Introduction to Radical Knowledge Management for KM Practitioners

What Is Radical Knowledge Management?

Radical Knowledge Management (Radical KM) represents a fundamental shift from traditional knowledge management approaches. Whilst conventional KM focuses primarily on capturing, storing, and sharing explicit knowledge through databases and documentation systems, Radical KM goes back to the "roots" (the historical meaning of "radical") of how humans actually learn: through play, creativity, and artistic expression.

This approach recognises that in our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world, storing knowledge is insufficient. Instead, we need to foster continuous knowledge creation, innovation, and adaptive thinking capabilities within our organisations.

Core Principles

Human-Centred Approach: Radical KM acknowledges that knowledge workers are humans, not machines. It prioritises human needs for reflection, creativity, and meaningful connection in knowledge processes.

Arts-Based Interventions (ABIs): The methodology integrates creative activities—from simple five-minute scribble drawings to multi-day collaborative art projects—into knowledge management practices to stimulate different types of thinking.

Diffuse and Focused Thinking Balance: Drawing on neuroscience research, Radical KM creates space for both analytical problem-solving and the wandering, connective thinking that generates innovation.

Sustainability Mindset: The approach develops behaviours that support long-term thinking, systems awareness, and sustainable decision-making across organisations.

Why Now?

Traditional KM emerged when knowledge was more stable and change occurred more slowly. Today's knowledge workers face:

• Information overload and rapid obsolescence of explicit knowledge
• Increasing automation of routine cognitive tasks
• Growing need for creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence
• Remote and hybrid work environments that challenge traditional knowledge-sharing methods
• Rising employee burnout and disengagement

Radical KM addresses these challenges by reactivating human capabilities that have been "educated out" of many professionals in favour of purely analytical approaches.

Practical Implementation

Tactical Interventions: Quick creative activities (5-10 minutes) that can be integrated into regular meetings as energisers or perspective-shifters.

Studio Interventions: Longer creative sessions designed for strategy development, problem-solving, or team building.

Cultural Integration: Systematic introduction of creative practices to build knowledge-sharing culture, psychological safety, and collaborative problem-solving capabilities.

Evidence Base

The approach draws on:

• Neuroscience research demonstrating how arts engagement affects brain plasticity and cognitive flexibility
• Organisational studies showing improved innovation, engagement, and collaboration through creative interventions
• Learning science indicating that creative activities enhance executive function and knowledge retention

Getting Started

For KM practitioners interested in exploring Radical KM:

1. Start small: Try simple creative icebreakers in team meetings
2. Build support: Work with early adopters and curious team members
3. Document outcomes: Track both quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback
4. Scale gradually: Expand from tactical activities to strategic interventions as comfort and evidence grow

Addressing Concerns

Professional scepticism: Frame activities as business tools for improved thinking and collaboration, not as "art for art's sake"

Time constraints: Emphasise that creative activities often increase rather than decrease efficiency by improving focus and generating better ideas

Cultural resistance: Start with willing participants and let positive outcomes speak for themselves

The Bigger Picture

Radical KM isn't about replacing traditional knowledge management practices but enriching them. It provides tools for the aspects of knowledge work that databases and documentation cannot address: fostering innovation, building relationships, developing resilience, and creating the cultural conditions where knowledge naturally flows and grows.

In an era where artificial intelligence handles increasing amounts of routine information processing, Radical KM helps organisations develop the distinctly human capabilities that remain irreplaceable: creativity, empathy, complex problem-solving, and adaptive learning.

For knowledge management practitioners, this represents both an opportunity and a responsibility to help their organisations not just manage existing knowledge more effectively, but to become more capable of creating the knowledge they'll need for an uncertain future.

I've noticed a trend throughout my career: the KM solutions that were most effective were built quickly, informally, and in response to immediate frustration. Official solutions are built for idealized workflows. Unofficial solutions are built for actual human behavior.

How do you capture the agility of "unofficial" solutions within official KM programs?

1. What unofficial knowledge sharing works better in your organization than your official system?
2. How do you test whether your official KM matches how people really work?
3. When should you formalize unofficial solutions vs. leave them alone?
4. How do you build KM systems that adapt to real behavior instead of ideal behavior?

I'd love to hear your experience.