Retaining and leveraging the critical and relevant knowledge of any workforce is a challenge. Many organizations lack a consistent and disciplined process for capturing and retaining for reuse their workforce’s relevant information, experience,and insight. This session presents ways to ensure such knowledge is not only retained, but also passed along to the next generation of professionals. Get some insights and ideas for addressing the risks to performance associated with this challenge.

1. © 2010 Working Knowledge CSP
Knowledge Showcase
Knowledge Loss Strategies
Thursday 18 November 2010
1330-1345
Bill Kaplan
Founder

2. © 2010 Working Knowledge CSP
The Knowledge Loss Challenge
• Change is part of an organization’s evolution
• Knowledge loss occurs in organizations at the leadership and
workforce level for many reasons
– Retirement
– Promotion
– Rotation
– Career Change
– Unforeseen Critical Events
• Organizations need to capture and retain critical and relevant
knowledge to maintain continuity of operations and performance

3. © 2010 Working Knowledge CSP
• Few organizations have consistent and disciplined processes for
capturing, retaining, and making their knowledge accessible for
reuse
– Must be part of the business and operational processes of the organization – not
an extra task
– Necessary to continually and successfully adapt to change and enable innovation
to address new challenges and situations
– Must focus on both critical and relevant leadership and workforce knowledge
• A consistent and disciplined process for capturing, adapting,
transferring, and reusing knowledge is essential for effective
continuity of operations and leadership transition programs
• Must be a multi-year focus and investment, not just one year at a
time!
The Knowledge Loss Challenge

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Understand Some Basics
• There is long term value in capturing and reusing knowledge and how and
where it can be applied – it’s about performance!
• Recognize that it is a long term commitment to build and sustain a
knowledge enabled organization
• Must make knowledge capture and reuse part of the way you work -- look
for a place to start where it will have a significant impact on performance
• Focus on the people and the processes necessary to move knowledge
across the workforce -- not the technology -- it’s about changing behavior!
• Understand the multi-generational nature of the workforce

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• Pick a place to start – at the leadership level or at the workforce level – and look
for the early adapters in your organization to begin to move your efforts forward
• Then, pick a pilot project to demonstrate the value of these efforts
and the investment in time and resources
• How you will measure or value the outcome of your efforts to
demonstrate success and to convince anyone that not doing this is a
risky alternative
• Find ways to maintain a dialogue with those who “know” who have left the
workforce
• Create a common approach for knowledge capture and reuse focused on
collaborative behavior—it does at its core require cultural change – it is not easy
Getting Started

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Do Right Now
• Mentoring and internships
• “Communities of Practice” can create an
ability for the workforce to share what they
know across boundaries enabled by
existing technology
• Learning Before, Learning During, Learning After
• Knowledge Repositories (Knowledge Assets) to store the “know
how and know why” of processes or methods
• Leadership and workforce expert knowledge

7. © 2010 Working Knowledge CSP
Example: Expert Knowledge Retention
& Transfer Process Overview
Step Objective
1. Identify Experts & Critical
Knowledge To Retain
• Identify experts and critical knowledge areas
OR
• Identify and prioritize knowledge areas for achieving future strategies
and mission-critical operations, then identify corresponding experts
THEN
• Assess risks and other vulnerabilities
• Prioritize knowledge retention opportunities
2. Identify Successor(s) or
other Learner(s)
• Determine who will receive what knowledge
• Understand learner(s)’ current capabilities
3. Determine Knowledge
Retention & Transfer
Objectives
• Define learner(s) expected capabilities and level of performance post-
transfer (e.g., competent versus SME).
4. Determine Knowledge
Transfer Method(s)
• Select methods for each knowledge item.
5. Develop/Execute
Knowledge Transfer Plan
• Identify specific knowledge items to transfer with timeframe and
measures of success or capability.
• Implement knowledge retention plan.
6. Monitor Expert And
Learner Results
• Manager tracks expert and learner progress against knowledge transfer
objectives and plans.
• Modify plans if needed.
• Provide resources & reinforcement. Source: NCMA World Congress 2009; Jeff Stemke

8. © 2010 Working Knowledge CSP
Contact
Bill Kaplan
571.934.7408 (o)
703.401.4198 (m)
bill@workingknowledge-csp.com
www.workingknowledge-csp.com