Knowledge Transfer

One of the most respectful and valuable tools I have learned in the last years is the professional knowledge transfer. Every person – and that implies every company – is full of knowledge. Especially the senior employees, the long-term knowledge bearers, have a vast amount of experience that much too often is not in focus.

Through the method of a moderated knowledge transfer the extensive knowledge of a working life can be documented and saved for posterity. The knowledge transfer is a special form of moderation because generally just the knowledge bearer (= departing employee) and the knowledge taker (= successor) are present with me as moderator.

With the help of a pre-structured jobmap we go through different areas of explicit and tacit knowledge – for example process, practical or relationship knowledge. During the narration I document and structure the answers of the knowledge bearer in form of a digital mind map.

Subsequently, the knowledge taker receives the documented content in a form that he or she can best work with – for example as a manual folder, a digital mind map or an excel-sheet.

Often, a knowledge transfer with the help of a jobmap is just the first step in starting a full knowledge management process within the company. Following the transfer different documents can be created, such as checklists, learning cards or process descriptions, that help securing and presenting the essential knowledge to the rest of the team.

In general, a knowledge transfer comprises four separated sessions of 2 hours each. Depending on the knowledge area of the knowledge bearer and the amount of knowledge, it might be that more sessions are necessary to transfer the knowledge (very seldom less) .

If you and your company decide after the knowledge transfer, that you would like to start more extensive projects concerning knowledge management, I am glad to help. To get a first idea where your company is standing in regard of knowledge management and which topic could be the first to tackle, please take a look at the analysis of the components of knowledge management by Probst/Raub/Romhardt (see Downloads).

Duration:

Generally 4 sessions of 2 hours per session

Location:

At your location – a separated and quiet room containing a beamer is optimal - or online via Zoom or MS Teams