A generational change is slowly occurring in
\ntoday’s workplace. With the oldest Baby Boomers now reaching the traditional
\nage of retirement, we are about to see a dramatic shift as these long-time
\nprofessionals leave the workforce—and some organizations will face an
\naccompanying knowledge and skills deficit if they do not take steps to prevent
\nit.<\/p>\n
Approximately 80 million
\nBoomers are due to retire over the next 15 years. Luckily, this turnover is not
\nlikely to happen overnight. The youngest Baby Boomers are just 49 and probably
\nnot thinking about retirement, while many older Boomers are resisting
\nretirement and prefer to continue working for financial and personal reasons.
\nAs these workers begin to tender their resignations, they will leave a
\nnoticeable gap; while your organization can easily fill those positions with
\nwilling employees, it may be harder to replace the specialized skills, institutional
\nknowledge, and on-the-job expertise that your Boomers accumulated over decades.
\nWill those valuable assets retire along with your oldest experts? <\/p>\n
Knowledge Transfer Defined<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n Take an objective look around your organization. Is The good news is that there are How do you go about knowledge transfer? Fundamentally, it begins with an Create a Culture of Teaching and Learning<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n There are many methods for transferring employee knowledge For any type of knowledge sharing, <\/OL><\/p>\n Narrow Your Focus<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n Once your cultural foundation for knowledge All of your organization’s Once you identify specific Leverage Generational Preferences<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n Remember that knowledge sharing is voluntary. You This generation came into the workforce en masse The 41 million Like all generations, Gen X The youngest <\/OL><\/p>\n Additional Ideas<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n Baby Boomers—just like employees of all Another option is to establish Warning! Pitfalls Ahead<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n Before you implement your knowledge transfer plan, Another potential pitfall is When you introduce knowledge Recognize and Reward Employee Efforts<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n Sharing SIDEBAR #1<\/b><\/p>\n Knowledge Transfer Methods<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n There are many ways Legacy Development Plans<\/font>—<\/span><\/b> Case Studies<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>a facilitator Communities of Practice (COPs) or Worknets<\/font>—<\/span><\/b> Demonstrations<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>used for highly Designated Experts<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>identify Document Improv<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>in any work group, people improvise tricks of the Education and Training<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>share Find-the-Expert Yellow Pages<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>list Hands-on Brown Bags<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>gather a Interviews<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>have a facilitator or skilled employee conduct a Job Aids<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>create checklists, Job Historians<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>this is ideal Job Shadowing<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>assign newer Knowledge Profiles<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>this Lessons Learned<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>there are Master Forums<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>ask one of your Master-Apprentice Programs<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>this Mentoring (One-on-One)<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>mentors and their partners should self-select each Mentoring (Group)<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>this tactic Personal Websites<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>used by Shared Diaries<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>people write up Storytelling<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>a facilitator can Talk\/Chat Rooms<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>make online Traveling Masters<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>this is “Tribal Elder” Campfires<\/font>—<\/span><\/b>a lot Silents<\/font> Baby Generation A generational change is slowly occurring in today’s workplace. With the oldest Baby Boomers now reaching the traditional age of retirement, we are about to see a dramatic shift as these long-time professionals leave the workforce—and some organizations will face an accompanying knowledge and skills deficit if they do not take steps to prevent it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":[266],"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[294,21],"class_list":["post-6862","articles","type-articles","status-publish","hentry","category-training","category-business-managment","author-diane-thielfoldt"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nyour workforce “graying?” Do you have specific departments or teams with
\npersonnel who are all entering their 50s or 60s at about the same time? If so,
\nyou can take some specific steps to retain their knowledge and skills if and
\nwhen they leave. It is crucial to start this process as soon as possible—do not
\nwait until your older employees start to announce their retirement plans. <\/p>\n
\nprocesses in place for this. The organizational effort of attempting to keep
\nthe job knowledge of employees consistent despite turnover is called knowledge
\ntransfer. Sometimes referred to as knowledge sharing or knowledge continuity
\nmanagement, knowledge transfer focuses on passing critical knowledge from
\nexiting employees to their replacements. Do not think of this as an “exit-interview”
\nstrategy where you sit down with Joe Smith a week before he leaves to ask him
\neverything he knows about his job. Knowledge transfer is an organization-wide
\neffort to build long-term knowledge continuity across the board. <\/p>\n
\norganization’s culture and values—but for today’s businesses, it also involves
\nintergenerational relations.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n(see “Knowledge Transfer Methods” above), but for any of them to succeed,
\nemployers must be open to sharing information, encourage employees to teach
\neach other, and value the knowledge that individual employees hold. <\/p>\n
\nnothing beats face-to-face interaction, and you will want to encourage passion
\nand excitement about this type of sharing. Start by reviewing the current
\nculture and environment within your company, and be prepared to work with what
\nyou have. One way to gauge your environment for learning exchange is to look at
