What happens to knowledge when an essential person leaves the organization? How can you quickly get that person’s knowledge captured or embedded for future use? Knowledge share and transfer techniques are two strategies to do this.

The American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) defines knowledge sharing as the informal or formal exchange of knowledge between individuals either in person or virtually. APQC also defines knowledge transfer as the successful movement of knowledge from one person or area to another person or area. It converts knowledge from a person’s head into content, tools, and processes other people can use later.

This post introduces various techniques you can use to share or transfer knowledge. It gives you brief insight into the available possibilities.

As you realize the importance of capturing critical knowledge, you should select the best sharing or transfer option/options that help you capture organization content and information (knowledge). These options vary in complexity, transfer speed, and technology. As you learn more about the tools and techniques, it is beneficial to:

• Ask questions about the content and information (knowledge) your organization plans to share or transfer.
• Verify the sources and users of that content and information.
• Prevent further loss by selecting those business processes into which your organization should embed the shared or transferred content and information.

For ease of use, future posts will divide the knowledge share and transfer techniques into four categories:

• Formal Knowledge Collection Techniques
• Expert and Peer-based Techniques
• Learning Techniques
• Knowledge Documentation Techniques

Source Material

APQC. (2019). Knowledge management glossary. https://www.apqc.org/system/files/K05406_KM%20glossary%202019.pdf

Trees, L. (2020). Choosing the right knowledge transfer approach. Choosing the Right Knowledge Transfer Approach