Knowledge Sharing

by Dawn Greer, Project Manager

Imagine for a moment that everything you do has the full benefit of everything you and your colleagues know.  For example, the past experiences, current knowledge, and lessons learned by your entire staff could allow your organization to continually improve, to know who needs help, and to identify potential problems before they exist. 

What is It?
At its most basic, Knowledge Sharing is getting existing know how to individuals who need it.  The method? Create the knowledge, store and access the knowledge, and then apply it.  Knowledge is not just information, it is information combined with experience, perspective, interpretation, and reflection.

ActioNet, Inc. promotes a culture that values sharing and learning.  Our employees use Knowledge Sharing as an everyday way to accomplish all work.  Using this information relies on it being easily found and accessed.

How to Get It Done
Three components are essential to knowledge sharing: people, processes, and technology.

People equal Knowledge Networks:  a formally established group focused on sharing knowledge.  ActioNet's Process Enhancement Group (PEG) is responsible for evaluating, prioritizing, and implementing processes and Process Enhancement Requests submitted by ActioNet employees.  The PEG helps ActioNet make plans for activities such as ISO 9001:2000 and CMMI® certifications as well as the creation of templates for everyday work that help smooth typical processes throughout the company.

Processes equal Knowledge Assets:  repositories that provide focused, useful, and insightful know-how from actual work.  Much of ActioNet's Knowledge Assets are kept in the Process Asset Library (PAL), our resource for policies, procedures, forms, templates, and other useful documentation.

Technology equals a Strategic Pilot Program:  our program will apply world-class knowledge sharing practices in action to meet real challenges.  ActioNet is currently establishing a Knowledge/Information Sharing portal to be used for:

• Meeting contractual requirements (managing deliverables, invoicing, etc.).
• Sharing information with ActioNet peers (calendars, procedures, etc.).
• Collecting and using hard data for program oversight.
• Keeping abreast of RFP requirements and the ability to bid on new work.

Sharing the Wealth
By sharing what we know, we also gain metrics and methods for continual improvement.  We and our clients benefit as we eliminate repetitious mistakes, reduce the need for experimentation, and prepare the ground for identification of real issues to be tackled.

The overarching value to clients is our ability to quickly identify and integrate knowledge: better and more effective ways of solving old and new problems and integrating those experiences into everyday work.  This knowledge includes business methods, analytical and operational capabilities, as well as organizational awareness of these capabilities.  Clarity of system resources and shortfalls, efficiently applied best practices, and enhanced productivity effectively lower costs.

To individual staff members Knowledge Sharing acts as a team of experienced colleagues always ready to help.  We continuously become more effective as we learn from each other's experience.