Organisational learning in this context is the ability of the organisation to benefit from the collective knowledge of its individuals, and apply it through training, changes in procedures, policies, ways of working or technology to improve effectiveness and efficiency.

Thus there is a direct correlation between sharing and re-use of knowledge and improvements in the organisation.

Rationale

Establishing culture, policies and practices that encourage diverse knowledge sharing ensures that knowledge has the potential to be utilised as fully as possible across an organisation. It also enables the capture and re-use of knowledge.

Implications for Knowledge Management Strategy

• Knowledge management is explicitly recognised as a core component of organisational learning
• Knowledge management is a combination of soft skills and effective resourcing
• Knowledge sharing and seeking should be recognised and rewarded
• The expectation that knowledge will be shared and re-used is embedded at all levels
• Knowledge sharing across the organisation is monitored and reviewed
• Tools to support knowledge sharing are provided

Knowledge is the cornerstone of learning, both classroom and workplace based. The understanding of learning needs, the content of the learning and the assimilation of the learning either come from an individual / team’s knowledge or add to an individual team’s knowledge.

Real value lies in on the job learning – the opportunity to supplement training / education with up-to-date knowledge from someone doing the job. This is what makes apprenticeships so effective – the blend of classroom and on the job learning.

Exposure to ‘new’ knowledge, experience and skills is assimilated by the individual to form fresh knowledge – the very definition of learning.

Rationale

We cannot learn as individuals if we cannot either experience new things or be exposed to knowledge gleaned through benefiting from others’ experiences and skills. We need this to add to or challenge our own understanding of the world, and thus our own knowledge.

Without sharing and access to others’ knowledge the opportunities to learn are significantly diminished.

Implications for Knowledge Management Strategy

• Exposure to others’ knowledge is essential for an individual to learn
• Learning is a key benefit of sharing knowledge
• Knowledge is a key enabler in developing educational and learning courses

The value of knowledge can be multiplied by re-use. This requires thinking outside traditional silos and proactively looking for opportunities to re-use. Promoting a culture of knowledge sharing facilitates this approach.

Aspects of re-use include:

Internal re-use – making sure that full value is gained from using knowledge within the organisation in areas of both obvious and less immediately obvious applicability.

External re-use – sharing knowledge with others across organisational boundaries, particularly within the public sector or more generally with private businesses and citizens. Re-use involves considering what knowledge an organisation can make available to others but it also involves looking at what others have on offer, and how an organisation might itself re-use this external knowledge.

Whilst this principle strongly encourages re-use, it is important to appreciate that, as with information, re-use does require a careful risk-based judgment to be made with regard to exploiting vs protecting sensitive knowledge, as well as consideration of the costs and benefits involved, and any rights or other commercial considerations.

The ability to govern the dissemination, capture, storage and retrieval of information is key to the ability to share explicit knowledge across an organisation regardless of geographical or functional dispersion.

Rationale

This Principle again builds on what has gone before. No significant re-use of knowledge will be achieved unless it is effectively sought, shared and, where necessary and possible, captured.

Knowledge re-use presents opportunities for cost and time savings and efficiencies. The practice of re-using knowledge helps embed a culture of learning within an organisation, promoting a continuous improvement approach and enhancing the quality of decision-making.

(‘Learning’ encompasses, but is not limited to, the following types of activity: courses, classroom training, reflective practice, after-action reviewing, job shadowing, peer-to-peer expertise transfer, one-to-one training, mentoring, community of practice participation.)

Good knowledge management requires time and resource, and is therefore not a zero-cost activity. Tangible return on investment comes from maximising the value of organisational knowledge through appropriate and innovative re-use.

Implications for Knowledge Management Strategy

• Opportunities to proactively offer knowledge re-use are identified
• An approach is established for discovering re-useable knowledge
• An approach is established for promoting re-useable knowledge

Capturing of knowledge turns that which is held tacitly in the heads of members of staff into explicit, recorded knowledge. It is important to note that not all knowledge needs to be (or indeed can be) captured in this way. That said, some knowledge – particularly that which has widespread application and/or long-term value, and/or is likely to be transient in its availability – should be captured if possible.

Knowledge can be captured in a range of different ways. Capture should:

• be as efficient as possible
• match techniques to situations
• maximise potential for re-use (easy to find, easy to access)

Captured knowledge needs to be refreshed: identifying ownership and associated responsibilities, as with information assets, is a key part of this.

Rationale

Capturing knowledge increases its potential for re-use. It is a more efficient way to enable such re-use where the knowledge has wider application, and particularly in circumstances where it is at risk of being lost to the organisation, for example through the loss of experienced staff.

