Master These Five KM Practices for Success

The frenzy set off by generative AI, for example, meant that 2023 proved to be a challenging year for many organizations. The need to reset KM strategies is quickly becoming the rule instead of the exception. Through a recent pulse survey on the role of technology in KM, APQC found that most KM teams are at the center of helping their organizations prepare, defining use cases, experimenting, and implementing AI solutions that bring value to their organizations.

5. Evolve and scale the KM strategy, deepening KM’s connection to the business. Leading organizations expand their KM efforts as opportunities arise by leveraging partnerships and buy-in from early successes and continuing to respond to new business needs. For most mature KM programs, the ultimate goal is a consistent enterprise program that promotes standardization and takes advantage of scale. Leveraging APQC’s Knowledge
Management Framework is a great place to start and track progress as KM expands to an enterprise level. The framework outlines the stages of KM strategy implementation along with the actions necessary at each stage.

Before getting started with a KM strategy implementation plan, it is important to understand the difference between explicit and tacit knowledge. Explicit knowledge is information that has been, or can be, written down, recorded, or otherwise documented. Tacit knowledge can be more difficult to articulate and share. It encompasses more complex skills and intuitive wisdom, but it’s this type of expertise that holds the key to building the competencies of employees and the competitive advantage of an organization.

The more tacit the knowledge, the greater the degree of human interaction required to transfer that expertise between people. This is something important to keep in mind when prioritizing and creating a portfolio of KM approaches within an organization.

Understand how knowledge flows

Most organizations deal with a plethora of complex, redundant, or nonexistent knowledge flow processes, which are likely not documented appropriately, if at all. Knowledge flow starts when new knowledge is created and includes all the people, processes, and systems the knowledge must pass through before it is accessed and used. Thus, value is created within the organization. Achieving and sustaining knowledge flow are critical for organizations because knowledge is not valuable until it is used.

According to APQC’s research, most mature KM programs define knowledge flow processes, which help KM teams identify critical knowledge gaps, pinpoint opportunities for improvement, and think more deeply about the user experience. For that reason, it is no surprise that KM programs with defined knowledge flow processes have an edge in KM participation and are more likely to be seen as effective by leaders.

The more tacit the knowledge, the greater the degree of human interaction required to transfer that expertise between people.

Purposefully thinking about knowledge flow begins with leveraging APQC’s Knowledge Flow Process Framework that details how knowledge moves through organizations. This cycle includes steps for creating, identifying, collecting, reviewing, sharing, accessing, and using knowledge. It is a holistic approach that includes people, process, content, and technology in every step.

Organizations that leverage this framework to better understand and optimize their own KM processes and capabilities should also consider these three behaviors to ensure employee engagement and participation:

1. Sharing and giving back: When knowledge is new, it’s important for employees to understand the value of sharing and giving back to others within the organization.

2. Asking and searching: When knowledge is needed, it’s important for employees to have the capability and know-how to freely ask and search for expertise and critical knowledge.

3. Learning and improving: Once knowledge has been passed through the lifecycle and found by others, it’s important employees know it can be used in new ways and improved to add value to the organization.

 APQC's strategic framework outlines the stages of KM strategy implementations along with the actions necessary at each stage to move to the next level.