Knowledge Management in organisations, by Kathryn Ratcliffe

 

Kathryn Ratcliffe  is the Head of KIM at the Intellectual Property Office

Organisations regularly talk about people being their most important asset.

I disagree. It is not people, it is knowledge. If we manage knowledge properly, we do not really need the people.

OK, so that is said a bit tongue in cheek, but – when you think about it – it is not that far from the truth. It is generally accepted that about 20% of people’s knowledge is captured and written down, with the other 80% being held in people’s heads. Think about the last time an employee left what is considered a critical role in the organisation. How does the organisation minimise the impact of this? They (should) capture the 80% of that person’s knowledge which is held in their head before the knowledge holder walks out the door.

Once that knowledge is captured, the need for that person can be seen as less important. This is a good argument for an organisation in the benefits of spending time capturing and managing knowledge. Developing a knowledge management culture, which includes having and communicating a clear knowledge management framework and policy would support this approach. Importantly, to persuade people to manage their knowledge, organisations need to explain why they should be this. Giving recognition to those who demonstrate the right knowledge management behaviours can also have a positive impact, but this is often generally only useful in the short to medium term.

But selling the message to the people that sharing their knowledge will mean we do not need them anymore will likely make them less willing to capture and share their knowledge. Why would they, if it is going to diminish their role or place in the organisation? To persuade people to spend their time on knowledge management activities a different approach is needed. A key factor here is to ensure the employee trusts the organisation to treat any knowledge shared with respect. Also, demonstrating to the employee the feel-good factor that can be achieved by sharing knowledge can help influence people to do this.

However, it is best for the organisation and employees to work together to capture and manage knowledge. That is the way to maximise the benefits to both. Organisations encouraging people to challenge the status quo and continually improve makes life better for the employee and provides significant benefits to the organisation. Allowing both formal and informal knowledge capture opportunities to exist is critical and making it as easy as possible for employees to capture knowledge is key. These are factors that will motivate people to capture and manage their knowledge, which in turn gives organisations access to the knowledge needed to support the organisational decision-making. It also provides growth opportunities for both the employee and the organisation.

So, knowledge is an organisation’s most important asset. With its people a (very) close second.