14
POTENTIAL EFFECTS
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“BOUNDARY
MANAGED”
“WORK STRESSED”
“PEOPLE HAPPY”
Engagement
Performance
“KNOWLEDGE READY”
“ORGANISATIONALEFFECTIVENESS”
“ORGANISATIONAL HEALTH”
26 June 2015

15. LOGOS
LOGICAL
KNOWLEDGE
Persuading by
the use of
REASON
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UNLOCKING KNOWLEDGE WORKERS AS KNOWLEDGE
LEADERS IN KNOWLEDGE ORGANISATIONS!
©2015 Information and Knowledge Management Society. All right reserved.
ETHOS
We believe
people whom we
RESPECT
CREDIBILE
LEADERSHIP
PATHOS
Persuading by
appealing to
EMOTIONS
EMOTIONAL
LEARNING
26 June 2015

16. 16
©2015 Information and Knowledge Management Society. All right reserved.
KM & CHANGE LEADERSHIP
KNOWLEDGE
LEARNING
CHANGE
LEADERSHIP
ORGANISATIONALEFFECTIVENESS
ORGANISATIONAL HEALTH
26 June 2015

17. KNOWLEDGE READY ORGANISATION
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An Organisation in which collective
knowledge leadership is promoted and
demonstrated, resulting in the development of
knowledge strategies, implementation of
knowledge systems, design of knowledge
processes, promotion of knowledge practices
and regular evaluation and validation through
knowledge metrics in pursuit of organisational
goals for business excellence.
26 June 2015

18. AWARD CRITERIA
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Strategy
Leadership
Culture
Process
Technology
Impact
iKMS recognises and respects that every Organisation is different. Therefore
we have resisted the temptation to provide a set of “checklist based” sub-
criteria to guide submissions. What is required is detailed description of
intent, concept, design and effects in each of these six categories.
What is
Different
APQC KM Strategic
Assessment Matrix
26 June 2015
MAKE Awards

19. CHANGE LEADERSHIP IN
KNOWLEDGE READY ORGANISATIONS
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©2015 Information and Knowledge Management Society. All right reserved.
LEADERSHIP when practiced at ALL levels in an
Organisation will lead to LEARNING, as a matter of practice
LEARNING can be designed at 3 levels – Individual,
Team and Organisation, and creates KNOWLEDGE as a
matter of process
KNOWLEDGE when created needs to be transferred
and integrated, and when harnessed creates GROWTH, as
a matter of system
GROWTH is what LEADERSHIP wants, and must be
measured to strategise organisational knowledge potential
26 June 2015

20. CHANGE LEADERSHIP
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LEADERSHIP LEARNING KNOWLEDGE
ORGANISATION -Sponsorship
-Strategy
-Ownership
-Climate &
Conditions
-Stories
-System
-Resources
-Repositories
-Documentation
-Narratives
TEAM/WORK
GROUP
-Coaching
-Facilitation
-Mentoring
-After Action
Reviews
-Project Planning
-Timeouts/Retreats
-Lessons Learnt
-Stories
INDIVIDUAL -Reflection -E-Learning
content & tools
-Expertise
-Tacit Knowledge
-Stories
26 June 2015

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©2015 Information and Knowledge Management Society. All right reserved. 26 June 2015