Knowledge Management: What You Need to Know
Chances are your organizational strategy does not explicitly include knowledge management. But you are probably doing it, even without formal planning. Your organization may conduct its knowledge management work under functions called enablement, community management, or learning and development. Knowledge management practitioners can sit in a variety of departments, such as Learning and Development, Operations, or Marketing, reflecting both how differently this function can appear across organizations and how often it can be overlooked.
In February 2022, Keeley Sorokti (MS11), MSLOC faculty member and director of knowledge & collaboration at Sift moderated a virtual panel of alumni from Northwestern University’s Master’s of Learning and Organization Change (MSLOC) program to discuss “Knowledge Management for the Future.” The panel discussion was part of the continued celebration of MSLOC’s 20th anniversary.
“Organizations need to know that knowledge management exists,” says Sorokti. More important every day, knowledge management democratizes and leverages information by creating and managing content that serves as a resource for employees and sometimes customers. The purpose is to equip employees and customers with the right information at the right time to complete the task at hand. With that purpose in mind, here are some considerations shared by panelists:
- Prioritize content based on what the organization needs to meet its objectives and key results (OKRs), as recommended by Liz Vaggelatos (MS13), head of knowledge management at Upside
- Make tools and information easy to find, in an intuitive structure, so that the resources are available before employees realize they need them and have support in accessing and using them
- Provide easy access and use different modalities for knowledge sharing to ensure the information is democratized
- Design a knowledge sharing system that is easy to digest so employees are encouraged to adopt it as a regular resource
- Have a plan and process to keep information updated to ensure the content’s accuracy, as highlighted by Tracy Maurer (‘18 LOC Certificate), customer community manager at LumApps
In the context of increasing hybrid and remote workforces, panelist Grace Ziegler (MS17), director of learning and engagement at Upside, discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought awareness to the challenging access divide between employees working in the field/on the floor and those working at a desk with computer access throughout the workday. While some gaps in knowledge management existed in the past, they were masked by the proximity of employees being co-located. When working remotely, organizations need to create opportunities for their employees to “overhear” things like they did in the office.
Technology, well-used, is instrumental in better connecting people. Managers recognize the challenges associated with knowledge sharing and are looking for new tools to make it easier and more effective. Doing so requires strategic implementation, real behavior change, and financial investments, but existing infrastructure should not be overlooked. While technology will continue to be key, panelist Keri Kersten (MS16), who works on learning & community insights and impact at UKG, emphasizes the importance of the human capital needed to tag content and formalize the organization’s taxonomy to enable search engines to work effectively. Panelist Allison Youngblood (MS12), consultant and owner of ASY Enterprises, reinforced that the human element is also required to bring the business perspective of how to use the knowledge to drive performance.
Looking at the future of knowledge management, all leaders and practitioners need to realize they have knowledge to share and to integrate knowledge sharing into their roles. Youngblood hopes to see an increasingly seamless relationship between learning and knowledge management, with these functions supporting each other to equip the workforce for improved performance and engagement. As panelist Carissa Dougherty (‘19 Designing for Organizational Effectiveness Certificate), head of knowledge management at The Morton Arboretum, shared, equity and access need to be at the forefront of knowledge sharing going forward. The information prioritized and the channels used demonstrate who and what the organization values. Going forward, Dougherty hopes that leaders take the time to investigate and interrogate knowledge management strategy as a key part of their organizational strategic planning.