Connecting the brains: 10 Do and Don’ts in Knowledge Management

By Sébastien Wiertz, June 29, 2024

This week, I witnessed in different companies a lack of Knowledge management culture. Somehow, it disappeared from their radar and I do believe that the emergence of some “hype” just covered this important topic with dust. However, without a proper Knowledge management and KM maps in your organisation, it would be impossible to get the essence of those new technologies like Augmented intelligence (AI), not to mention the lack of Innovation that is intrinsically linked to the lack of Knowledge sharing. So I decided to restart a series of blog posts on the subject while considering the changes that occurs over the last decades Technologically and culturally.

Do’s:

1. Do create a knowledge-sharing culture: Encourage open communication and collaboration among employees .
2. Do leverage technology effectively: Use KM systems to support digital capture, storage, retrieval, and distribution of knowledge .
3. Do balance tacit and explicit knowledge: Recognize the importance of both and develop processes to manage them .
4. Do involve leadership: Ensure top management supports and is actively involved in KM initiatives .
5. Do measure and evaluate KM efforts: Regularly assess the effectiveness of KM practices and make necessary adjustments .
6. Do focus on creating and using knowledge maps: Develop internal competitive and industry-wide knowledge maps to identify gaps and opportunities .
7. Do integrate KM into everyday processes: Embed knowledge management in the routine tasks and activities of employees .
8. Do encourage the use of formal and informal channels: Use both formal mechanisms (like training sessions) and informal interactions (like coffee break conversations) to facilitate knowledge sharing .
9. Do prioritize strategic alignment: Ensure that your KM strategy is closely linked to your company’s business strategy .
10. Do reward and recognize knowledge sharing: Establish a system to recognize and reward employees who actively contribute to KM initiatives .

Don’ts:

1. Don’t hoard knowledge: Avoid creating silos where knowledge is not shared openly .
2. Don’t focus solely on technology: KM is not just about IT; it also requires cultural and process changes .
3. Don’t neglect informal knowledge: Tacit knowledge gained from informal interactions is critical and should be valued .
4. Don’t ignore the importance of unlearning: Companies must learn to unlearn outdated practices that no longer apply .
5. Don’t undervalue knowledge from failures: Document and learn from both successful and failed projects to avoid repeated mistakes .
6. Don’t assume all knowledge is equally valuable: Focus on capturing and sharing knowledge that is critical to your business success .
7. Don’t make KM optional: Make knowledge management an integral part of your organizational workflow .
8. Don’t overlook the need for continuous improvement: KM practices must evolve with changing business needs and technologies .
9. Don’t exclude any level of the organization: Involve employees at all levels to ensure comprehensive knowledge capture and sharing .
10. Don’t neglect the human aspect of KM: Ensure that people are at the heart of your KM strategy, not just the technology .

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