Implementing Knowledge Cafes

Knowledge Sharing is a key issue for Knowledge Management and for organizational success. But real Knowledge Sharing requires an open mindset and continues to be a challenge for many organizations. In fact, it can be difficult to even get people to talk openly to one another other about their specific corporate interests, opportunities and responsibilities.

One way of energizing an organization to take real advantage of conversation and consequent tangible business benefits is the use of Knowledge Cafés. A Knowledge Café is an effective vehicle for opening up conversations and discussions that lead to a deeper understanding of the business world that is turn leads to improved decision making, new ways of working and innovation.

A Knowledge Café is a tool that is used to share tacit knowledge. It can be used within teams, Communities of Practice or across silos to question entrenched assumptions, to help facilitate learning from others and gain a deeper collective understanding of a subject – through conversation.

It is not just about talking and networking though these are secondary benefits but allowing people to engage each other in "dialogue" with the aim of learning from each other rather than entering into unproductive debate and attempting to impose their views on the other which invariably end in failure and frustration.

Knowledge Cafes can be used to many businesss ends. Here are some specific examples:

• turn a traditional chalk and talk, death by powerpoint presentation or meeting into an engaging learning event
• transform an internal conference from a series of boring lectures into an exciting day
• transform traditional management training courses where younger managers learn from more experienced ones
• as a powerful sales tool to engage customers in conversation and thus better understand their needs for and them to betetr understand your product or service
• surface hidden problems and opportunities that exist in the organisation or in a department or project - especially ones caused by lack of communication
• break down organizational silos
• encourage knowledge sharing and the creation of a knowledge sharing culture
• give people a voice so that they feel heard and are thus less cynical and more engaged in their work
• bring managers and technologists together after a merger to build relationships, surface new opportunities and address cultural issues
• build and improve relationships
• improve business networking and make new connections
• solicit input and obtain buy-in for a new project or initiative
• as part or replacement for a paper survey or interview (the problem is that until people talk - their knowledge fails to surface)
• as a stimulus to innovation: Knowledge Cafes connect people to people; people to ideas and ideas to ideas; they challenge people to reflect on their thinking; surface new ideas and make new connections

In effect the Knowledge Café is an easy, low cost way to make Knowledge Sharing really work for you and your organization.

Masterclass: Implementing Knowledge Cafes (Edinburgh) , 07 Jun 2011, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (Gurteen Knowledge)