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Aim
This exercise encourages you to identify the possible barriers to a positive knowledge sharing culture. It is based on the principles of risk analysis, and helps to identify possible solutions to these barriers.
This brainstorming exercise is suitable for top teams, managers at all levels, or for general use as a team activity. Allow 50 minutes for completion.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to …
- identify barriers to knowledge sharing
- think about the benefits and potential value that can be gained from a knowledge sharing culture
Facilitator Guidance
This exercise can be particularly effective conducted in-house with representatives from all areas of the organization. Taking a little facilitated time out to brainstorm ideas can result in significant creativity and networking, which can continue back in the workplace long after the session has finished. This exercise may enthuse participants and create expectations so follow-up is important. They either need to be empowered to act on the ideas back in the workplace, or should be encouraged to feed back the output from the session to appropriate management in the knowledge that it will be taken forward.
It is possible to facilitate this exercise in one big group, but if the numbers exceed 12, you may want to split them into smaller groups.
Suggested Resources
- task sheet for each participant
- paper and pens
What to Do (20 Minutes)
- Introduce the exercise and explain the learning objectives.
- Split the group into subgroups of around 3 people. A particularly small team can work together as one group.
- Hand out the task sheet and encourage the groups to consider as broad a range of cultural obstacles as possible through a brainstorming session, and to consider the ways in which these obstacles can be reduced or overcome.
Review Activity (15 Minutes)
Bring the groups back together to discuss their conclusions. Ask for a volunteer from each group to summarize their brainstorming session. Create a central/communal list on a flipchart. Which barriers have been most frequently identified? Why is this?
Apply Learning (15 Minutes)
Consider the following questions with the group:
- Are the most common barriers those that the individual groups have nominated as priorities going forward?
- What actions are required to break down these barriers?
- What further actions would encourage a culture of knowledge sharing within the organization?
- What would those present do in the long and short term?
- How else could responsibility be allocated? What would the timescales be?
- How can/will we identify success?
Creating a Knowledge Sharing Culture – Task Sheet
This exercise encourages you to identify the possible barriers to a positive knowledge sharing culture. Based on the principles of risk analysis, this exercise helps you to identify possible solutions to these barriers; and think about the benefits and value that can be gained from a knowledge sharing culture.
Task
- In your group, you should brainstorm the barriers that you can foresee that may prevent a positive knowledge sharing culture within your organization. What challenges does the organization provide?
- Consider the ways in which these barriers could be reduced or overcome.
- Review the barriers and select the top three priorities for action. Which would be the most important to work on in order to let a knowledge-sharing culture flourish? Consider what needs to happen next for this to be taken forward. List the actions required and, if appropriate, allocate timescales and responsibilities.
- What actions would be required in order to break down these barriers? Could you allocate/suggest timescales and responsibilities for completing these actions?
