Institutes & Academic
Programs
SMR International is well known for the excellence
of its professional development and learning programs. Specializing
in providing
management solutions for clients working with information
management, knowledge management, and strategic learning, the company
has
been actively engaged in professional learning for over two
decades. SMR Learning, the company’s training division,
has the experience and background to provide your organization
with
training
and development solutions that match your needs.
Information management, knowledge management, and strategic
(performance-centered) learning converge in Knowledge Services,
the enterprise-wide management methodology that enables companies
and organizations to achieve excellence, both in the performance
of internal staff and in their interactions with external customers.
Developed at SMR International, the Knowledge
Services framework
provides the critical link connecting the organization’s
people and what they know with organizational success.
SMR Learning offers a variety of learning solutions that explore
the role of Knowledge Services in the larger management community
and in the library and information science profession. Among
its offerings, SMR Learning includes three- to five-day institutes
designed for corporate and organizational clients and for adaptation
and use as courses in graduate library and information science
programs.
All SMR Learning programs utilize facilitated group discussion,
interactive dialogue, and participation in structured exercises
designed to help attendees codify desired outcomes. The company’s
institutes and academic programs are organized under the general
supervision of Guy St. Clair, the company’s President and
Consulting Specialist for Knowledge Management and Learning,
who conducts many of the learning programs. Guy St. Clair’s
most recent book, Beyond Degrees: Professional Learning for Knowledge
Services, was published by K.G. Saur in 2003.
SMR Learning currently offers four institutes and academic programs:
The Knowledge Nexus Institute: From Information Center to Knowledge
Central
In difficult economic times, staying relevant is the challenge.
In order to demonstrate their department’s value to the
organization, managers of information centers, knowledge centers,
and specialized libraries must constantly innovate. The unit’s
strength (and indeed its very existence, in some organizations)
depends on the manager’s ability to demonstrate to senior
management that its contribution to the organizational bottom
line (however defined) is worthwhile.
The specially designed immersion learning programs of The Knowledge
Nexus Institute provide the solutions managers need for improving
information management and service delivery in the larger organization.
Attendees are given specific and measurable techniques for transforming
the information unit into the organization’s central reference
point for enterprise-wide information, knowledge, and strategic
learning needs.
The Knowledge Nexus Institute addresses the following topics:
- Shaping performance excellence with Knowledge Services
- Developing
and implementing the knowledge services/information audit
- Strategic planning for Knowledge Services and creating the
master plan for the organizational knowledge nexus
- Measuring
Knowledge Services success in the organization
The Knowledge Services Institute: Managing Strategic Programs
and Services
Developing and leading the organizational Knowledge Services
function requires attention to a variety of management issues,
many of which are not emphasized in academic learning programs.
The Knowledge Services Institute reviews critical management
topics and provides participants with tools for applying what
they learn to their individual situations. The institute examines
the following management issues:
- Establishing knowledge needs in the organization
- Determining
information flow, knowledge development, and knowledge sharing
in the organization
- Selecting programs and services to provide
- Designing the
operational structure and building the information/knowledge/learning
infrastructure
- Marketing, building awareness, and identifying
organizational champions
- Organizing, implementing, and testing
the operational framework
The Knowledge Services Leadership Institute: Adding Value for
Enterprise-Wide Success
Today’s information professional is expected to be the
organization’s leader in the management of information,
knowledge, and strategic learning. Yet becoming positioned for
leadership requires specific management expertise and the development
of a professional authority that identifies and exploits opportunities
for collaboration. The Knowledge Services Leadership Institute
provides an in-depth look at the role of trust, collaboration,
collegiality, and relationship-building in the workplace, giving
attendees the tools for examining and enhancing value-add opportunities
in the parent organization. The institute addresses the following
leadership topics:
- Defining the leadership function for Knowledge Services,
and establishing the Knowledge Services environment for the
organization
- Developing the management framework for enterprise-wide
success
- Interacting with senior management—building professional
authority
- Connections, collaboration, and constructive cooperation:
cross-functional support and advocacy
The Knowledge Services Communications Institute: Designing the
Communications Plan
To be successful, the organization must establish a supportive
Knowledge Services ambiance and build a Knowledge Services reputation.
A strong communications program is the key to success, for without
describing how Knowledge Services enables organizational consumers
to meet their goals and match their expectations, organizational
participation will be sporadic, and irregular at best. The Communication
Planning Institute provides the tools for addressing the growing
role of Knowledge Development/Knowledge Sharing (KD/KS) in the
parent organization, enabling attendees to demonstrate to their
specific clientele how Knowledge Services affects organizational
success. The institute focuses on the following topics:
- Identifying the audience and organizing the communications
tools
- Power and influence: cultivating champions and advocates
for Knowledge Services
- Framing the communications plan for
enterprise-wide success
- Selecting and implementing constituent
elements for the communications plan
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