We’ve been talking about how to transfer explicit and tacit knowledge and how these methods relate back to the ways you used to capture the information. Lat time, we talked about how to use the results of job mapping and task analysis. Here are a few more tips:

If you conducted interviews to gather information, you can then use those interviews by:

• sending email blasts with podcasts or vodcasts of key interview snippets to promote just-in-time learning and application (and to encourage employees to watch or listen to the whole interview)
• post full podcasts & vodcasts on your company website, then direct new employees to access them and answer questions about what they learn
• strategically insert these audio and video-taped sessions into classroom training, webinars, e-learning and self-study materials

For any of the methods used, there are a couple of transfer methods that can be quite effective:

• use mentoring relationships to support the transfer of knowledge
  • maybe each new employee is assigned a “learning partner” to help them through the initial days and weeks on the job
  • more senior-level employees can collaborate with newer, less-experienced employees to share their individual wisdom and knowledge about the company
• create “communities of practice” to support ongoing knowledge management
  • groups of peers in similar jobs share skills and learning
  • groups of employees with similar job goals (all want to move into leadership roles, for instance) work together to develop needed skills and to network

As we wrap up this discussion of knowledge transfer, we’re interested in knowing…what strategies for sharing knowledge are you using? Which methods seem to be well-received? What have you tried that isn’t working? Let us know!

For both explicit and tacit knowledge, there are some interesting ways you can transfer information, which relate back to how you captured the information. For instance…

If you have used job analysis and created a job map, you can use that map in these ways:

• include it in training materials
• post the map on your company’s intranet site or learning portal
• make the map interactive and part of e-learning modules
• review the job map in a 1:1 format with new hires

If you used task analysis, you can…

• create a reference manual of all job tasks and procedures
• develop an electronic performance support system (EPSS) with easy-to-access procedures
• create help files withink systems to provide “just in time” system training

For those of you who have done job and task analysis, what creative ways have you used to transfer that knowledge? If your organization is “lower-tech,” what non-technology solutions have you used? If your organization is “higher-tech,” what tools have you used to transfer knowledge? 

So…there you are. You’ve identified critical knowledge. You’ve chosen your capture methods. You have even captured the necessary data and information. Now what? Now it’s time to tranfer the knowledge, which is really the whole point of this process after all!

Although President Obama was talking to school children, a line in the president’s speech this week really applies equally to each of us and to the employees in our organizations. He said, “Every single one of you has something that you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer.”  This step in the Knowledge Management process is about making sure that what your employees “have to offer” is available to and shared with others in the organization.

Here’s what you need to do to make that happen:

1) Edit the material you’ve captured: Get rid of anything that isn’t critical; clarify anything that remains vague; create something easy to use!

2) Develop the transfer tools: There are a wide variety of types (details to follow in coming weeks), and your goal here is to make the knowledge you’ve captured easy to access and effective and easy to use. Here are just some of the transfer tools you can use:

• training programs (classroom, Web-based, etc.)
• job aids (worksheets, tip sheets, checklists, etc.)
• coaching guides
• videos
• podcasts
• discussion boards and wikis
• company website posts
• manuals

There was a time when our only options were training classes and official company communications. With so many options open to us now (thanks to technology), what methods are all of you using? What are effective ways to enable employees to share what they “have to offer” with others who need it?

If you’ve been following along, so far we have discussed how to identify critical knowledge and how to choose capture methods. Now the time has come to actually capture that knowledge!

Here are the things you’ll need to do:

1. List all tasks needed to gather knowledge: This includes what you need to do to prepare for, carry out and follow up. Share this list with stakeholders and revisit throughout the process.
2. Identify necessary resources…and engage them: things like meeting space, staff assistance, HR info, recording/video equipment, etc.  Note: if you need help from other people (which is likely) be sure to give them ample advance notice!
3. Schedule knowledge capture events: Develop a project plan that includes tasks, start/end dates and resources. 
4. Capture the knowledge: Keep in mind that you are documenting not just HOW things are done, but WHY they are done that way. Ask questions that probe for the reasoning behind processes.
5. Validate accuracy: Enlist a co-worker, peer or superior to analyze what you have captured in terms of  the level of detail, accuracy, completeness, and the criticality of the information to success.

Once you’ve done this, you’ll be ready to transfer the knowledge!

