♦ Process-based: The main objective of these approaches is to embed KM directly into business processes and workflows. Lessons learned and content management are both examples of process-based approaches.
♦ Communities of practice and networks: These are groups that share, learn, and are held together by a common interest topic.
♦ Transfer of best practices: These approaches involve facilitated knowledge sharing and internal benchmarking, such as peer assists and knowledge elicitation and transfer.
Three Questions for Choosing Your Approach
The following three questions can help you select knowledge transfer approaches that are a good fit for each situation and need.
How easily can the knowledge be put into documents or other explicit formats? Knowledge that can be codified in white papers, case studies, templates, or presentations lends itself to more organic transfer approaches. Knowledge that is more tacit may require a more systematic approach such as formal mentoring.
Who is the intended audience for this knowledge? The size of the audience and the extent to which recipients can be identified ahead of time will also shape the best approach to use. Most systematic approaches not only require you to identify the sources of knowledge (such as experts) but also the learners who should participate in transfer activities to absorb that knowledge.
How quickly is this knowledge evolving or changing? In general, stable bodies of knowledge are more conducive to systematic knowledge transfer approaches because it is easier for organizations to pin down what knowledge is critical, who has it, and who needs to know it. In quickly evolving fields, the answer to these questions can shift from one day to the next. These areas lend themselves to more organic approaches.
The Knowledge Transfer Spectrum ranges from organic to systematic.