Doubt: All our issues are unique.

Possible Underlying Beliefs

• Our environment is unique and very complex
• Our customers’ environments are all unique
• KCS is for organizations that have a high degree of repetitive/known issues
• We will never (or very seldom) have an opportunity to reuse an existing article

Suggestions for Discovery

• Ask before coaching.
• What contributes to the complexity of the issues?
• Tell me how you solve these complex issues?

Key Points for Advocacy

• We might not always reuse the resolution in an article to solve an issue, but having access to everyone’s experience in solving complex issues helps us solve new complex issues faster.  
• The KB captures the experience of solving complex issues
• Because we don’t see all the issues customers raise around the world we can not really know how often the same issue is raised  

Reference Materials

• Principle: Create Value - work tasks, think big picture
• Principle: Abundance - share more, learn more
• Technique: Content Standard

Sample Scenario

NOTE: This is a sample scenario that provides an example of how a conversation might go between a coach/influencer (Sara) and a doubtful experienced knowledge worker (Brian). Coaching skills are denoted in blue.

Each situation will vary, and influencers will have to adjust their approach based on the situation. Listening and good judgment are required; it is important to be really curious.  We’re aiming to identify underlying beliefs so we can offer a different way of looking at things!.  Asking people to explain their concerns by demonstrating how they do their work can provide a lot of insight.

• Sara: Hi Brian, is now still a good time to chat? Inquiry, Ask Before Coaching
• Brian: Hi, yeah … I guess so.
• Sara: Oh good.  How are things going? Inquiry
• Brian: Ehh.. fine. Lots of cases in my queue
• Sara: Does searching the knowledge base help? Inquiry
• Brian: Not really.  Like I said last time I don’t see any value in the KB.
• Sara: I know you are skeptical.  But I thought you were going to try to create an article for a few of the cases you handled last week. Appreciation, Reflection
• Brian: Hmm… I didn’t have time and besides, no one is going to use those articles or resolutions again. As I also mentioned last time all our case resolutions are unique to each customer.
• Sara: Ah yes I remember you were saying the product you support is highly customized for each installation. Reflection
• Brian: Right … so why create an article for the issues when there is no chance they will be reused again?
• Sara: I understand.  You don’t have many repeat issues. Reflection
• Brian: I can’t remember the last time I had a known issue.
• Sara: I think you had said you have been working with this product for the past 4 years. Reflection, Inquiry
• Brian: Yup
• Sara: Do you feel you are better at solving issues now than when you first started working in this area? Inquiry
• Brian: Oh absolutely. I am now the technical specialist in this area.
• Sara: That’s great.  And, what things have contributed to your expertise in this area? Appreciation, Inquiry
• Brian: Oh gosh...hmmm
• Sara: Did you have some formal training? Inquiry
• Brian: No… but  I would have to say I had a great mentor when I started on this team.
• Sara: And they taught you a lot about the product? Inquiry
• Brian: Yeah… mostly tips on how to troubleshoot issues.
• Sara: Is there a troubleshooting guide? Inquiry
• Brian: No… but early on I took a lot of notes [reaching into his desk drawer for notebook]
• Sara: Oh nice…. Do you still reference that? Appreciation, Inquiry
• Brian: Sometimes, after 4 years of experience in troubleshooting this product I know how to approach the issues.
• Sara: That’s impressive.  What if the information you have in your notebook were in the knowledge base? Appreciation, Advocacy
• Brian: Ahh… well… these aren’t fixes to issues.
• Sara: Well… In this environment, you might not reuse the exact fix from an article to resolve an issue but it sounds like having access to yours and others' past experiences in solving similar issues helps you solve new issues. The value of the knowledge base is more than just the resolutions to issues; it is the types of things you have captured in your notebook. Advocacy, Reflection, Advocacy
• Brian: I don’t think you can capture the experience in a knowledge base.
• Sara: We might not get it all perfectly … but what if everyone on the team had access to each other's experience in solving complex issues.  The KB replaces yours and other's notebooks. Appreciation, Advocacy
• Brian: Uummmmm…  not so sure about that
• Sara: Ok…Tell me more about your hesitation. Inquiry
• Brian: Well … my notebook is my place to document things….. and I don’t have confidence in all of it.  Some of it are things I have tried or resolutions I have proposed, but they are not validated or confirmed.
• Sara: Ah, I see. Reflection
• Brian: You know I have worked hard to establish a positive reputation here and I don’t want to damage that.
• Sara: Certainly not…. What if you had a way to identify or distinguish those things you are confident about from those things that were experimental? Advocacy
• Brian: Hmmmm… maybe
• Sara: Would you be willing to try capturing your experience in the KB  …rather than spending time writing in your notebook? It shouldn’t take more time than you spend now updating your notebook. Advocacy
• Brian: Well … I guess
• Sara: It really shouldn’t be extra work, it is just a different way to capture your experience and it would be available to others on the team. Advocacy
• Brian: And I can flag things as unconfirmed?
• Sara: Yes.