Your business’s success lies in your ability to get the right information to the right people at the right time. Miscommunications can be greatly detrimental to your organization. Knowledge management systems are designed to streamline your information sharing experiences for your business.
As your organization grows and evolves, it becomes necessary to duplicate the knowledge of the existing staff. Such preemptive measures cushion you and your business when a founder or employee leaves, with their absence risking the sustainability of the organization. Knowledge sharing platforms facilitate continuous communication among the different divisions in your business for smooth operations, even during large transitions.
This exchange of knowledge, using either audio, video, or text, inspires collaboration, which, in turn, increases productivity. An efficient knowledge transfer system allows you to capture and save vital information for use by future generations. Information sharing systems leads to better decision-making, innovation, and performance in an organization. The process’s essence is to create new knowledge that can help better the organization moving forward.
Here are 10 methods you can use to transfer key information between the employees of your company effectively.
Using Technology
Embrace knowledge sharing technology to capture and save vital company or business information. Technology automates the captured information in a variety of formats for safekeeping’s sake. Knowledge sharing tools are capable of removing any duplicate information collected from many employees. Additionally, it’s advisable to encourage your employees to start a social media group where they get to collaborate and exchange information.
Training your employees
Training is paramount for duplicating the existing employee’s knowledge. It helps keep the knowledge alive if an employee were to depart and the company doesn’t have a ready replacement. Organizations need to operate with a back-up plan in the event that the most experienced IT guy or any other core employees choose to leave.
Your organizations can’t afford to get caught flat-footed, and that’s why you always need to keep training programs running non-stop. If you don’t have sufficient resources to pay for your employees’ formal training, you can try the less expensive e-learning experiences.
Promoting networking
Nurture a culture where your employees regularly meet up to exchange information in your organization. Plan for events that bring about teams from different divisions of your company for improved information collection.
These informal gatherings are a great way for your employees to pass on key information to the younger staff. For instance, having a water-cooler at the office or an employee lounge can encourage your staff to congregate and, in the process, exchange information.
Using formal documentation
Transferring key information in your organization is an intricate step-by-step process. One slight misstep and you risk undoing all the past gains. There are several tools such as Word Docs, Excel Spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations, that you can use to store knowledge.
That said, you can capture valuable knowledge, without shelling out the big bucks, in a simple and pain-free process by making use of free downloadable PowerPoint templates. A huge perk of most free slides is that they’re easy to use, even for employees who have no experience in making presentations. These are highly customizable, so you can tailor them according to your knowledge-transfer needs.
Armed with the right documentation tools, your employees have a simpler time outlining the procedures in a process. These tools also make it easier for the teams to track their goals. Documenting the process uplifts the morale of the team members.
Encourage your employees to take and share notes during office gatherings and watch how the overall productivity peaks from then on.
Leveraging other employees’ knowledge
Hiring consultants to develop an effective knowledge transfer system in your organization is another great idea. Bear in mind, however, that the consultant may eventually leave. Therefore, it’s prudent to get this consultant to share their knowledge with specific employees. The employees will, in turn, carry on overseeing the knowledge transfer practices instituted by the hired consultant.
Collecting data
Accurate employee data and information is critical when creating efficient knowledge-sharing systems. Use spreadsheets to collect vital info such as the employees’ names and their importance to the organization, the impact of the information known by these employees, and the resources needed to impart that knowledge to other employees.
Make use of mentors
Mentors, whether short or long-term, play a critical role in disseminating key information in your organization. Mentorship is a great avenue for organizations to transfer implied and underlying information from one generation to the next.
Enabling employees to gain experience
Getting hands-on experience from a more experienced team member is a simple way to learn about an organization’s history and culture. Guided experiences are perfect for transferring those skills that require a more practical approach, such as auto mechanics.
Promoting the use of virtual simulations
Organizations have upped the game, and they’re now using augmented reality and 3D animations to train their employees. This modern technology confers plenty of rewards to the employees and the owners as well. Augmented reality and other impressive technology tools promote the transfer of knowledge within an organization.
Keeping track of results
Use knowledge management tools to assess the signs of progress, if any, of your knowledge transfer plans. Tools such as Pipedrive and Hubspot allow you to track your performance progress by setting up benchmarks. As you grow and evolve, make sure you regularly assess your organization’s knowledge transfer practices and their effectiveness.
Benefits of Knowledge Transfer
Knowledge transfer systems facilitate the capturing and eventual dissemination of key knowledge across your business. Employees obtain better access to the saved information as the system streamlines communication in an organization. These practices boost confidence and productivity in employees. Knowledge transfer systems enable faster decision-making.
In Conclusion
Investing in a knowledge transfer system is a must for businesses. This system helps automate and streamline capturing, saving, and analyzing information surrounding your organization’s culture and systems.
Effective knowledge transfer builds stronger, happier, and healthier organizations. Creating a robust knowledge-sharing culture involves several key steps, such as identifying and collecting information, capturing and saving knowledge, transferring and sharing the information, and applying that knowledge.
Organizations are also required to regularly assess the applied knowledge-sharing measures to weed out any redundancies.
If you realize a particular approach isn’t delivering the expected results–for example, your social media strategy–immediately revise your plans.
Avoid waiting to the last minute to replace your experienced workers if they’re about to retire or complete their tenures. Be smart and develop a knowledge-sharing culture of duplicating skills within your organization today.
