Knowledge management revolves around the strategic process of delivering pertinent knowledge to staff in the organization, when needed. It is like cash in the bank which we can retrieve when needed, but at first we have to put that cash in, to cash out. You know where we are going with this. Simple!! Document the knowledge to create the knowledge bank and retrieve it when we need it again for organizational training and development. What is not documented, has never happened. While this concept may seem straightforward, it involves integrating closely with the purpose of the organization, program objectives, strategies, identifying where and how knowledge exists, who can potentially provide this, identifying methods of collecting and documentation of data, establishing cross-functional processes, and ensuring organizational buy-in and capacities to support the gathering of this data acquisition.
Think of walking into a library not knowing where to go or what to look for? New employees often feel this and become overwhelmed either with a wealth of data in front of them, or none at all. Having a repository of knowledge from various sources includes the process of sharing, storage, refinement, and potentially the creation of new knowledge. Importantly, its goal is not merely to manage knowledge in isolation but to generate value by leveraging and refining organizational knowledge assets to achieve specific organizational objectives.
This approach ensures that knowledge management initiatives are purposeful and aligned with the overarching goals of the organization, emphasizing the practical application and strategic importance of managing knowledge effectively. This resource helps understand the various dimensions of Knowledge Management in an organization and get you started.