Knowledge Transfer 101

When we talk about the standard definition of knowledge, we’re typically talking about the information that’s used to understand a subject -- the facts we can apply to think creatively, solve problems and make judgments.

When this standard knowledge combines with soft skills and competencies, employees get the full range of information and insights needed to complete tasks and the requirements necessary to do their jobs. Then they can apply their knowledge and take effective action.

2 Types of Knowledge

On the job people draw from a deep well of knowledge they’ve gained from their past work experiences. If you drill down further into the definition of knowledge, you can see there are two types: explicit and tacit.

Explicit knowledge is the information that’s recorded in documents, drawings, calculations, models, designs, manuals, procedures and other formal vehicles. Tacit knowledge is the information held within a person’s mind that typically hasn’t been captured formally.

Common Obstacles to Effective Knowledge Transfer

With tacit knowledge’s undocumented nature, there are several common obstacles to effective knowledge transfer.

• Time. It can be difficult to carve out the time to make knowledge transfer happen. Most professionals are already working long hours and with full schedules, so finding the time set aside to capture and transfer knowledge is a challenge.

• Complexity. A lot of knowledge is gained through experience -- a culmination of the things that have worked, haven’t worked and experience with other professionals. It’s difficult and complicated to come up with a way to pass that information on to someone else or to document and capture it in a way it will be accessible and useful to others.

• Company culture. A company’s culture can create an environment that limits employees’ desire to share information. For example, if the company is shaped by the idea that knowledge is power, people know there’s value in what they know.  When they document that information or transfer it to someone else, they feel that makes them less powerful and less valuable within the organization. This knowledge hoarding can affect the entire organization, a single department or an individual employee.

• Lack of urgency or incentives. Often companies reward results and don’t think about rewarding the person who is diligent about taking time out to document what they do and what they know.

The Importance of Knowledge Transfer

The problem with tacit knowledge is that it’s stuck in one person’s head -- and there’s a large amount of it required to get things done at most organizations. That means, if you lose an employee through poaching, retirement, turnover or any other reason, you can easily lose the unique knowledge only that employee knew.Competition is intense for people who have this type of undocumented, but highly valuable, knowledge -- and your organization’s ability to remain competitive depends upon keeping that knowledge in house.Contact us if you need help with your organization's knowledge transfer process.Success Labs is a full-service, strategic organizational and leadership development company located in Baton Rouge, La. For more than 25 years, our expert team of consultants has worked with hundreds of companies to explore their business potential and improve their company and cultural performance. Contact us to get proactive about your people strategy.