Review - Bridging the Gaps: How to transfer knowledge in today’s multigenerational workplace

The Conference Board Research Working Group (RWG) on Multigenerational Knowledge Transfer met from April 2007 to January 2008. Their purpose was to explore which knowledge transfer techniques were most effective, why they were effective, when to use them, and how to adapt them for more successful cross-generational knowledge transfer. The result of their research was a report titled Bridging the Gaps: How to transfer knowledge in today’s multigenerational workplace. The report makes the case that knowledge transfer is very complex and requires analysis through many different lenses in additional to a generational perspective.

The report opens with a discussion of the complexity of sustainable organizational knowledge transfer. The knowledge transfer life cycle is described as being continuous and dynamic.

Step 1 – Identify and evaluate the knowledge

Step 2 - Validate and document the knowledge

Step 3 – Publish and share the knowledge

Step 4 – Transfer and apply the knowledge

Step 5 – Learn and capture the knowledge

The RWG offers that there are many different ways to transfer knowledge and offers 15 different methods to facilitate the flow of knowledge from one individual to another. The question of which method to use is answered by choosing one of three approaches.

1. Select a knowledge transfer method by user needs. Can be used when an individual, team, or organization has specific needs in mind.

2. Select a knowledge transfer method by context and types of knowledge. Can be used when an individual, team, or organization has a specific type of knowledge to be transferred.

3. Select a knowledge transfer method by level of experience. Can be used when the potential receiver of the knowledge has a specific level of experience.

The 15 knowledge transfer methods are:

1. Action Review

2. Blogs

3. Communities of Practice

4. Instant Messaging

5. Knowledge Capture

6. Knowledge Elicitation

7. Knowledge Distillation

8. Knowledge Self-Capture

9. Leadership Transition Workshop

10. Mentoring

11. Peer Assist

12. Podcasts

13. Retrospect

14. Storytelling

15. Wikis

Each method is described in terms of purpose and benefits, generational considerations, common business applications, and how to get started. I recommend, Bridging the Gaps: How to transfer knowledge in today’s multigenerational workplace, to anyone wanting to have a better understanding of the many different tools available to facilitate the flow of knowledge transfer.