Implications for Knowledge Management Strategy

• Implications for Knowledge Management Strategy
• The organisation needs to understand which vital and potentially transient knowledge it needs for its business and ensure efforts are made to capture it
• A range of capture techniques should be evaluated and promulgated
• Captured knowledge needs to be owned and refreshed
• Tools for knowledge capture should be provided and promoted

Knowledge capture is not synonymous with knowledge management, and organisations should be wary of over-reliance on knowledge capture programmes. Only a small proportion of collective corporate and/or individual knowledge relative to the whole can ever be captured effectively. Good KM programmes must acknowledge and address knowledge sharing and organisational learning to be properly effective.

Knowledge is an asset that develops from the intellectual activity of individuals – which can be brought together to form Organisational Knowledge. Knowledge cannot be demanded from an individual in any sense that would ensure a full and total disclosure. Instead organisations must create a culture, supported by leadership and individual behaviours, which encourages the free seeking and sharing of knowledge for the benefit of all.

To realise its full benefit knowledge needs to be shared freely, otherwise it is of limited value, benefiting only its keeper. This Principle highlights the importance of developing ways to share knowledge, to move from a perspective that ‘knowledge is power’ to one where ‘knowledge sharing’ is power.

Knowledge sharing should not be codified or constrained, unless there are over-riding security considerations. Knowledge can be relevant in unlikely or disparate ways and sharing should be maximised where possible, to uncover these hidden linkages.

Rationale

The value of knowledge is in the amalgamation of an individual’s experience, thought processes, education and training, together with the information to which they are exposed. Only the individual knows the full extent of that knowledge and the reasoning behind any conclusions they draw from it, and therefore non-freely-given knowledge can never generate the confidence or assurance that it is either accurate or complete.

Implications for Knowledge Management Strategy

• Knowledge management is a combination of soft skills and effective resource management
• Leaders do not try to pressurise individuals into disclosing knowledge
• Leaders should foster a culture where knowledge sharing is viewed as empowering

Shared knowledge needs to be credible. Encouraging rather than demanding knowledge-sharing is likely to elicit more credible, reliable output.

Knowledge differs from person to person. Sharing knowledge widely allows for quality checking and for understanding to be tested and, where necessary, clarified.

In order for knowledge to thrive, it requires appropriate behaviours and cultures, fostered and adopted by leaders and individuals alike, which encourage the free sharing of knowledge to the advantage of individuals, the organisation and citizens.

Leaders must allocate time, acknowledge contributions and ensure a no blame, no ridicule ethos prevails. Individuals must respond positively, using the opportunity to seek out and share knowledge.

In order to develop the environment, there are many tools and techniques available. Good tools, such as an organisation-wide collaborative environment, can facilitate knowledge sharing, provided their use is explained, promoted and encouraged, not coerced. Likewise, making the physical environment conducive to collaboration and the ‘chance encounter’, via breakout areas, soft seating, coffee points etc. is helpful, but leaders need to encourage use of these spaces and ensure everyone knows informal meetings, conversations and discussions are sanctioned. Organisations must avoid the temptation to view these tools as a solution in themselves.

Rationale

Establishing culture, policies and practices that encourage diverse knowledge sharing ensures that knowledge has the potential to be utilised as fully as possible across an organisation. It also enables the capture and re-use of knowledge.

Implications for Knowledge Management Strategy

• The management of knowledge is a combination of soft skills and effective resource management
• Knowledge sharing should be recognised and rewarded
• Expectations of a need to share knowledge are set at all levels
• Knowledge sharing across the organisation is monitored and reviewed
• Tools to support knowledge sharing are provided and promoted

Knowledge is an asset which is fundamental to the efficient and effective delivery of public services. This Principle emphasises the importance of an organisation recognising that the seeking and sharing of knowledge leads to better outcomes, including:

• Increased collaboration
• Improved quality of evidence-based decisions and continuous improvement
• Enhanced speed of decision making and provision of advice
• Reduced duplication of effort
• Increased business resilience

Organisations need to understand their need for knowledge and value that knowledge in business terms. They should appreciate that it is through knowledge that they deliver value and impact. In parallel with other assets (e.g. buildings, machinery, people, money), knowledge needs to be fully and appropriately exploited for maximum business benefit.

Rationale

Valuing knowledge as an asset is the basis on which all other knowledge principles depend. It is essential to establish a culture where knowledge is valued if people are to share and capture knowledge freely and if the leadership of organisations are to promote knowledge management and support staff in such activity.

Implications for Knowledge Management Strategy

• There is a declaration from the organisation clearly acknowledging and establishing the importance of knowledge to the business
• The importance of knowledge is reflected in organisational policies and practices
• Tacit and explicit knowledge assets need to be considered, and given equal weight