Knowledge transfer is the process of converting the knowledge inside people’s heads into content, learning materials, tools, and processes that others can use, and/or directly transferring knowledge from one person to another.
After two years at APQC, I witnessed a pivotal moment in the field of knowledge management when our founder, Jack Grayson, and our chairman, Carla O’Dell, published a groundbreaking book on the transfer of internal knowledge and best practices If Only We Knew What We Know | Book by C. Jackson Grayson, Carla O'Dell | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster (simonandschuster.com). This publication revolutionized knowledge management by introducing straightforward and proven models that ensured the right information reached the right person at the right time. When people can use knowledge to take effective action and create value, it’s an “ah-ha” moment.
Now, with almost three decades of observing many of those “ah-ha” moments, I’ve concluded that the transfer of knowledge occurs when the impact of understanding, application, and learning converge. At APQC, we refer to this as a “teachable moment”—a point when an individual is most receptive to acquiring, comprehending, and applying knowledge. I respectfully submit that this point is “knowledge transfer”. And, the true measure of success is evident when the right decisions are made, problems are solved, or challenging tasks are accomplished.
Knowledge Transfer Barriers
With all the stellar practices and learnings across knowledge management, knowledge transfer can be hard to get your arms around due to these three main difficulties and barriers.
- Consistency and Scale: Applying knowledge transfer consistently and at scale is difficult. It occurs throughout organizations, whether someone discovers a best practice in a repository, participates in a lessons-learned session, or joins a knowledge elicitation session. Stewardship and accountability from both the business and users are critical for successful knowledge transfer.
- Source and Recipient Dynamics: Effective knowledge transfer relies on a relationship between a knowledgeable source and a willing recipient. Constant connections must be made to guide people to the best knowledge and expertise. The recipient’s willingness to learn and the motivation of the source to share is essential.
- Tacit Knowledge Richness: The richness of tacit knowledge is crucial for successful transfer. Whether knowledge is elicited and captured for broad dissemination or transferred directly between individuals, the knowledge must be trusted, rich, relevant, and contextual for effective knowledge transfer to occur.
I’ve noticed that we often concentrate on more visible activities like sharing, collaboration, and capturing knowledge, and assume that transfer will naturally occur if we provide enough knowledge-intense activities and technology tools and solutions for people to participate. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Transferring knowledge is simple in concept, but difficult in execution. Our efforts to enable and facilitate knowledge transfer are often fragmented and fail to consider the structural and behavioral hurdles present in our organizations.
Fortunately, years of continued best practice research and work in knowledge management have yielded lessons and fundamental principles for being more focused and intentional to ensure knowledge transfer.
Context for Knowledge Transfer
APQC has extensively explored the flow of knowledge within organizations and our Knowledge Flow Process details each step of how knowledge moves through an organization. This process begins with the creation of new knowledge and continues until it is accessed and used for business benefits. By identifying and addressing gaps, this process empowers individuals to discover, use, and share the best organizational know-how.
While every step in the knowledge flow process is crucial, the lifecycle is incomplete—and ultimately unsuccessful—until the knowledge is actively used. Although transfer isn’t explicitly listed as a step in the knowledge flow process, it naturally occurs as knowledge moves through various stages. For instance, a knowledge elicitation and capture session with experts initiates the transfer of knowledge. Similarly, a community of practice discussion can serve as a starting point for knowledge transfer. Debriefs and after-action reviews offer opportunities to share and capture insights on what worked well and what didn’t. But don’t stop here. The failure point, for most of us, is not looking at knowledge transfer through the lens of continuous improvement and learning.
Knowledge transfer involves closing a knowledge gap by facilitating the flow of knowledge back into the organization, thereby improving workflows and accelerating the learning curve. Success is evident when we observe the outcomes or results after knowledge has been applied or reused. It can be a complex process, but once you understand how transfer integrates into each step, you can develop a more intentional plan for your knowledge transfer activities.
A Checklist for Knowledge Transfer
Often, the primary driver for knowledge transfer is ensuring business continuity. This need can arise from various situations, such as managing a retirement crisis, relocation, mergers or spinoffs, accelerating the adoption of new technology, or enhancing consistency across business units and regions. To be effective, knowledge transfer must be woven into the fabric of the organization and supported by a culture of continuous improvement and learning. Processes and best practices encapsulate knowledge through actions and experiences, making it easier to digest and implement when put into action.
Knowledge transfer is not a one-time event or a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires a deliberate strategy to ensure it happens consistently. The key is to recognize the complexities involved and use a combination of organic and systematic processes, approaches, and tools to support both spontaneous and facilitated knowledge transfer. Here are some simple steps to get started:
- Find a compelling need for change that is important to the organization.
- Conduct an honest assessment of the current state of critical knowledge and its transfer relative to the problem or opportunity.
- Design a project with knowledge transfer as the focal point, incorporating knowledge capture and sharing activities.
- Develop a robust implementation plan that provides the necessary resources, timing, processes, and structures to enable ongoing improvement and learning cycles.
A thoughtful knowledge transfer strategy enables you to see beyond the use of knowledge, allowing you to anticipate the critical knowledge needs of the future and scale your efforts with confidence. A key indicator of successful knowledge transfer is when practical, real-life knowledge is applied effectively across various contexts, benefiting the organization.
Explore knowledge transfer best practices with these APQC resources:
- Getting Started with Knowledge Retention and Transfer | APQC
- Knowledge Retention and Transfer FAQ
- KM Essentials: How to Transfer Knowledge
- Understanding Structured Knowledge Transfer