A CKO is not just a glorified information officer, but an expert in all facets of company life. They must be an organizational leader capable of looking at the overall operating structure in the present and future. They often see the need for change ahead of others and may require departmental creations and reorganizations. A competent CKO is the game changer every company needs to stay current and cutting edge.
Short for chief knowledge officer, there are those who dismiss a CKO as nothing more than a glorified information officer. This is a particularly incorrect assumption these days. A chief information officer focuses on one segment of the company’s operation, most often on areas related to the maintenance, function, and enhancement of information systems within the company structure. The role of the CKO is much broader, allowing this type of executive the ability to become an expert in all facets of company life. He or she is also involved with any aspects of the business that they feel require extra attention at any given time, based on what they see as current and future needs that must be met for the business to grow. .
CKOs will differ in method and purpose from other corporate executives. As an example, the CKO must be an organizational leader capable of not only looking at the overall operating structure in the here and now, but also seeing where that structure needs to be one year, two years and five years from today. To some extent, this may bring the CKO in line with the founders, who had to exercise some degree of foresight to conceive and found the company in the first place. It could be said that he is the means by which the founders’ vision remains alive and always looks to the future rather than resting on current laurels.
Often someone in this position may have to work within conditions where there is an element of opposition, if not outright antagonism. People tend to want to leave things alone when they are going well and not change anything. The CKO, while it may appreciate its status today, will also be looking to the future. By gathering knowledge about ways to accomplish the same tasks more efficiently, being prepared through study and training to add staff who can immediately handle new tasks, he or she often sees the need for change ahead of other people who have tasks. more specialized in the company.
In fact, many CKOs are not fully appreciated until long after the need for changes and improvements has been recognized and implemented. It is when this awareness of future needs is combined with an understanding of the obvious development of industry trends starting to hit home that the CKO’s work is appreciated first by the management team and later by the hierarchy of employee strength.
A competent CKO may require departmental creations and reorganizations, the establishment of new positions and the elimination of others, diversification of goods and services offered by the company, and even a complete overhaul of the corporate and operational structure. This usually involves establishing a logical thought process, educating others by offering learning modules, and fostering a vision of the future that may initially be shared by only a few. In that sense, the CKO is the game changer every company needs to stay current and cutting edge.
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