We’ve been talking about Knowledge Management for several weeks, discussing an approach that enables managers of people to become managers of knowledge. A

 big concern with this method, of course, is time. Do these managers have enough of it to keep on top of knowledge gaps? And…we’ve been talking about the “pay now or pay later” reality – that investing a little time up front will pay off in the form of easier job transitions, fewer quality issues, improved communication and increased teamwork, ownership and collaboration.

But, let’s say you believe in the approach and are willing to make the time to train your managers in a simple process to stay on top of knowledge needs and readily identify learning gaps. Do you trust your managers to do this?

In a recent meeting, a team of directors and company officers of a successful and growing manufacturing opernation decided no…they don’t trust their managers! In a highly competitive, quality-focused environment managed by educated, experienced and motivated leaders, these leaders do not have confidence in their managers to follow a Knowledge Management process.

Their trust, it seems, is based on their belief that their managers could not learn the process and, should they learn it, could not carry it out. Should they trust their managers with this task? If they can’t trust them, or shouldn’t them…why not?

I’d really love to hear from you out there about this question: given adequate training and a straightforward process, could you entrust knowledge management to your leaders? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Capturing tacit knowledge (loosely defined as the “organizational wisdom” that is gained through experience over time) can be very challenging.  That type of wisdom, while critical to a company’s well-being, is often difficult accurately define and descibe. You may know-it-when-you-see-it, but the process of attempting to make concrete what is, by its very nature (abstract) is not easy.

Here are some of the common challenges with capturing tacit knowledge:

1. People who have tacit skills and knowledge may find it difficult to articulate what they do and what they know.
2. Tacit knowledge may be embedded in relationships and be a part of the values, culture and beliefs of an organization.
3. A lack of appreciation for the signficance of the information may influence how it is shared; if the holder believes “if I know it, everyone must know it” then he or she may leave out subtle nuances and details that are germaine to gaining a full understanding.

So…what to do?  How about:

• Interview co-workers, counterparts, peers, leaders and customers
• Use questionnaires to get to details
• Ask knowledge holders to use analogies or stories to illustrate concepts
• Ask about success stories and use probing questions to uncover the critical skills and relationships that led to success
• Use the “Five Why” technique to dig deeper – ask “why do you think that happened/worked/etc ” five times to get to the heart of the matter

How else can you tease out the tacit knowledge in your organization? We’d love to hear what you’ve done to make the abstract wisdom in your organization more concrete.

One of the biggest challenges with explicit knowledge (the duties, tasks and processes required to perform a particular job) is that sometimes it’s not so…explicit. We tend to think that what is “explicit” is also “obvious,” or at least easy to figure out. Ask anyone who has attempted to capture explicit knowledge and I’ll bet that person will use the phrase “nailing jello to a wall” at least once to describe their experience.

So…what are the challenges with capturing explicit knowledge? Here are just a few:

1.  Duties, tasks and processes are either inconsistently documented, or not documented at all.
2. The people in a particular job right now do-what-they-do, but they really have a hard time explaining it, especially if you expect them to be succinct!
3. Different people, in the same job , do the same thing…but differently.

So…what’s a knowledge management guru to do?  Here are some ideas:

• Perform a job or task analysis.
• Watch! Conduct a job shadow and observe the duty, task or process…as it is completed. Record what you see.

What other ideas do you have about taking the “jello” out of explicit knowledge? Please…share your wisdom!

When deciding how to capture the critical knowledge you’ve found, you may come up with the perfect solution, like using job mapping to show all of the tasks completed by a person in a critical function. But, even with the best solutions, there are sometimes roadblocks to success.

To ensure the best knowledge capture, keep these considerations in mind:

• Time – How much time do you have to do this and how quickly does it need to occur?  If you’re racing against the clock, your results will show it.
• Tools -  What technology, resources and materials are needed to do the capture? Are they available?  If not, consider another method.
• Human Resources – Are the right people available for the knowledge capture method?  For instance, if you need video production folks, do you have them?  
• Complexity – For especially complex content, think about how you can illustrate what you capture. Is it highly technical or difficult to understand?  Know what you’re getting into before committing to a complex process.
• Culture – Is your organization ready for the method you have in mind? For a company that has never heard a corporate podcast, your audio interview of a knowledge holder may be too much, too soon.
• You – Do you have the experience and skills to complete the capture? Are you comfortable doing it?  If not, consider getting help or maybe first trying something you’re more comfortable with, and gradually move into new methods.

Any war stories out there about capture methods you’ve tried…and didn’t realize what you were getting into? Tell us about it!