Summary:

If a decision is made to manage knowledge within the organization, it’s worth spending some time considering how and where knowledge is generated in the work environment and also to look at the ways it is passed from one person to another.

Knowledge is generated as a by-product of several type of interaction some of which are listed below.

• As a product of experience (on the job); most people find learning by doing one of the best ways of creating new knowledge.  It will be necessary however to determine whether or not on the job learning needs to be reinforced with an education programme;
  
  
• By importing know-how with people, that is, by bringing in talent with particular expertise from outside the company;
  
  
• As a product of a mentoring programme.  Mentoring is not the same as training apprentices as it has more to do with the development of the individual, the focus is on the individuals and their personal development both in terms of managerial experience and the inner self;
  
  
• As a product of certain types of education and training; 
  
  
• By generating new knowledge through analysis, which refers to the situation where new knowledge in grown as a result of assimilating, learning and ultimately improving upon existing knowledge;
  
  
• Through interaction with outside agents. This would include forms of strategic relationship such as joint sales, marketing / even outsourcing. Other invaluable outside agents are academic institutions and consulting houses; through brainstorming; by talking; by teaching and by listening to your intuition.  Intuition is knowing without knowing why you know.

Know who are the sources and sinks of knowledge within the organization.  Consider the following:

Where does knowledge originate within the organization?
Where does knowledge flow within the organization?

Ideally, it should flow towards people who can be empowered by it to better respond to customers’ needs or to fix a problem more efficiently.   Our goal is to have all pertinent knowledge in the right place at the right time, and with someone proficient to use it when necessary.

How does knowledge flow within the organization?

If knowledge flows from sources to sinks how does it get there?  There are several ways this happens in an organization: through informal networks, the not-so casual conversations concerning business which occur in the cafeteria or bar; through formal networks; through briefing and debriefing; through documents; through workshops or through shared experience encounters.

Where are the sources and sinks of knowledge in the organization?
What mechanisms are used to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge in the organization?

Always bear in mind that knowledge is not just knowledge which can be written down in a document, it also comprises a wealth of knowledge that cannot be codified, and effective knowledge management mechanism will provide facilities to access a wide variety of knowledge within the organization.

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