Knowledge management, or the set of processes and systems that companies and schools use to identify, codify, and share their intellectual capital, is rather outdated. At least, how it is usually done is rather outdated.
The current model goes something like this:
1. The school has plans and goals.
2. An internal person works with a group of people to attain a) consensus and b) compliance around said plans and goals.
3. With consensus and compliance attained, the group moves to convergence on what, precisely, should be done.
This particular model can work well, but only in a school with a stable environment that creates incremental changes. But what if you don't want to make an incremental change? What if you want to make earth-shattering change? What if incremental changes don't cut it any more?
What the Head of School can do:
1. clarify the strategy in language that shows a clear framework for execution of the project in question
2. protect the project's position on the institution's radar screen (his/her screen and the board's screen)
3. guide change in order to prevent churn and chaos
What the RP can do (rp = responsible person, the one executing the project)
1. shape the project team with appropriate team members, not group members (remember: teams and groups are different beasts; you'll want a team for this kind of change)
2. ensure cross-divisional collaboration
3. excel at politics: get the right people together, quickly, when barriers are erected
4. re-frame any and all constraints
5. make decisions, and make them on time: help your Head of School!
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