Knowledge

Transfer

2014 PMPA NATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE

PIT STOP INDY TUNE UP YOUR TEAM
©2014 The Learning Café
10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65
every day!
The Boomer Brain Drain
Pew Research

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legacy Are you in danger of losing expertise that puts
your team’s success at risk?
@risk?  Expert’s retirement is less than two years.
quiz  Expert’s knowledge is mission critical.

 Limited number of internal experts.

 Limited number of external experts.

 The knowledge is undocumented, or exists

in the expert’s head.

 The learning curve for this expertise is

significant.

Check 3 or more boxes? You need a game plan.

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legacy
@risk? 1. Identify which expertise
and skills are critical for the
future and which are at risk.

2. Make sure talent is in place

for critical roles and that crucial
information is shared.

3. Take specific steps to retain

knowledge and skills.

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 Knowledge Transfer or Knowledge
Sharing is the process of passing critical
“know how” and “know what” from
experts to others; retiring, embedded,
hidden, untapped, or unshared
knowledge.

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knowledge One in five American companies

transfer has a formal strategy in place to

capture critical knowledge.
myth or
reality? 12% HR managers say that
knowledge retention is seen as a
high priority.

1/3 HR managers acknowledge

that 20% or more of their
workforce will be eligible for
retirement in the next few years.

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knowledge
transfer What are you doing now
@your to share knowledge?

company
Who’s involved?

How’s it working?

6 minutes
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knowledge
transfer
Employers must be open
principles to sharing information.

Encourage employees to
teach each other.

Value the knowledge that

individual employees hold.

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layout
for learning
1. Do you have areas where
people can exchange ideas
and information informally?
2. Are your hallways wide
enough to accommodate
conversation?
3. Where can you install a flip
chart or a whiteboard?
 80% workplace conversations
sparked when passing by
someone’s desk.
 1% chance of meeting someone
working on a different floor
 50% of office workers email
colleagues 10’ away.
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lead
with learning

1. Start mentoring
2. Lunch & learns
70% learning on the job 3. Interview company experts
4. Job shadowing
20% learning with others
5. Job rotations
6. Brainstorm sessions
7. After action reviews

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learn
about learning

Every day, people learn something new –

whether it’s how to download a new app for
your smart device, to the finer points of
leadership, to increasing their personal
effectiveness.
Although most people give a new endeavor
100% effort, fewer than half of us will truly
comprehend the experience and retain the
valuable lessons embedded in it.
What’s the problem?
We don’t all learn the same way.

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your insight
2 minutes
Huddle with the people at your
table who share your learning
style.
Discuss the strengths of your
learning style.

1 minute / style = 3 minutes

Share your strengths with the
other two styles.
What should we know about your
style?
5 minutes 12
©2014The Learning Café
learning
styles

People learners learn by relating.

Information learners learn by thinking.

Action learners learn by doing.

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people
learners
Learning Motivator: Story
Memory System: Episodes
What & How They Remember:
 Personal experience
 Anecdotes / Stories How to Share:
 People 1. Anecdotes, metaphors, stories
 Develop relationships 2. Examples of role models, lessons
learned, best practices
3. Idea sharing and discussion
opportunities with peers
4. Include implementation examples

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information
learners Learning Motivator: Purpose
Memory System: Categories
What & How They Remember:
 Concepts
 Patterns
 Explanations
 Documentation

How to Share:
1. Background (context; why are we doing this?)
2. Organize points logically (time, events, step-by-step)
3. Job aids, observation, procedures

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action
learners
Learning Motivator: Experience
Memory System: Kinesthetic
What & How They Remember:
 Activity
 Application
How to Share:
 Chunking
1. Bottom line early
 Performance
2. Reduce complexity
3. Relevant, concrete examples
4. Intelligent failure, experimentation,
hands-on practice

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learning
styles Who else has done this?
Who can I talk to about it?
Where’s the expert?

Why are we doing this?

Where are the instructions?
What does it mean?

What’s next?
What does success look like?
How will I use this?

