Friday, April 15, 2011
TAPPING INTO REVERSE KNOWLEDGE FLOW.
You top talent employee has just handed in his resignation letter. As if that is not bad enough, he was in a middle of a project with a very important client. He has received a more attractive offer from your competitor. How do you react to such like scenario? You may decide to counter the offer by paying him more. But for how long are you willing to play this game? What will happen if it becomes a trend?
Well the best thing to do I believe is to let go. Learning to manage the exit of an employee is an important aspect in knowledge management. It should be done as thorough as the recruitment. An exit interview should be conducted with an aim of ensuring continue communication with the employee. The organization should encourage the employee to continue keeping in touch with the organization despite moving on. The employee should be made to feel that the company values his expertise. The employee should be encouraged to maintain the lines of communication with colleagues he has left behind.
Reverse knowledge flow occurs when current employees of an organization freely share and exchange knowledge with former employees who moved to other organizations. This helps the organization to continue gaining from the expertise of the erstwhile employee. It also gives the firm the opportunity of knowing what the competitor is doing. The inhibited flow of knowledge is an important impetus for innovation and creativity.
It makes it easier for the reabsorb of the employee in case of come back.
Reserve knowledge flow provides an avenue for organization to acquire knew knowledge from their former employees, at no expense. Organization should thus to come up with ways and means of benefiting from reverse knowledge flow. How firms can do this will be discussion of the next blog post.
Well the best thing to do I believe is to let go. Learning to manage the exit of an employee is an important aspect in knowledge management. It should be done as thorough as the recruitment. An exit interview should be conducted with an aim of ensuring continue communication with the employee. The organization should encourage the employee to continue keeping in touch with the organization despite moving on. The employee should be made to feel that the company values his expertise. The employee should be encouraged to maintain the lines of communication with colleagues he has left behind.
Reverse knowledge flow occurs when current employees of an organization freely share and exchange knowledge with former employees who moved to other organizations. This helps the organization to continue gaining from the expertise of the erstwhile employee. It also gives the firm the opportunity of knowing what the competitor is doing. The inhibited flow of knowledge is an important impetus for innovation and creativity.
It makes it easier for the reabsorb of the employee in case of come back.
Reserve knowledge flow provides an avenue for organization to acquire knew knowledge from their former employees, at no expense. Organization should thus to come up with ways and means of benefiting from reverse knowledge flow. How firms can do this will be discussion of the next blog post.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Knowledge management is as old as man
Knowledge management is touted as a new discipline. It might be new in making it formal and allowing it to be studied like any other disciplines. But in terms of existence and practice, it is as old as man. Man has been managing knowledge from time immemorial, long before the advent of writing.
In ancient times, especially in African setting, knowledge was managed in various ways,like: apprenticeship; story telling, riddles, parables and sayings; dances and festivities; major natural catastrophes; rite of passage- birth, circumcision, marriage and death; and such like.
In the African society old people were venerated and held in great esteem.They were knowledge warehouse of their respective communities. By word of mouth they passed on their wisdom to their progeny. This way the community knowledge was preserved and shared.
It is sad to note this ancient and time tested method of knowledge management has be neglected with disastrous results. Many mistakes made in organizations and societies in general could have been avoided, if the elderly and experienced member(s) of the organization or society had been consulted.
The essences of knowledge management is sharing of knowledge to prevent re-inventing the wheel, and at the same time to aid in innovation.You can only give what you have. Knowledge is personal and is mostly acquired through experiences. Therefore a person who has been with an organization for a long time or a person who has been a member of a community for a longer time, he/she is more knowledgeable on going-on of the organization or society. For example The Toyota car manufacturer is experiencing problems with its new cars, and several recalls of new cars have been made. They have been problems with the breaking systems and exhaust. These problems were attributed to the fact that a large number of the workforce has attained the retiring age, and consequently, going home with their accumulated knowledge in their areas of expertise leaving the new cropper of workers to learn the hard way, learning from mistakes. An expensive and risk way of learning!
Organizations should therefore encourage their experienced workers to share their experiences with younger workers. This can be done through story telling,apprenticeship, coaching,and mentoring.
In ancient times, especially in African setting, knowledge was managed in various ways,like: apprenticeship; story telling, riddles, parables and sayings; dances and festivities; major natural catastrophes; rite of passage- birth, circumcision, marriage and death; and such like.
In the African society old people were venerated and held in great esteem.They were knowledge warehouse of their respective communities. By word of mouth they passed on their wisdom to their progeny. This way the community knowledge was preserved and shared.
It is sad to note this ancient and time tested method of knowledge management has be neglected with disastrous results. Many mistakes made in organizations and societies in general could have been avoided, if the elderly and experienced member(s) of the organization or society had been consulted.
The essences of knowledge management is sharing of knowledge to prevent re-inventing the wheel, and at the same time to aid in innovation.You can only give what you have. Knowledge is personal and is mostly acquired through experiences. Therefore a person who has been with an organization for a long time or a person who has been a member of a community for a longer time, he/she is more knowledgeable on going-on of the organization or society. For example The Toyota car manufacturer is experiencing problems with its new cars, and several recalls of new cars have been made. They have been problems with the breaking systems and exhaust. These problems were attributed to the fact that a large number of the workforce has attained the retiring age, and consequently, going home with their accumulated knowledge in their areas of expertise leaving the new cropper of workers to learn the hard way, learning from mistakes. An expensive and risk way of learning!
Organizations should therefore encourage their experienced workers to share their experiences with younger workers. This can be done through story telling,apprenticeship, coaching,and mentoring.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)