By Dr. Shirley J. Caruso, Ed.D.
The transfer of knowledge to or from individuals can be instrumental in enhancing the overall performance of an organization. Organizations can benefit from the performance enhancement of its employees by realizing increased productivity and profitability.
How Valuable Knowledge in the Workplace Is Acquired
One way that valuable knowledge in the workplace is acquired is through the informal learning experiences of the everyday work life of employees. This type of learning is referred to as being embedded and can be obtained or learned through self-directed experiences or passed down from colleagues. Because learning occurs while on the job, integrating the new knowledge becomes second nature.
Furthermore, job-embedded learning maximizes time because learning occurs while on-the-job. Finally, job-embedded learning is beneficial because it promotes immediate application of what is learned and costs less, in most cases, than conducting formal training.
The Focus of Informal Learning
Informal learning focuses on an individual’s emotional intelligence, such as self-awareness, self-confidence, flexibility, trustworthiness, and optimism, rather than the IQ of the person. In order to enhance individual and organizational performance, it is essential that skills and behaviors acquired through informal learning experiences be fostered and developed.
Informal learning in the workplace accounts for the majority of the learning that takes place. Research by Merriam, Caffarella, and Baumgartner (2007) suggests that the great majority (as much as 75% percent) of learning in the workplace is informal. When employees communicate via the intranet, through conversation with a seasoned colleague, or even at the lunch table, it is likely that this informal exchange of information leads to knowledge. When knowledge gained through informal learning is shared it becomes the development necessary to meet the challenges of the organization.
Knowledge Sharing Enhancement
Organizations must also be able to identify and understand some of the tools that people can utilize to enhance knowledge sharing throughout the organization. Knowledge sharing is the exchange of information, skills, or expertise among members of an organization that forms a valuable intangible asset. Online collaboration tools such as wikis, social-networking sites and blogs are notable new tools for knowledge sharing.
Rather than controlling knowledge sharing, some organizations are attempting to facilitate its growth by creating knowledge sharing events, such as employee trade shows and open forums to encourage employees to share knowledge with each other. But before implementing knowledge sharing practices or new collaboration tools, organizations must have a good understanding of the organizational culture and its readiness to share. They should test new approaches with selected groups before implementing them across the organization.
The Informal Learning Infrastructure
It is the responsibility of the Human Performance Technologist (HPT) within an organization to ensure informal learning takes place. This is achieved not only through identifying and providing the tools and technologies necessary to facilitate informal learning, but also through understanding the social networks of the organization.
Human capital management, or talent management, is essential to the informal learning infrastructure. Experts estimate that 80 percent of organizational knowledge exists exclusively within an individual. If the individual leaves the organization, the organization stands to lose the knowledge if it has not been captured. The implication is that HPTs must adopt methods of extracting individual knowledge into an organized data base or learning systems that can be drawn upon by the entire organization.
Summary
Organizations are realizing that the knowledge residing in their human capital is important in creating economic power and value. Human capital refers to the ideas, skills and knowledge that employees acquire on the job that make a company competitive. As the head of the learning department, HPTs have the best understanding of learning methods and modalities.
However, HPTs must realize that much of the organization’s knowledge is transferred informally between its workers. Workers talk to each other at the water cooler, at lunch, or in informal conversations throughout the day. These social opportunities are critical to building a workforce that leverages its human capital. Knowledge is power. Today’s HPTs have a major responsibility in leveraging the power of that knowledge to achieve the organization’s goals
References
Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2007). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
I agree with this article, becuase I recently started a new job. I recieved formal training, however the person who was training me was not doing a good job. Therefore, I had to informally learn how to do things by myself.
This article is well written and truly illustrates how important sharing knowledge is within an organization. As stated in the article, a majority of learning in the workplace is informal. Therefore, I believe this is an area of opportunity for organizations to recognize and take advantage of. Organizations should tap into their employees knowledge to gain their insights, perspectives, skills, knowledge, and opinions. This will benefit both the employees and the organization.
“Knowledge is power.” This is something that I embed in the minds of new staff members during Orientation. Encouraging new hires to take ownership of their knowledge about their job, department and company sets them up for success. While new hires in my organization receive a detailed formal 2 week training period, we encourage them to share their knowledge and ideas by setting goals that they share 1 suggestion each month regarding process improvements. Rewards are given to ideas that have a large impact. We also provide an online forum for them to share their knowledge with the rest of the team. Informal knowledge sharing is something I believe every organization should foster and encourage.
Sharing knowledge occurs at my job CONSTANTLY considering we are always busy and always need new techniques and ideas of improving our pace and performance. Sharing new knowledge through experiences can only benefit the workplace, and I agree with this article! Doing so improves our skill and performance which can only help us enhance and feel secure in our jobs during these rough economical times!
I completely agree with this article. While formal training is important, it is generally used to “check the box” in fulfilling an agenda item for required training such as orientation training or sexual harassment awareness training. Most employees gain their knowledge by less formal means such as word of mouth or by working with a mentor or another employee who “shows you the ropes.” When I was in the Navy, I went through extensive formal medical training in order to learn how to perform combat medical procedures. That only teaches you the textbook method of doing things. The real knowledge is gained from those who have done it in real world situations where procedures have to be adapted according to the situation.
I agree with this article because this knowledge can be used in a everyday working environment. I use informal learning daily because I work in an environment where self confidence is always being put to use in a fast paced environment.
The article illustrates the importance of knowledge sharing for any organization, but it doesn’t embrace the responsibility employers have with their employees. When managing the business of someone else, employees need to feel and manage the business as if the business is theirs. Unfortunately, sharing ideas with a business doesn’t guarantee stability in the workplace. It is a prime example of how organizations streamline ideas from their employees without proper credits. Sharing of information to make a task easier should be the color line for encouraging teamwork. Ideas should always be proposed in private with the right individual so that credit is assigned to the right person.
One of the best approaches to professional growth is learning that occurs while on-the-job and engaging in daily undertakings. Job-embedded learning plays a direct role in apprentices discovering new concepts themselves by reflecting on the task at hand; this gives the learner an opportunity take the objective into consideration and find what works for them. Ultimately, this makes the learning experience more rewarding in the sense that the learner is able to use a hands-on way of accomplishing daily tasks.
Great article! I agree with Jeniffer, sometimes employers lack to train a new employee correctly and therefore the new trainee must shadow another work member. Knowledge is the key in a workplace, and all employees should be able to interact freely. Employees should exchange ideas, skills and knowledge without hesitation in order to make the company more productive.
I enjoy seeing the faces of confusion on my new staff members when they read, “I love to learn but I hate to be trained,” on their training manuals. They all expect a load of information and they do receive it, but they get more than that. I believe in training and the asset it is when teaching someone how to do what is expected of them. But, I also believe that an individual performs beyond standards when given the opportunity to learn alone and pass on the information. Training is something that is imposed on you; learning is something you choose. I have proven that workers thrive when given the freedom to decide how they will do what is asked of them.
I constantly oversee my coworkers, but I allow them to have a good time and talk all they want. Conversations are the components of learning, for they create and transmit knowledge. Open conversation increases innovation. People love to talk. Bringing my team together brings excitement and it is how most of their job gets done. They grow to care for one another and teach each other when new findings arise. I love the results I get from informal learning and my boss is happy. I strongly recommend for companies to adopt or encourage informal leaning; it is the key to success!