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 explicit
tacit
codified
conveyed
Explicit Knowledge
practical clues
procedural instinct
rule-based hunches
wisdom experiential
discernment
Tacit Knowledge
how to

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 identify
critical
Your Vision Industry trends
knowledge Mission Market research
Values Strategic plans

Business Current & future

success drivers competencies
Operational Performance
Reality check plans reviews
 Am I perpetuating
obsolete knowledge?
 Am I shutting out
new ideas?
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 identify
critical “Who’s critical? Who has the
talent essential knowledge?”
 Positive job performance
 Peer respect for ability
 Positive attitude
 Willingness to take
responsibility to teach
 Approachability
 Patience
Critical skills & expertise  Good listening skills
 What is it?
 Who has it
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identify
critical Select a partner

knowledge Identify knowledge, skills &

& talent expertise critical to the future of
your organization

Identify who “owns” it

Share your initial thoughts

Ask for feedback

6 minutes
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remember?

early learning experiences . . .

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in Silents (‘33 – ’45) Boomers (‘46 – ’64)
knowledge WWII, Depression
work ethic
soaring birthrates
new frontiers
transfer, loyalty
authority
competitive
hard work
age matters respectful idealistic

Gen X (‘65 – ’76) Millennials (‘77-’98)

latchkey kids technology
technology social media
independent confident
skeptical informal
entrepreneurial collaborative

“How you learn is to a large extent a function of age

and the teaching methods used during your early 23
education.” ©2014 The Learning Café
Boomers
 Facilitator led  Seek an empowering
Method  More formal instruction Motivation
experience; deepen
expertise
 Face to face learning
 Relationships
 Verbal and text driven
 Focus on facts
 Individual
 Knowledge acquisition accomplishment
Message
 Logical, progressive format  Meaningful
 Learning in specified time contribution

 Organizational context
 Physical considerations

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Gen X
 Facilitator led, learner directed Add abilities to skill
Method Motivation and management
 Technology choices portfolio
 Action learning
 Reasonable interaction
 Real solutions to real problems
 Learn it, try it,
 Hard evidence Message apply it
 Incidental learning  Intellectual
stimulation
 Efficient classroom time
 Few words, lots of images & fun

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Millennials
Be recognized
 Inductive discovery &
Method exploration Motivation and rewarded
for building
 Trial and error
skills
 Learn with technology
 Graphics first
 Ho-hum crashers
 Challenge, variety,
 Fast, short, simple
Message & fun
 Face-to-face
 Credibility
 Group activity
building
 Content search ability
 Learning 24/7
 Learning is fun!

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knowledge
sharing
methods
explicit knowledge
Classroom training
Vendor training
External certification
Coach / Mentor
Job aids / documentation
Interviews / demos
Process mapping
Discussion groups
Yellow pages
Job shadowing
Case study
Job rotations
Job historians
Master forums
tacit knowledge COPs 28

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ϟ 6 minute celebration
ϟ create champions
ϟ reward teaching
ϟ reward sharing
ϟ acknowledge legacy
ϟ revere tribal elders
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 Point of View Problem Best Practice Solutions
Senior Protect our Create a culture • ID truly critical knowledge
Leadership “secret sauce” that values KS & • Communicate burn. Platform
the time it takes • Prioritize w/words & actions
• Reward & recognize
Goals to achieve, • Enable mentoring & job
Productivity &
Managers is there time? shadowing
performance
What do I do? • Include in performance plan
while I still have
• Talk about KS, Ask about KS
experts

• Learn how to teach

Bring meaning & Teaching the
Current & legacy “secret sauce”
• Legacy plans, not
Future Expert More work development plans
Willingness to • Value by manager
without share their • Recognition
compensation capabilities • Increase learning skills of
receivers
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knowledge
1. Mini-meetings
transfer
2. Play like a team
tip: 3. Understand generational
try differences

something 4. Take your hands of the keyboard

5. Create 30 minute miracles

6. Everyone teaches, everyone learns

7. Lead by example

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Thank you!
At The Learning Café we turn
potential into performance. We
work with organizations,
managers and employees to
engage and retain talent, to
develop leaders and mentors
and to successfully navigate the
changing workforce. We
research, write, speak, and
facilitate workshops -- to bridge
the generation gap, personal
branding, mentoring, knowledge
sharing and leadership.

Diane Thielfoldt
DianeT@thelearningcafe.net
843.471.2374
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©2014 The Learning Café