KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge Identification, Retention, and Sharing by Davy Communications

Here's why you may need knowledge identification, retention, and sharing services:



1. Knowledge Identification

Knowing what knowledge exists within the organization is the first step toward effective knowledge management. Identifying knowledge involves recognizing explicit information (e.g., documents, databases, reports) and tacit knowledge (e.g., expertise, experiences) held by employees. Identifying knowledge helps prevent the loss of critical information when employees leave the organization. By documenting and organizing knowledge, you safeguard your intellectual assets and ensure continuity even in the face of staff turnover. It helps you understand your strengths and weaknesses in this area better. Also, by identifying your areas of expertise, you can allocate resources more efficiently, identify knowledge gaps, and focus on areas that require improvement.



2. Knowledge Retention

Retaining knowledge is essential to prevent knowledge loss due to turnover, retirement, or changing job roles. When employees leave without sharing their knowledge, you can suffer from decreased productivity and increased training costs for new employees. Encouraging employees to document their knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned ensures that valuable insights are preserved for future reference. This documentation can take the form of written reports, process manuals, or even multimedia presentations. Implementing mentorship or knowledge transfer programs allows experienced employees to pass on their knowledge to younger or less experienced colleagues, promoting a culture of continuous learning.



3. Knowledge Sharing

Knowledge sharing is the lifeblood of a learning organization. When employees share their expertise and experiences with others, it improves problem-solving, better decision-making and increases efficiency. Collaboration and cross-functional teams benefit significantly from knowledge sharing. When different departments or teams share their knowledge, they gain fresh perspectives and innovative solutions, leading to more creative and effective outcomes. A culture that promotes knowledge sharing encourages open communication and trust among employees. When people feel comfortable sharing their ideas and insights, it creates an environment that fosters innovation and continuous improvement.



4. Innovation and Problem-Solving

By identifying, retaining, and sharing knowledge, you create a fertile ground for innovation. New ideas often emerge from the intersection of different areas of knowledge and expertise. Employees can build upon existing knowledge to develop novel solutions to problems, ultimately driving the organization forward and staying ahead of the competition. Knowledge sharing also empowers employees to learn from each other's successes and failures, avoiding the reinvention of the wheel and promoting a more efficient problem-solving process.



5. Employee Engagement and Development

When employees feel their knowledge is valued and appreciated, it boosts their morale and engagement. Knowledge sharing fosters a sense of belonging and collective purpose. Organizations that actively promote knowledge sharing tend to attract and retain top talent, as employees recognize the opportunities for personal and professional growth through learning from their colleagues. By sharing knowledge, employees can develop new skills, broaden their perspectives, and stay up to date with the latest industry trends, making them more adaptable and valuable assets to the organization.

What is our service?

For our clients, we help capture their tacit and explicit knowledge. We do this through a mixture of tools and methods to capture explicit and tacit knowledge. We typically start with a Needs Assessment that identifies what knowledge needs to be captured and why, followed by a list of existing knowledge assets and gaps. We provide assistance and input in choosing the appropriate tools and systems for knowledge capture for our clients and then use interviews, surveys, repositories, etc., to collect data. When collected, we analyze and validate the information. Lastly, we help our clients identify a formal process to document and update their knowledge.

Capturing and identifying tacit and explicit knowledge is crucial for successful knowledge retention. Tacit knowledge is challenging to document as it resides in people's heads and is often acquired through personal experience. Explicit knowledge is often easier to document, share, and transmit to others and is usually found in extant company documents.

Examples of common techniques we can use to identify and capture tacit knowledge include:



1. Interviews & Surveys

Conducting one-on-one interviews and surveys to gather insights.



2. Job Shadowing

Following our clients' experts to understand their thought processes and decision-making skills.



3. Communities of Practice

Helping our clients to create forums for employees to share and co-create knowledge.

Examples of common techniques we can use to identify and capture explicit knowledge include:



1. Document Repositories

We use the tools our clients use (e.g., SharePoint or Confluence) to store and categorize documents.



2. Knowledge Bases

We work with the tools our clients use for Knowledge Management (e.g., enterprise solutions, SaaS offerings, open-source solutions, or specialized systems) to capture specific knowledge about products or processes.



3. Process Mapping

We use Business Process Mapping tools (e.g., MS Visio) to document workflows and visualize and understand their various processes, workflows, and procedures. The choice of tool always depends on factors like the complexity of the process being mapped, the number of users, and our client's budget. These tools can be invaluable for capturing explicit knowledge about tasks, who performs them, and what steps are needed to achieve specific outcomes.

Subscribe to our mailing list