Improving Organizational Knowledge-Sharing

Lawyers are dependent on using the experience and expertise of other lawyers as a valuable and necessary resource. Convincing employees to freely share their knowledge and ideas is not an elementary, basic task since it involves the implementation of an organizational culture that promotes and fosters the sharing of information.

The following factors are crucial to the development of an organizational culture conducive to better knowledge sharing:

• The design, creation, and fostering of an organizational climate that encourages trust and corporate citizenship. Again, this requires time and commitment, especially from the firm’s leadership, as well as the zeal to challenge the existing unconstructive behaviors and processes that are the source and root of all problems related to the sharing of knowledge.
• The collaborative creation of technical solutions with the widest range of end-users manageable. A true user-centered, design process enables voices from the entire business that crafts a solution from the inception.
• Establish expert groups on which people may rely to provide certain, specialized knowledge. This tells employees that knowledge sharing is a normal, valued, and integral part of business operations.
• Identify and support knowledge sharing behavior through employee reviews, and other methods that improve its visibility
• Communicate to employees that their inherent value lies well beyond the knowledge that they hold exclusively and destroy the connection between what an employee knows and what an employee believes he or she is worth.
• Examine closely the ways to improve the onboarding and outboarding of employees. When new employees are hired, as well as when they depart, are critical moments for disseminating and capturing information and knowledge.

 

Firms may not depend on forcing employees to effectively share knowledge. It may become problematic when employees are highly competitive, or they perceive competition between their division and other business units. While we live in a digital future, primarily tech-based solutions are inadequate for long-term success. Holistic solutions that are focused and designed around employees are crucial to any firm dependent on knowledge sharing.

The California Desert Trial Academy focuses on providing an academic experience that emphasizes a practical approach to becoming a lawyer. We believe this is the most efficient and expedient pathway to a successful and rewarding legal career. At CDTA, we train, educate, and develop students to be exceptional attorneys and trial advocates. Call us today at (760) 342-0900 or find out more online here.