\nthe physical layout of your workspaces. Do you have areas where people can
\nexchange ideas and information? Are your hallways wide enough to accommodate
\nconversation? If you see a gathering place—whether it is the break room or an
\nempty corner—consider installing a whiteboard or flip chart there and see what
\nhappens. Although you cannot mandate knowledge transfer, there are many things
\nyou can do to encourage it. Here are a few broad ideas to get you started.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\ndepartment or organization.<\/font><\/span><\/b> Do not
\njust talk about learning—institute opportunities that will allow everyone to
\nlearn. This type of learning does not occur through professional development
\nopportunities (i.e., classroom training), but rather, through knowledge
\nsharing. Approximately 70% of learning happens on the job, and an additional
\n20% occurs with and through others. Try asking specific employees to lead
\ninformal “lunch and learns,” start a mentoring program, ask willing Millennial
\nemployees to videotape interviews with company experts and post them on your
\nintranet—get creative!<\/span><\/p>\n
\ndefinition of “learning.”<\/font><\/b> You must have confidence that your employees want
\nto do a good job, and let them do it. If you notice your marketing team having
\na wind-up toy race, do not assume there is no learning taking place. Not all
\nlearning comes from employee handbooks or training sessions.<\/p>\n
\nintergenerational interaction.<\/font><\/b> Create forums and general opportunities for
\nsenior experts and leaders to interact with newer and\/or younger employees. Opportunities
\nfor cross-generational learning could range from mentoring, to “Ask the Expert”
\nroundtables, or project reviews. <\/p>\n
\ngeographically spread out, or if you believe virtual communication would better
\nsuit your employees’ preferences, offer some online venues for sharing
\ninformation. These include podcasts and YouTube channels; chatrooms or forums
\nfocused by area of expertise; personal websites or knowledge profiles; or
\nsimply a list of experts who can be contacted for answers, information, and
\ntroubleshooting.<\/span><\/p>\n
\noutside help.<\/font><\/b> A trained third-party facilitator can look at your
\norganization’s culture and values, determine the methods best suited to your
\nneeds, and create a climate that is conducive to knowledge transfer, where
\nemployees are comfortable talking about what they know and what they do not
\nknow.<\/p>\n
\nexchange has been reinforced, focus teaching and learning opportunities on the
\nspecific knowledge you need transferred. Note that knowledge is both “know how”
\nand “know why.” There are 2 types of knowledge that employees should pass on:
\nexplicit knowledge, which is easily codified and conveyed to others; and
\nimplicit or tacit knowledge, which is experiential, such as wisdom,
\ndiscernment, hunches, instinct, and personal insight. Job profiles or
\ndescriptions and written procedures are a good way to share explicit knowledge.
\nThe problem is that most people jump into a new job, then read the procedures
\nwhen they want to find an answer to a specific question—often missing out on
\nthe implicit knowledge they need to fulfill their duties. <\/p>\n
\nknowledge is important. What you have to figure out is, what knowledge is
\ncritical or essential for your organization to continue into the future? To
\nanswer this question, consider the following: your vision and business success
\ndrivers, industry trends, current and future core competencies, scarcity, and
\nreplacement costs. Beware of TMI (too much information)—you do not want to
\noverwhelm or bore those involved—you want to engage learners.<\/p>\n
\nareas of knowledge you need to retain, you can draft a plan for recording this
\nknowledge. However, be careful not to rely solely on “people-to-paper” (or
\n“people-to-database”) processes such as written guidelines or procedural
\nhandbooks. Create some effective people-to-people methods as well to capture
\ntacit knowledge. When using technology, this means focusing on live or recorded
\n“conversations,” including videos and podcasts.<\/p>\n
\nwill need to learn what motivates and demotivates your employees to encourage a
\nsuccessful transfer of knowledge. A good starting point is addressing
\ngenerational preferences, values, and strengths that impact how your employees
\nwork, teach, and learn. Your knowledge transfer methods should take these
\npreferences into account for maximum effectiveness. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nand made the rules that many companies play by. Many of them define themselves
\nby their careers and are proud of their accomplishments in the workplace. When
\ncreating a knowledge transfer plan, appeal to their pride and their loyalty to
\nyour organization and your industry, and stress that the plan will help them
\nleave a legacy. All these motivators relate to the Baby Boomers’ work values
\nand principles.<\/p>\n
\nmembers of Generation (Gen) X have had the opportunity to reshape organizations
\nto meet their generation’s priorities—a sometimes difficult task, given the
\nsheer numbers and strong personalities of the Baby Boomer generation. Gen Xers
\nprefer to work independently and are loyal to good bosses, stimulating
\nprojects, and capable team members. Because more than half of them grew up as
\nlatch-key kids, Gen Xers feel strongly that they do not need someone looking
\nover their shoulder. In other words, they prefer hands-off management;
\nmicromanaging does not work with them.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n
\nvalues learning new things and acquiring marketable skills. This trait,
\ncombined with their desire for independence and appreciation for efficiency,
\nmakes them excellent recipients of older workers’ knowledge. Your knowledge
\ntransfer plan can appeal to Gen Xers by emphasizing the value of gaining a
\n“portable portfolio” of skills and knowledge. <\/p>\n
\ngeneration in today’s workplace has a bit of a “whatever” view of title and
\nposition, showing less reverence for a position that is simply based on
\nexperience, which they think Baby Boomers overemphasize. What they respect is
\nknowledge and learning. In fact, they will leave for greener pastures if
\nchallenge, learning, and fun are absent from their work. Although they do not
\ndefault to deference automatically, Millennials acknowledge that they have much
\nto learn and they appreciate the wisdom of their more tenured colleagues. The
\nmethods you use for knowledge transfer are key: if you can effectively engage
\nMillennials, they will soak up the knowledge like sponges! One trait to note is
\nthat they are typically team-oriented and work well in groups, preferring group
\nwork to individual endeavors. If you can harness the use of technology for your
\nmethods, that will also help keep their attention. <\/span><\/p>\n
\ngenerations—value learning new things, so do not simply rely on them to teach.
