How to Gain Control Over the Critical Processes of Knowledge Management

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If you’re just starting to implement a knowledge management platform within your company, you are, most likely, still dealing with some issues like not having the proper procedures in place, resistance from key stakeholders, and other barriers to knowledge transfer. But that’s ok, rest assured that everyone goes through a similar process and that you will prevail.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common issues managers and business owners have to tackle: knowledge transfer and the critical processes of knowledge management

Through our work with our clients, we’ve observed that knowledge management can be implemented across a significant number of industries. However, it’s used differently, depending on the size of a business.

Small companies, for example, should start by carving out a competitive market advantage from their early stages, while large organizations, on the other hand, rely on knowledge management to move quickly in a digital age, when a lot of things can change overnight, without any prior warnings. 

Still, the idea is simple: knowledge management can be crucial for business success, no matter its size.

Think about some of the advantages, like improving communication and collaboration, encouraging innovation and productivity, not to mention making team members feel valued. These are just a few of the benefits a knowledge sharing culture can bring within a company. Yet again, the overall process of implementing a knowledge management platform can be a challenge for many, at least in its incipient stages. 

Let’s see how you can gain control over the critical processes of knowledge management in the most effective way.

1. Set your knowledge management program’s objectives

Ok, so you’ve decided. Knowledge management is what your company needs. However, before starting to implement it, it’s mandatory to set some clear objectives, by defining the problems you need to solve and the business drivers that will provide both momentum and justification for the implementation. 

The idea is to document objectives, whether we’re talking about short-term and long-term ones, that address the business problems and support drivers. After having everything in place, issues like “how” and “when to start?” shouldn’t exist anymore.

2. Understand how your organization uses knowledge

Sure, there are various KM life cycle models list phases you can follow and adapt them to your organization but don’t forget that, in the end, these are just blueprints. 

No matter how many critical processes of knowledge management you will go through, you need to understand the inner workings of your organization to achieve success. Specifically, we’re talking about storing and sharing knowledge. Therefore, our recommendation is to make good use of an already existing flow of information, as it can help you to structure your formal KM process.

3. Prepare your team for change

It’s no secret that people don’t like change. And implementing a knowledge management solution is… well, more than just an application of technology – it can change the company culture. That’s why you should do your homework and prepare for employees being reticent at first and having to rethink the way they share knowledge. If they’re already doing it, that is. 

Start with introducing new norms and shared values, focused on sharing knowledge, and, very importantly, recruit those with the potential of becoming knowledge management champions. They will play a very important role within their department when it comes to promoting this new culture, and offering feedback to the implementation team. 

4. Encourage socialization

There are many ways through which you can foster an environment of knowledge sharing. However, when your team members are socializing, it’s going to happen naturally, through casual conversations. 

Probably one of the best things to do in your attempt to gain control over the critical processes of knowledge management is to encourage talking between your team members and develop relationships in-office. In time, this will make your team members more likely to turn to each other for advice, information, and even learn new skills.

Conclusion

One thing is certain: implementing a fully-fledged knowledge management solution takes time and resources. But it is worth the effort. If you’re curious why that is, take a look at our article about how a knowledge sharing platform positively impacts your organization.

The main idea is really simple: a properly implemented knowledge management system will not only bring together teams but will also boost efficiency and help make better decisions.

This is where Quandora comes in, offering a complete knowledge management software that supports and stimulates communication among technical teams and across multiple teams, enabling them to work better and making their knowledge available to the whole company.

Looking for a great way to ask questions and build knowledge with your co-workers? Quandora enables simple, efficient knowledge sharing with your team, way more fun than a mailing list or a forum. Try Quandora

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