We use our knowledge
so much that we do not even realize it.
That means that we are not thinking of how we could be using it
better. Bill Kaplan of Working Knowledge says that "Knowledge Management is a process of continuous
renewal". This renewal mindset
welcomes a culture of innovation, unexpected benefits, and trust. Organizations need to be embracing continuous
renewal to manage their knowledge transfer.
This series details a knowledge transfer framework for organization
success.
Provide knowledge to new staff
Whenever someone
starts working at a job the first thing they need to do is figure out how to be
successful. They need to know how things are done, the rules imposed by the
organization, and the expectations of the job.
The quicker they figure these things out, the better it will be for the
new person, their department, and the organization as a whole.
This is why the
organization must invest in the resources to provide new staff with critical
information on how to perform the job they were hired for. Often "New Hire" notebooks are
given to new staff, or even better, an intranet site tailored to new
staff. In addition to an up-to-date
resource about the organization and job, organizations must set aside staff
time for coaching, explanations, and conversation. Each onboarding session is
an opportunity for reviewing and improving the processes being explained. Providing knowledge to new staff members
renews the knowledge because new staff will now be using it, referring to it, improving
it, and taking it to the next level.
Having a comprehensive Onboarding
program to orient new staff is a basic necessity for success.
In Part 2, Don't let knowledge walk out the door!
