Knowledge Management

When people will share and use

knowledge
Knowledge sharing and using shared knowledge

N Balajhi
3/14/2009
N.Balajhi - Independent Business Consultant

I n sp ort s, we of t en say 'he/ sh e i s an eni gm a' wh en pe rf orm ance f all s f l at despi t e hi gh

prom i se. I t appl i es t o busi ne sse s al so. Many bu si ne sse s un der perf orm due t o t he gap
bet wee n kno wl e dge ac qui red a nd kn o wl edg e used. No waday s com pani e s u nder st a nd
t he im port ance of knowl ed ge an d ho w i t can hel p t hem gai n or sharpe n t he
com pet i tiv e edge. T hey are t ryi ng wi t h KM syst em s, and sof t war e pl ays a hu ge rol e i n
t hat . Sof t ware hel p s com pani e s t o capt u re, st ore an d chan nel kno wl edg e. But
kno wl edg e sh ari ng (co nv erti ng t he t aci t f orm i nt o ex pli ci t one) an d u si ng t he
kno wl edg e i n st ore are o ut si de of t he so f t ware sy st em s. T he se t wo a spect s of
kno wl edg e m anagem ent requi re pe opl e to hav e f ai t h and t rust be si de s ot h er
f aci li t at i ng syst em s.

Co n d u ci ve en vi ro n men t fo r kn o wl ed g e sh ari n g

I hav e had num erous i nt eract i on s wi t h peo pl e on t hi s i ssue a nd wh at m otiv at es or

dem ot iv at es pe opl e t o share kno wl e dge. T h e di agram giv en al ong si de ca pt ure s t h o se
respon se s a nd m y o wn ob serv ati ons. I t t el l s u s whe n kn o wl edg e sh ari ng wi l l t ake
pl ace or i n ot h er word s t he di agram ca pt ure s t h e e nv i ronm ent t hat f acil it at es
kno wl edg e shari ng.

L i sten i n g ears - T hi s i s param ount

f or knowl ed ge shari ng. W hen one
l earns ab out an i ssu e or ha s a i d ea t o
sh are he n eed s a l i st eni ng ear. I t i s
m en at t he f ront who k no ws m ore
t han t he m en in corner room s.
I rresp ect iv e of wher e som eon e i s a nd
what he do e s, he m ust be l i st ened t o
when he com es up wi t h a n i dea,
sol ut i on or ev en a pro bl em . Each
pi ece of i nf orm at i on t hus receiv ed
sh oul d be a sse ssed f or i t s wort h a nd
t reat ed accor di ngl y. W hen one kno ws
hi s word s f ound a goo d ear, he wi l l
be m ot iv at ed t o share m ore.

F o rmal reco rd - I t i s i m port ant t hat each pi e ce of kno wl edg e share d a nd f ound u sef ul
m ust be record ed an d du e credi t s gi v en. T his f urt her im prov es a per son ' s f ai t h i n t he
sy st em .
F eed b ack / Acti o n - W as t he kno wl edg e act ed upon ? W hat i s t he st at u s? I nt o t h e

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N.Balajhi - Independent Business Consultant

du st bi n or t o t he pent h ou se ? F eed back i s i m port ant a s i t ackno wl e dge s and i s al so a

way of respect i ng t he p er son who shar ed t he kno wl edge.

Reco g n i ti o n o f co n tri bu ti on - W hen kno wl edge sh ared i s u sef ul and t o be act e d

upon t he sam e sh oul d be reco gni sed and t he person conce rne d be giv en publ i c credi t.
Depe ndi ng up on t he i m port ance and cri t i cali t y of knowl ed ge shar ed, t he concern ed
per son be m ade re sp on si bl e f or act i on or be re ward ed in ot her way s.
Care er g ro w th - Count kno wl e dge shari ng f or prom oti ons an d ot her r ecog ni t i ons.
Re war d s are f i ne but alm ost ev eryone woul d l ov e to m ov e up t he l adder.
Di recti o n - Last but not t he l east , di rect i on. Lack of di rect i on can ki ll a KM i ni ti at iv e.
I t 's j u st not eno ugh f or a CEO t o kno w t he d i rect i on, ev eryone m ust kno w. O t her wi se
dat aba se s wi l l be f ull wi t h l ess or no ne t o a ct upon. W hat ? W hy? Ho w? W here? m ust
be cl arif i ed t o hel p peopl e cont ri but e bet t e r. Di rect i on al on e i s a su bj ect f or m any
m ore post s. I wi l l do i t at l at er.

Maki n g p eop l e u se kn ow l ed g e

T he ot her chal l eng e of KM, as we al ready di scussed, i s m aki ng peopl e u se kno wl ed ge.
Prim ary reason f or peopl e t o n ot u se kn o wl edge i n p ubl i c dom ai n coul d be t he
credi bi l it y of knowl edg e sh ared. T o m ake peopl e u se k no wl ed ge share d a nd f eel
comf ort abl e and conf i dent i n doi ng so, one m ay ensur e t hat f ol l owi ng ar e t aken c ar e
of .
Certi fy kn o w l ed g e - O nce kno wl edg e
sh ared i s acc ept ed a s u sef ul t hen t he
sam e sho ul d be cert i f i ed by an
appro pri at e a ut hori t y. T hi s i s m ore v i t al
f or a knowl e dge t h at i s yet t o be u sed o r
t est ed.

Pro o f / Evi d en ce - Sho w ev i dence of

work or benef i t s of a knowl ed ge act e d
upon. T hi s h el p s p eopl e t o ad apt i t
f ast er wi t h conf i dence. More suc h
ev i dence, m ore conf i dence i n u si ng ne w
kno wl edg e.

Do n o t p en al i se - W hen kno wl edg e

act ed u pon f ail s to yi el d po si t iv e
resul t s, do not pen al i se t he on e who u se d i t nor t he one wh o share d i t . Learn f rom t he

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N.Balajhi - Independent Business Consultant

f ai l ure as t hat ' s an opp ort uni t y t o im prov e t hi ngs. But nev er f orget t o reasse ss t he
st at u s of 'kno wl edge' in qu e st i on and i nf orm concerned peo pl e.
Rew ard / re co g n i se - Re ward and reco gni se pe opl e who sh o w ent hu si a sm t o t e st
unchart e d t erri t ory an d u se ne w kno wl e dge sh ared. P ubl i ci se succe sse s an d l ear n
f rom m i st akes

W hen you dev el op a knowl edg e m anagem ent sy st em , rem em ber t o keep abov e poi nt s
i n mi nd. KM syst em i s not j ust sof t war e bu t m uch m ore t han t hat . Peo pl e m ust b e
prepar ed, nud ged, hel pe d a nd care d t o sh are an d u se k no wl ed ge. I f t wo bi g
chal l enge s of KM are t ackl ed wel l t hen ot her chal l enge s, if any, can be handl ed wi t h
m uch m ore ease.

Al l t he best .

See th e earl i er p o st o n KM ' T w o b i g ch all en g es o f Kn o w l edg e man ag emen t '

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