\nOffer them a chance to keep gaining skills and knowledge in order to keep them
\nengaged. You might consider a reverse mentoring program, where a more
\nexperienced employee, or even a manager, actively seeks the counsel of an
\nemployee with less overall experience. This modern twist has older employees
\ndepending on younger staff for fresh perspectives, trend spotting, and
\ntechnology guidance. <\/p>\n
\nlunch and learns with Boomers in mind, with topics like the latest in social
\nmedia, personal finance, or health issues. The extra benefit of learning new
\nthings will strengthen their loyalty and commitment as it reinforces your
\nworkplace as one that values learning and skill building in general.<\/p>\n
\nconsider how your employees might perceive it. If, because of internal
\ndemographics, you are concentrating your efforts on a specific department or
\nmanagement level, others may think their knowledge is not important to the
\norganization. <\/p>\n
\nthe possibility that you may focus on transferring one area of knowledge, but
\nunforeseen changes in the future may make such knowledge obsolete or less
\nvaluable. To mitigate this issue, employers should make knowledge transfer
\ntools available to anyone who is interested. You will find that it is fairly
\neasy to extend your knowledge transfer program to include a toolkit for any
\nemployee or manager who requests it.<\/p>\n
\ntransfer to employees, begin by inviting them to participate and acknowledge
\neach individual and his or her history and skills. Include them in the process,
\nor they may feel used. Many might also fear that you are asking for their
\nknowledge because they are going to lose their jobs. Take extra time to stress
\ntheir value, their legacy, and the fact that employees of all ages will act as
\ngivers and receivers of knowledge.<\/p>\n
\nknowledge means making an extra effort and sometimes requires additional time
\nas well as creative thinking. Employees who participate—the recipients as well
\nas the knowledge holders—should be recognized and rewarded for their efforts.
\nThank them, stress the importance and value of what they are doing, and lead by
\nexample. Demonstrating that knowledge transfer is highly valued begins with
\nyour organization’s leaders freely passing on their knowledge and lessons
\nlearned. As an organization, you must acknowledge “legacy leavers,” create
\nknowledge-sharing champions, and publicly recognize their contribution. All of
\nthis contributes to a culture that values sharing, teaching, and learning<\/span>.<\/p>\n
\nto transfer both explicit and implicit knowledge (see definitions on page 17).
\nSome of the ones listed here may suit your needs, capabilities, and company
\nculture, and can be combined as you see fit:<\/span><\/p>\n
\nshare what they know, and asks them what should be shared. This method shifts
\nthe emphasis to contribution. This can be included in annual performance
\nappraisals by asking each employee to write up or update what they know when
\nthey prepare for each appraisal. For some older employees nearing retirement,
\nlegacy planning can replace career planning; they can devote their time and
\nenergy to leaving a legacy rather than training and professional development<\/span>
\ninterviews the experts and writes up a case study that poses questions about
\nwhat it takes to go from good to great work in a specific job. This is
\nespecially useful when it targets something that is the exception to a rule. <\/span><\/p>\n
\nbut have the same body of knowledge. Example: <\/i>Although Xerox Tech Reps
\nhave the same job, they never see each other—each works alone in the field,
\nservicing equipment for regional customers. However, they created a COP on
\ntheir own by setting up a database of problems and solutions to help each
\nother, and often arrange to meet informally when possible to talk about work.
