Knowledge is Power: Managing the Lifeblood of the Design Org

Key Insights

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  Explicit knowledge accounts for only about 20% of an organization's institutional knowledge; tacit knowledge makes up the remaining 80%.

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  Tacit knowledge sharing is heavily reliant on trust, self-efficacy, IT support, and the knowledge’s degree of tacitness.

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  Knowledge managers, contributors, and champions are distinct but essential roles for a successful KM system in design ops.

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  Transforming knowledge artifacts into consumable, context-rich knowledge assets increases their usability and impact.

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  Effective KM requires addressing both explicit knowledge (documents, systems) and tacit knowledge (experiences, behaviors).

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  Activating learning outcomes starts early in the KM process and involves aligning information, skills, motivation, habits, environment, and communication.

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  A culture of learning and knowledge stewardship is foundational to sustaining KM efforts within organizations.

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  Using existing tools preferred by users lowers barriers to knowledge sharing and ensures higher adoption.

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  Minimum Lovable Product (MLP) approaches, like starting with a UX glossary or a community of practice, help teams begin KM without overwhelming resources.

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  Tacit knowledge management suffers when organizations fail to assign stewardship roles like gardeners or knowledge tenders to nurture communities.

Notable Quotes