I heard it through the grapevine: making knowledge management work by learning to share knowledge, skills and experience

Abstract

This article explores the challenge of getting people to willingly share knowledge skills and experience, so that their organisations may gain leverage in their collective intelligence. It does so by addressing links between knowledge management and organisational learning to increase the speed and targeting of intelligence across organisations. There is a significant role for training and learning specialists in eroding the practical and political barriers to making knowledge management a reality. A case study, expressed in the form of a mini‐scenario, is used to illustrate how learning is a crucial ingredient that assists people to work smarter. Key principles for breaking down barriers to implementing knowledge management are developed for adaptation to particular organisations.