A knowledge-based society

In the October 2000 issue of ASME NEWS, I mentioned five strategic challenges for immediate action by ASME's five councils that respond to ASME's Focus on the Future 2000-2001. One of these challenges was to transform the Society into a knowledge-based organization.

Although ASME and its members create, transfer, apply and use knowledge, the term "knowledge-based organization" refers specifically to the way we govern ourselves. It refers to the way we decide what we are going to do and how we are going to do it. A knowledge-based organization is one that uses knowledge about the internal and external issues affecting its daily operations to make decisions and establish a course of action.

How is this different from our current mode of operational decision-making?

To answer this, let's look at five key areas that shape our programs and activities: leadership, resource allocation, what ASME rewards, representation and communication.

How does a traditional organization lead? It prides itself on making good decisions, in finding solutions to problems, and in managing people's awareness of what's important and their commitment to it.

A knowledge-based organization acts differently. It focuses on seeing that good decisions are made by actually using information in decision-making and accepting informed intuition as readily as concrete proof. A knowledge-based organization ensures that all stakeholders help to develop solutions by using a facilitated-team model of decision-making. By creating the knowledge and insight needed to identify what's important, a knowledge-based organization develops the necessary commitment to act on these issues.

As for resource allocation, we must not believe that it is better to miss an opportunity than to make a mistake. We must not believe that we don't have enough resources to do properly what needs to be done. We cannot afford NOT to get started when we are dealing with important issues.

Doing the "right thing" doesn't necessarily require application of large resources, but it does require that the "right things" be identified. We have great intellectual capital and volunteer energy within ASME that is often underused. By doing the right things, we can use these assets efficiently and make a difference.

We also need to rethink what we reward. We must focus on rewarding results and outcomes. We must choose leaders for their expertise and ability to think critically and analytically, not because they put in their time. We must apply relevant expertise, insight and experience to an issue and readily embrace people who can articulate effectively what they think and why.

Because of our size and range of activities ASME divides naturally into various constituencies. In some cases, this leads to influence based on the support for and the size of that constituency, rather than the knowledge they possess as it relates to the issue at hand.

In a knowledge-based society, however, there is no need for constituencies to be represented throughout the organizational structure because all groups and individuals have open channels of communication for ideas and concerns. Validation comes through communication, not representation. People are valued for their insight, ideas and problem-solving skills. Authority is based on what you know or can contribute, not who you know or represent.

Communication involves more than just telling others what is happening. It involves letting them know what is going to happen and how their professional lives will be affected. In a knowledge-based society, leaders have the responsibility to determine what members will need, rather than what they think members want. Leaders share what they know because they recognize that the more others know, the more they can help to make the necessary changes.

Our nanotechnology initiative is an excellent example of how ASME is implementing the concept of a knowledge-based society. We have responded rapidly. People throughout the organization, both volunteers and staff, are working together to respond to the needs of the marketplace. Their efforts have been outstanding.

We have organized a successful conference and developed an action plan to establish ASME as the leading engineering society in this new field. We have formed a community and planned a follow-on conference. Nanotechnology has been designated as one of the integrated tracks for the 2001 Congress and Exposition.

One result of these efforts is the selection of ASME by the American Association for the Advancement of Science to write the nanotechnology section of its fiscal year 2002 report on research and development.

Becoming a knowledge-based organization requires a major change in our culture. However, it is essential if we are to succeed in meeting the four other strategic challenges I mentioned in October: to become Web-centric, to become multidisciplinary, to foster emerging technologies, and to reach out to students and young engineers.

As ASME becomes increasingly knowledge-based, we will be better equipped to move forward in these areas. We have already become more Web-centric through such new e-commerce initiatives as the Digital Store, ASME Online Campus and a new search engine.

The nanotechnology initiative continues to set standards for us in the areas of multidisciplinary and emerging technologies. And we have reinvigorated our efforts to reach students and young engineers through special programs, such as e-mentoring and the student section guest speaker program, as well as the newly created FasTrack e-zine for young engineers to help them get more value from their ASME membership.

More programs such as these are required to help ASME realize the goals set out in Focus on the Future 2000-2001.

— John R. Parker, P.E.
ASME President

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