Sharing Knowledge in a Virtual World
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”
–Benjamin Franklin
The benefits of proactively sharing knowledge throughout your business are manifold. Effective knowledge transfer:
- Helps employees solve problems quicker
- Speeds up onboarding and training
- Strengthens bonds among coworkers
- Supports a culture of idea-sharing and mutual support
- Facilitates the creation of new knowledge
- Fuels innovation
- Deepens client and customer relationships
While the benefits are simple to understand, sharing knowledge in a virtual world has become increasingly complex. In today’s remote and hybrid workplaces, employees want and need to learn continuously. Change occurs more rapidly than ever, shortening the shelf life of information and skills.
So, what are the best ways to facilitate knowledge transfer, regardless of where your team works?
Here are a few tips for promoting knowledge sharing in your workplace:
Organize and centralize knowledge.
Employees should be able to access everything they need to do their job well without disrupting others. If your vital product, service, and/or operational information is scattered, commit to gathering and storing it in one central repository.
Document core processes.
Get essential knowledge out of employees’ heads – and recorded it in a single place where everyone who needs it can access it. Make core process documentation a part of everyone’s job description (not an added responsibility) to minimize knowledge loss while making knowledge sharing a habit.
Create collaborative virtual workspaces.
Collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams allow groups of individuals to share and store knowledge (especially unstructured knowledge) both in real-time and overtime.
Cross-train regularly.
Consider rotating employees through different jobs to broaden their skills, increase knowledge transfer, and build more versatile, happier employees.
Hold virtual in-house learning forums.
Ask experts in your company to conduct educational seminars or question-and-answer sessions. Create a regular series of “lunch and learn” virtual meetings that employees can attend to improve their knowledge across departments.
Share lessons learned.
Tap individual and departmental experiential knowledge with simple, post-mortem “knowledge gained” statements that include key takeaways from both successes and failures. Share this information in quarterly meetings, company newsletters, or via your company intranet.
Foster a knowledge-centric team culture.
Building the right culture starts at the top, so lead by example. Share what you know – then encourage and empower team members to do the same. Promote idea exchange. Discourage information hoarding. Invest in the tools and tech employees need to teach one another, whether they’re across the hall or the country.
PrideStaff is here to help.
Whether your team is on-site, remote, or blended, our national staffing firm is prepared to keep you staffed, flexible, and prepared for what’s next.
What can we help you achieve? Contact your local PrideStaff office today to start a conversation.
