The way information flows through an organization has a major impact on the efficiency and scalability of the business. The key to improving knowledge sharing is the identification of centrally located individuals who leverage their influence across departments and hierarchies to improve communication protocols.
Increasingly, research shows that successful knowledge sharing is of paramount importance to creating efficiency, innovation and ultimately market competitiveness at both for- and nonprofits institutions. Stakeholders like CEOs, CTOs and COOs have a responsibility to establish and nurture a culture that promotes the free flow of knowledge. For some, that might mean rethinking the spoken and unspoken rules that govern employee interaction.
The first step in the creation this kind of environment is, unsurprisingly, breaking down the silos that exist between departments as well as up and down the hierarchy. There are several ways to go about this, depending on the challenges your particular organization faces. Technology, changes to hierarchical structure, even bringing in outside consultation, may or may not be key. But one strategy sure to apply is the leveraging of central relationships within the organization.
Executives should be identifying team members who hold central positions put them in frequent contact with members of other groups, at various levels in the org chart (call them “hubs” or “super-connectors”). These individuals may work at a director level, which allows them to liaise with different departments. Or they may simply possess a skill set in demand across the organization. Regardless, chances are, they possess the relationship capital necessary to communicate effectively among otherwise distant teams.
For more on why knowledge sharing is critical, how to identify your super-connectors and other strategies for improving knowledge sharing across your business or organization, download our latest white paper, “Improve organizational knowledge sharing with ‘super-connectors.’”
