Focus Your Knowledge Management: 4 Strategies for Different Organizational Drivers

Using internal knowledge in an optimized form often presents companies with a difficult task. This valuable resource is taken for granted and, if necessary, done without a strategy. The careless handling of employee knowledge is a significant flaw, which causes problems, especially in widely ramified company structures. It leads to a dilution of the target orientation.

Four pillars of knowledge management can support the path to set goals. Successful business growth based on these strategies, which, when applied correctly, has a lasting effect. Not only with internal, but also external support can opaque processes be disclosed, and the communication structure improved. Even customers can contribute with their input to advance the company as long as the information is evaluated correctly.

Step by step, companies should start to search where the hidden sources with the relevant information are. With these four cornerstones, they will find their way out of the thicket.

Consistent Implementation of Corporate Values

It is essential to align communication accordingly to focus on internal knowledge resources. There must be an accurate exchange of information between employees and team leaders, based on precise facts. Only those who formulate precisely their wishes will get close to the answers and the required data.

Universal communication within the company must not exclude anyone. Indeed, not all pieces of information are relevant to a current project, but the level of knowledge should be the same for all employees directly affected by the tasks.

Appreciation of employees and their performance does not necessarily always have to take the form of praise or reward. Maintaining corporate values can be achieved solely by involving colleagues and also leads to the expansion of one's knowledge pool.

Focus on Growth and Change

In addition to the consistent implementation of company values, knowledge of the employees is used for probably the most crucial goal. It flows into the growth of the company. No matter how a company defines strong growth for itself, it always requires flexibility. Flexibility, in this case, means accepting new perspectives, getting involved in economic changes, and regularly reviewing the existing company divisions.

The results and milestones achieved so far serve as a beacon that sheds light on the past and sets future standards. Even a new orientation can result from these considerations. Varying and optimizing results is the sum of the in-house knowledge pool. It is comparable to the development of new slogans, layouts, or designs that adapt to the modern zeitgeist.

The product or service may end up still following the original starting path. But the framework conditions provide the reorientation, which is established by knowledge and facts.

Allowing Innovations

The biggest mistake companies make, is to cling to old views and structures. True to the motto: “What works, does not need an update”. This belief that still prevails in many management levels, cannot be implemented indefinitely.

The development of new approaches through exchange and effective integration is the key to a long-lasting company history. It is not necessary to throw old ones overboard. They have to move with time. Reinventing oneself on familiar territory is one of the difficult challenges that companies have to face from a certain point.

Ideas and thoughts that come from young employees are worth their weight in gold. When it comes to the integration of digital tools or digitalization, the know-how of the new generation is highly in demand. Not using this source, which is available in every team through interns, trainees or junior division managers, would be a missed opportunity.

Improve Projects Actively with Customer Feedback

Proper knowledge is not only found within the team or department. External voices that have a different perspective on the company can achieve a lot with little effort. It is vital to be aware of these voices. Customer feedback via customer support should not be seen as a mere source of information. Instead, it is a source of inspiration that needs to be filtered.

Customer surveys are usually used to evaluate certain products. In doing so, more can be gained from these opinions: What are the strengths of the company? Are ideas and topics still up to date? Do you plan ahead of the customer? Although social media channels or customer mails are often desired, only superficial content is extracted. The actual statements are usually lost.

Understanding Knowledge Management

Successful knowledge management requires a lot of time and endurance. Short-term or temporary use will hardly lead to the desired result. The more various departments deal with the four pillars or integrate their core into daily work, the faster corporate goals are achieved. That is the beauty of knowledge management: the resources are all there. But you have to harvest them.