How to Improve Your Knowledge Transfer Strategy in 2024 [+ VIDEO]

What do Charles Dickens’ Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future have to do with knowledge transfer?

In A Christmas Carol, we learn that our pasts are closely connected to our present and future. The decisions we make in the past affect the present, and the decisions we make now will affect our future. And it’s the same in business.

At ScreenSteps — a knowledge ops solution — our business approach of looking at the past, present, and future is through your company’s knowledge transfer strategy.

Knowledge transfer in the upcoming year will be more effective if you take the time now to reflect on your past, recognize and be honest with yourself about your present, and plan for your future knowledge transfer.

Consider this 4-minute video your pep talk for the upcoming year. Watch it and then keep reading for more suggestions on how to prepare for a more effective knowledge transfer strategy in the upcoming year.

Reflect on the past

Before you can move forward, you have to look to the past. Maybe you’ve taken steps to improve your knowledge transfer strategy since the beginning of the year. Maybe you are just now realizing that your knowledge transfer strategy isn’t where you need it to be.

Either way, use these questions to reflect on the effectiveness of your knowledge transfer strategy throughout the year:

• What was the state of knowledge transfer in your company this past year?
• How far have you come with your knowledge transfer strategy?
• Did things feel chaotic?
• Are you still relying on tribal knowledge?
• Or are you turning a corner and gradually seeing improvements?

Don’t get discouraged. No matter what happened, your past is in the past.

When we take the time to reflect on and evaluate our work, we can identify what worked and what didn’t work. And then you can use that knowledge to change your future with the actions you take in the present.

Recognize your present

What’s the first thing you need to do in the present? Acknowledge the present state of knowledge transfer in your company.

One tool to help you identify how efficiently your knowledge transfer strategy is currently functioning is the Knowledge Ops Maturity Model. The Model helps you evaluate how effectively your company manages and transfers knowledge.

There’s no point in being anything but 100% honest with yourself about where your company currently sits on the Model.

If you candidly evaluate your company, then you will know how you can change the future of knowledge transfer in your company as well as what the next steps are that you need to take to achieve that future.

Depending on where your company is on the Knowledge Ops Maturity Model, some of those next steps could be:

• Writing a list of frequently asked questions
• Writing down your most common procedures
• Researching and purchasing knowledge transfer platforms (i.e. knowledge ops platform, knowledge base, or other knowledge management software)
• Revamping your new hire onboarding program

Prepare for your future

Your future is as bright as you can dream it and the work you are willing to put in to achieve your vision.

Pause after watching this video and reading this blog post. Take the time to consider what the ideal state of knowledge transfer in your company would look like. Use these questions to paint a picture for yourself:

• How long does training take?
• How independent are employees?
• How many mistakes or escalations do your supervisors need to deal with?

Get inspired by your dreams and then make a plan to make them a reality. If you want to make your vision a reality, you’re going to need a good knowledge transfer strategy.

A PROVEN KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STRATEGY

The Find & Follow Framework is a game-changer when it comes to knowledge transfer. Find & Follow helps your company improve knowledge operations by helping you transfer knowledge more efficiently. This includes creating programs and habits that improve training/onboarding and employee support systems.

Find & Follow helps companies transfer knowledge faster, decreasing training times by more than 50% while improving employee performance scores.

Make changes today that will make transferring knowledge easier next year

It’s never too late (or too early) to change the state of knowledge in your business.

Ready to make 2024 the most effective knowledge transfer year yet for your company?

Unfortunately, it takes time to make your visions a reality. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start with a step in the right direction today.

One easy step you can take today toward improving your knowledge transfer strategy is taking the free Find & Follow Framework Courses. This 30-minute course goes over the basic concepts of Find & Follow.

That way, you can decide whether Find & Follow is an approach you want to look into for the upcoming year or if you want to rule it out and look for other options.

Register for the free Find & Follow course here. And best of luck on your knowledge transfer goals. You’ve got this!