Knowledge transfer in three unusual ways

In 2007, the European Union defined knowledge transfer as follows: It is the process by which knowledge is recorded, collected and shared. It involves both explicit and implicit knowledge, inclusive skills and competencies. Annette Hexelschneider likes to use this definition of knowledge transfer.

Annette Hexelschneider always starts her projects by defining the goal. Only then does she think about how this goal can be achieved together with the customer. The methods and ways to reach the goal are in second place. Hexelschneider likes to suggest unusual methods. According to the above definition, knowledge transfer always includes the path of communication, i.e. the way we learn. Hexelschneider naturally also uses ordinary methods. In this article, however, she will focus on unusual methods. She wants to make knowledge transfer creative and talks about "thinking around the corner".

The first method of knowledge transfer, is to find someone who knows the solution. Hexelschneider defines a knowledge target and then checks first internally within the company and then externally outside the company to see if someone has already worked out the solution. Copying. Using knowledge that already exists and transferring it to oneself may not sound unusual, but according to Hexelschneider it is. Here it is worth taking a look at Sanderson's concept of "analogous research". Analogous research means looking for analogies to one's own situation or to the problem that has arisen, even outside the company, the industry, the country... Once the problem has been defined, it is investigated who has or had the same problem. Then one can see how the person has dealt with the problem and ideally even solved it. Hexelschneider refers to an article by IDEO, which tells the story of a team of surgeons who left their hospital and went to an airport. They wanted to observe how stress, pressure and teamwork are dealt with at the airport. At first glance, a hospital and an airport do not have much in common. However, many problems in everyday working life exist in both institutions in a very similar way. Ultimately, the processes used by customers and patients to check in at the airport and at the hospital are not too different. Hexelschneider encourages everyone to think outside the box and find someone who has already mastered a similar challenge (albeit in a different area).

Hexelschneider uses the example of the Upper Austrian regional management for the method of customized knowledge transfer. Here in a network experiences and knowledge of municipalities are made usable for other municipalities. Primarily it concerns location safety device in addition, around the increase of the quality of life for immigrant and returning workers. So how is knowledge transferred in this network of municipalities? The situation of each community is different. Knowledge is processed in the Upper Austrian Regional Management Association in the form of a welcome check. Each community thus has the opportunity for professional self-reflection and a status quo analysis. Questionnaires help with the preparation. The actual check is done digitally. Finally, the project managers add certain keywords to the answers entered to facilitate the search. The evaluation is split into two parts: once via an automatic analysis tool and once in a personal conversation with representatives of the community. The result is a set of suggestions for the respective approach of each individual community. The result is a customized strategy based on the experiences of others. A lot of effort is put into this, but the outcome is good because a creative approach leads to individual and well-founded solutions.

For this method Hexelschneider chose the example of the former tobacco factory, where today the Grand Garage is located. This is an innovation workshop where people, technology and knowledge come together. Here, 3D printers, laser cutters, welding equipment and other modern technology that private individuals and start-ups can't afford are on hand. The Grand Garage is there to make this technology available to its members. But it also serves as a place for sharing knowledge and experience, which is often even more important for creative, innovative people. Hexelschneider sees this exchange at a low membership fee as the ideal transfer of knowledge in a win-win situation.