Keys to a Knowledge Sharing Culture

A common cultural phenomenon in Global business today is the tradition of knowledge hoarding. The custom evolved over the past century as knowledge workers began to believe that their individual expertise, even when that expertise was fundamental to the success of their company, was the fundamental mechanism which granted them power within any given corporate environment.

In part this is an inevitable part of an economic shift to a knowledge based economy rather than an industrial economy. There is no question that the core value of knowledge workers is in their diverse abilities to respond to the complex needs of today’s business environment. Nonetheless, there are aspects of that knowledge that must be shared in order to ensure business success both in the short and long term. Striking a credible balance between a knowledge hoarding culture (which rewards individuals based on fear of losing their specific knowledge about business processes) and a knowledge sharing culture (which rewards individuals based on their broader contributions, ability to collaborate and communicate) can be extremely difficult.

To further complicate the matter, there has been little technology developed to facilitate rapid, simple sharing of incidental knowledge among knowledge workers. Together these problems have slowed the evolution of corporate environments from knowledge hoarding centers to knowledge sharing centers. Now however the growing pressures of historic retirements, substantial restructuring leading to attrition and down-sizing, and the ever-escalating need to optimize businesses for the 21st Century are pressuring companies to address the issue of corporate knowledge culture.

In light of this pressure, and the emergence of popular technologies like social media and video, technologies now exist that can facilitate effective and powerful knowledge sharing without the need for substantial investments in infrastructure and training.

Attendees of this session will learn:

Identify the advantages / disadvantages of knowledge sharing in 21st Century Business
How to create a plan for integrating / motivating knowledge sharing in your organization
What technologies are available to support a knowledge sharing culture?
The potential cost savings / benefits of implementing a knowledge sharing program

CIO's

CTO's

Knowledge Management Officers

Knowledge Workers

HR Professionals

Please join us as we will be covering the following:

1. Identify the advantages / disadvantages of knowledge sharing in 21st Century Business
2. How to create a plan for integrating / motivating knowledge sharing in your organization
3. What technologies are available to support a knowledge sharing culture?
4. The potential cost savings / benefits of implementing a knowledge sharing program

O’Dell, Carla & Hubert, Cindy. (2011.) The New Edge in Knowledge: How Knowledge Management Is Changing the Way We Do Business

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