Knowledge Retention

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SSS Yet To Be Done.

http://www.knoco.com/Knowledge%20Retention%20white%20paper.pdf

http://www.knoco.com/knowledge-retention-strategy.htm

Knowledge Retention and Transfer Strategy

The risk posed by an ageing workforce is a huge issue for many industries. As experienced staff retire, so critical knowledge will leave with them, which can leave the company highly exposed unless that knowledge can be retained and transferred to more junior, less experienced staff. A Knowledge Retention and Transfer (KRT) Strategy is an approach to reducing this risk.

Purpose

A KRT Strategy is a strategic approach to the risk of the loss of critical knowledge, and highlights priority areas and topics for knowledge retention activity. In a small company, a knowledge retention strategy can focus on the individuals themselves, while in a larger organisation it may make sense to prioritise the knowledge topics. The knowledge retention strategy then looks at the necessary interventions to address the risk.

Method

The Knowledge Retention Strategy is developed through conversations with senior managers, middle managers and HR, and through the scanning and mapping the priority topics. Strategic responses to these issues are then determined, which may include some or all of the following;

- Reducing the urgency through hiring, or through extending employment contracts
- Knowledge Transfer to other staff, through the development of Communities of Practice, through documentation of processes, and through mentoring and coaching.
- Knowledge Capture. There needs to be owners in place for the captured knowledge, which should feed through into training programs and into the communities of practice.
- Engineering out the need for the knowledge.

The Knowledge Retention Strategy will be under pinned and supported by the development of Knowledge capture and documentation skills within the organisation. Implementing a retention program requires an investment in training, and requires dedicating time to the knowledge retention process itself.

Benefits

Where knowledge loss represents a significant risk to an organisation, then a Knowledge Retention Strategy and program represents the management of change necessary to reduce that risk to an acceptable level.

http://www.knowledge-management-tools.net/kr.html

Knowledge Retention

Knowledge retention involves capturing knowledge in the organization so that it can be used later. In a previous section on organizational memory, Walsh and Ungson (1991) defined five knowledge repositories, namely

individuals,
culture,
transformations (i.e.

procedures &
formalized systems),

structures (e.g.

formal and
informal networks), and

external activities. This is where knowledge can exist or be retained in an organization.

In this section, we are interested in the managerial side, so as to answer the question: How can management promote the retention of (crucial) knowledge?

Most often, one hears of knowledge retention in the context of losing key employees and using techniques such as exit interviews to try to capture their knowledge. In reality, knowledge retention should be integrated into how the organization operates and start well before a key employee is about to depart. Although it is considered crucial for long term organizational success, few organizations have formal knowledge retention strategies (Liebowitz 2011).

A knowledge retention strategy as a part of knowledge management (KM) will identify the knowledge resources that are at risk and must be retained, and then implement specific initiatives so as to keep these resources in the firm. Like most other KM-related processes and strategies, success depends upon successful knowledge sharing and having a knowledge sharing & learning organizational culture.

Apart from the more general knowledge sharing initiatives that a firm may use - e.g. support of formal & informal knowledge networks (social areas, social media, meetings, company functions, knowledge fairs, expertise locator, etc.), changing the organization culture, etc. - examples of tools & techniques which can be used specifically for knowledge retention include (adapted from Smith 2007, Liebowitz 2009, and Liebowitz 2011):

Implementing reward structures to encourage sharing of key knowledge.
Use of project teams and cross-functional project teams.
After-action reviews.
Storytelling.
Mentoring programs & job shadowing.
Interviews & exit interviews.
Job rotation.
Company procedures/processes manuals.
Taking advantage of the knowledge of retirees.

Knowledge Retention Strategy

Doan et al (2011) identify three basic questions that must be asked when considering knowledge retention:

1. What knowledge may be lost?
2. What are the organizational consequences of losing that knowledge?
3. What actions can be taken to retain that knowledge?

Expanding upon these questions, one can outline several concrete steps necessary in the formulation of a knowledge retention strategy:

Understanding your risk factor: Liebowitz (2011) identified

The average age of your employees is high
The company has placed insufficient focus on:

knowledge capture
mentoring programs
employee training and development

Information is difficult to find or is often misplaced.
There is little informal communication in the organization.
Many knowledgeable employees are leaving the organization.

Classifying your knowledge: Knowing the knowledge resources of the organization, including where they are and in what form they exist (something covered under knowledge organization and assessment).
Understanding which knowledge is most critical (also covered knowledge organization and assessment).
Understanding the pillars of knowledge retention (Liebowitz 2009 & 2011): Knowledge retention consists of a wide range of tools, some easy and some hard to implement. Liebowitz identifies four categories which encompass all the initiatives within knowledge retention. These are:

Recognition and reward structure: Management has the choice to use either intrinsic motivators (i.e. which make the job itself more satisfying, such as praise or recognition) or extrinsic motivators (i.e. which offer benefits unrelated to the job, such as money) (Gamelgaard 2007). These must take organizational as well as national cultural factors into account (Gamelgaard 2007), but overall the most effective and longer lasting appear to be intrinsic motivators (Gamelgaard 2007 & Liebowitz 2009). However, a combination of both is usually the way to go.
Bidirectional knowledge flow: Establishing a two-way system of knowledge capture, where knowledge is not only passed down from the senior employee to the junior employee, but also vice versa.
Personalization and codification: Personalization refers to connecting people and includes tools such as mentoring, jon rotation, knowledge fairs, communities, and so on, while codification includes tools like after action reviews, various knowledge repositories, lessons learned systems, etc. (Liebowitz 2009).
The golden gem: Bringing back important retirees in various capacities. This includes rehire programs, consultancy, part-time work, temporary jobs, etc. (Corporate Executive Board 2005). Using a phased retirement system (e.g. leave of absence – part time work – casual rehire) can also help to slowly lose a key employee and to gradually transfer all his key knowledge to the organization (Corporate Executive Board 2005).

Understanding the success factors: Doan et al (2011), following a comprehensive review of knowledge retention literature, arrive at the following key success factors:

Top management support
Knowledge retention strategy
Learning culture
Human resource practices (since knowledge resides in people, knowledge retention is closely linked to HR practices including recruitment, education, rewards, and performance management)
Information and communication technology tools

Alan Frost M.Sc., 2012 - Updated 2013

Knowledge Retention (otherwise known as Knowledge Harvesting) is a response to the risk of the loss of crucial knowledge when senior staff leave your organisation. In traditional manufacturing and engineering it is driven by an aging workforce and a lack of supply of new engineering graduates. It is such an issue that some industries have given it a name, such as "The Great Crew Change"; the euphemism used in the oil industry. In China, the single child policy means that the rate of replacement doesn't match the rate of retirement, resulting in an ageing worker demographic. In South African, the employment equity legislation means that many old and knowledgeable people are retiring to make room for a workforce that matches the country demographics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_management#Knowledge_retention

Knowledge retention

Knowledge retention is part of knowledge management. Knowledge retention is needed when expert knowledge workers leave the organization after a long career. ^[67] Retaining knowledge prevents losing intellectual capital. ^[68]

Knowledge retention projects are usually introduced in three stages: decision making, planning and implementation. There are differences among researchers on the terms of the stages. For example, Dalkir talks about knowledge capture, sharing and acquisition and Doan et al. introduces initiation, implementation and evaluation. ^[69]^[70] Furthermore, Levy introduces three steps (scope, transfer, integration) but also recognizes a “zero stage” for initiation of the project.^[67]

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