Actionable Strategies for Increasing Knowledge Sharing Nancy Dixon Common Knowledge Associates KM World 2009

How can we incentivize employees to share their knowledge? What causes people to willingly share their knowledge with others?

People Willingly Share What They Know

“We are, by nature, a teaching species… Parenthood is, for most, the first, and for many, the prime generative encounter; yet the continuation of mankind challenges the generative ingenuity of workers and thinkers of many kinds.” Eric Erickson

Constant, Kiesler and Sproull Employees differentiate two kinds of knowledge sharing: 1. Products they created for the company 2. Knowledge gained through experience

Why Do People Share Knowledge? To gain peer recognition Because they have a relationship with the other person

To Gain Peer Recognition

Our identity is closely tied to our knowledge

Because they have a relationship with the other person

Five Actions Organizations Can Take to Increase Knowledge Sharing 1.Help people build relationships with each other 2. Build knowledge sharing processes into the workflow 3. Design physical space that encourages conversation 4. Deliver an actionable leadership message about knowledge sharing 5. Develop and then practice conversation skills

1. Help people build relationships with each other Communities of Practice Social Events Regular Meetings Social Networking Sites

2. Build knowledge sharing processes into the workflow After Action Review (AAR) Peer Assists Morning Huddles Knowledge Harvesting

3. Design physical space that encourages conversation Provide space for informal conversation Make meeting space conducive to conversation Change the traffic flow

Space Speaks

Provide space for informal conversation

Make meeting space conducive to conversation

Researcher’s Square National Institute for Working Life more sharing of ideas between projects – help from others 32% increase in number and diversity of 5+ min conversations 54% increase in knowledge of what others are working on greater agreement on organizational vision and purpose “The Square makes what everyone does more transparent, otherwise it is more secret - now everyone knows what we’re doing” Change the traffic flow

4. Deliver an Actionable Leadership Message About Knowledge Sharing “If anyone makes a call to a colleague, anywhere around the world, that call will be returned within 24 hours.” McKinsky & Company Sir John Browne, British Petroleum “Most activities or tasks are not onetime events. Our philosophy is fairly simple: Every time we do something again, we should do it better than the last time”

5. Develop and then practice conversation skills The Ladder of Inference Conclusions Interpretations Observations Chris Argyris

Five Actions Organizations Can Take to Increase Knowledge Sharing 1.Help people build relationships with each other 2. Build knowledge sharing processes into the workflow 3. Design physical space that encourages conversation 4. Deliver an actionable leadership message about knowledge sharing 5. Develop and then practice conversation skills