In my previous post I have written about the interconnection between information, knowledge and wisdom. In this post, I would like to take it to a practical level and examine the actual actions that can be done in organizations. First of all, how do we turn information into knowledge?
In one word, it’s experience. The information can be stored in IT systems, documents etc. but it can first be useful and become knowledge when it has been used by the staff. What does it mean “to be used”? It means that we take the information out of the system, contextualize it and thereby achieve a whole new meaning with it. It becomes knowledge. Further, there are many levels of information. Information at “high” level can easily mean knowledge at a “lower” level. What I mean about high or lower level is this: the information resided at senior management level can be considered at a high level, and it can be experienced as knowledge by the junior management level- the lower level. It’s like a spiral. The more you know, the more you will unconsciously consider some knowledge to be information because it has become common knowledge to you. This is an unconscious process and you will assume that everybody should know about this common knowledge- its value is “degraded” to information. And when you pass it down, it becomes information without a context. This will make it difficult for the newcomer to learn when knowledge has been taken out of the context.
Between knowledge and wisdom there is a bridge called “knowing”. Knowledge is not the same as knowing- knowing is deeper, and it comes when knowledge has been reflected and internalized. So how can you work with this more consciously in organizations? Following are some guidelines:
1) Become aware of your assumptions about your industry, business, market, shareholders, stakeholders etc. Explore why do you think it is as it is? By doing this you will discover your “common” knowledge
2) Systematize the way you train new employees, volunteers etc. Pick people who are good at teaching/coaching and train them to be good at sharing the organization’s knowledge to the newcomers.
3) Initiate and systematize evaluation meetings/ workshops- this is crucial because it gives the members in the organization time and space to focus on what they have learn from the process and reflect upon it.
4) Actively initiate different opportunities where people can share their knowledge with each other.
5) Build an open organizational culture- it is needed to cultivate a learning environment. Otherwise you can hold several evaluation worshops but there won’t be incentives for employees, members to share their knowledge or point of view.
6) Communicate, communicate and communicate- it cannot be emphasized enough. However, this must not be done with everything and to everybody- communication must always have a focus and a purpose!
