Culture Change

“[Knowledge management] is not just a tool-set it’s a cultural revolution. The major implementation hurdle in a knowledge-sharing system is not the technology. It is getting people used to it. Sharing ideas freely is one   thing when you are at a physical meeting and can see reaction. It is another when you are working electronically. . .  .”

— Gig Griffith, Manager of Business Operations for Technical Services, Novell

“What most organizations don’t realize is that they already have the ingredients of a knowledge culture. People are, by nature, social beings who spend much of their work day talking to each other, passing along information, and transferring knowledge in formal meetings. Much like communities of good friends, companies are made of knowledge communities, groups of employees who band together around work issues.”

— Karen L. Case, Consultant, Knowledge and Content Management Group, IBM

Recognition of the cultural issues is as key to the success of a knowledge initiative as the implementation of the right technology. In many companies, a knowledge-based support system requires a cultural shift, a migration to an organization whose people are open and willing to share what they know with others in a more systematic way than what they may be used to.

Staff and managers unaccustomed to using a knowledgebase and actively participating in its development must be educated about its value and shown the disadvantagesof keeping knowledge to themselves, either for their own gain or because it doesn’t occur to them that it might be useful to others. This involves frequent coaching, ongoing recognition, feedback on efficiency gains and personal contributions, and leaders who set an example of actively communicating information to those who can benefit from it.

Next: Reward Knowledge Participants