\nCOPs usually exist underground, and too much intervention from the employer can
\ninterfere. If you discover a COP within your company—like the employees who
\ngather outside during smoke breaks—support it, but do not smother it.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ntechnical knowledge, or around more subtle human interactions. Example:<\/i>
\nA customer service representative may demonstrate the exact tone of voice they
\nuse when successfully calming down an angry caller.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nyour top managers or employees with the most explicit and implicit knowledge,
\nand appoint them as “subject matter” experts. Encourage them to share their
\nknowledge, and encourage others in the same job or department to turn to them
\nfor advice.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ntrade—the “unconscious competence” they use to make things work smoothly. These
\nare seldom written down or shared, so it is a good idea to ask people to
\ndocument the “better practices” they have been improvising so that others can
\nuse them. Remember, documenting can be in the form of videos, audio, or
\ngraphics.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nknowledge in a formal training session. Your designated “subject matter”
\nexperts can teach classes or provide the information for a trainer to impart.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe people with the answers to every question you can come up with, distribute
\nor post the list, and encourage all employees to turn to your “yellow pages”
\nfor answers. Use this in combination with a frequently asked questions (FAQ)
\ndocument.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ndepartment or group of people together over a brown-bag snack to listen to a
\ndesignated expert. Include a question-and-answer session or dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n
\njournalist-style interview with each expert on your staff. Record the interview
\nand make it available to others in writing, audio, and\/or video<\/span>
\nquick-start guides, forms, tips, and templates—any tools that may help
\naccomplish a task. This is a method that every organization can and should
\ninclude in their knowledge transfer plan.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nfor a retiree or new employee with special training. Have them interview each
\nlong-time employee\/expert, and create a timeline of that person’s employment at
\nthe company, as well as a timeline of how they typically spend their time on
\nthe job.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nemployees to follow experts around and learn how they work. The length of time
\nspent on this will vary, depending on the job, but it should be at least 90
\ndays. <\/span><\/p>\n
\nrigorous process is used quite often. It entails writing a profile of
\neverything an expert knows—typically technical or detail-oriented. The profile
\ncan then be put online where other people in similar jobs can access it.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nseveral methods for sharing lessons learned. They can be written down, or you
\ncan schedule a Failure Friday forum for employees to get together and talk
\nabout disasters and how they were handled. This demonstrates what can go wrong,
\nas well as what can be done, and can instill confidence in others that they can
\nhandle problems. You can also host a “lessons of experience” discussion where
\nexperienced managers transfer wisdom to newer managers.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nexperts to speak on a topic and make the presentation available to everyone in
\nyour company. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) does
\nthis. Consider using a shared drive where PowerPoint presentations can be
\narchived and made available to everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nmentoring style is typically used in bargaining units or unions that employ
\nskill tests for employees who wish to become “masters” of their trade.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nother, and be given structure and tools to support their learning process. Many
\nmentors find that the first phase of the learning is all about explicit
\nknowledge. Then, after 4 or 5 months, an interesting shift happens, and
\nmentoring focuses more on “how I do it” rather than “what I do.” (Mentoring
\nwill be covered in more detail in the April\/May issue of Insulation Outlook.<\/i>)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n
\nmakes use of a scarce mentor set. Match a senior mentor up with a small group
\nto spread out your resources. This can help the members of the group form their
\nown COP.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nMicrosoft, this method has everyone set up a personal page or site on the
\ncompany intranet to share knowledge. You may set up guidelines for the sites,
\nsuch as requiring an FAQ format, or an interactive forum for answering
\nquestions. (Remember, technology enables knowledge transfer—alone, it does not
\nhold all the answers.)<\/span><\/p>\n
\na job history in real-time online. Others can see what is happening in other
\ndepartments (or their own) and may build a COP. <\/span><\/p>\n
\nteach people in your organization how to tell stories—because stories leave
\nmore of an imprint than other communications. Basically an oral history,
\nstorytelling also conveys the values of your organization, reveals who the
\nheroes and villains are, what the culture is, how people are rewarded, and how people
\nwork. You can schedule weekly or monthly storytelling sessions, make
\nstorytelling part of your annual meeting, or simply train employees and let
\nthem practice around the coffee pot or in the hallways. <\/span><\/p>\n
\ncommunities available to employees so they can share knowledge, answer each
\nother’s questions, and give advice.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nparticularly useful when you only have a few experts in a given role. Have them
\ntravel around to various offices or departments and give presentations on their
\nunique knowledge. Like group mentoring, this is a good method if you have
\nscarce expert resources.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nlike storytelling, this method is built on a respect or reverence for someone
\nin your organization who has done something exceptional. Tribal elders are
\nthose who embody the values of an organization, and having them host a
\n“campfire” provides a terrific opportunity for powerful conversations and
\ndialogue, and is a natural way to stress leaving a legacy.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nSIDEBAR #2<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n
\n(1933–1945)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nBoomers<\/font> (1946–1964)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nX<\/font> (1965–1976)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n