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386 Chapter 11

learned. Anecdotes and stories capture the contextual and social dimensions of knowl-
edge, experience, and expertise. This is often the type of knowledge that is not docu-
mented in any formal way. Stephen Denning ( 2001 ) of the World Bank is a leading
advocate of storytelling to capture the tacit culture surrounding intellectual assets and
as a means of catalyzing the cultural changes that need to occur before an organiza-
tion becomes effective at knowledge sharing.
At the group level, knowledge is often circulated within project teams, organiza-
tional units, and more informal communities of practice. Wenger and Snyder ’ s (2000)
defi nition of a community of practice is a group formed so that members can share
what they know and so they can learn from one another regarding all aspects of their
practice. Such groups have been around for quite a long time, ever since people real-
ized they could benefi t from sharing their knowledge, insights, and experience with
others of similar interests and goals. A number of surveys such as the one by Johnson
(2004) have shown that even in a company with an effective KM infrastructure, far
and away, people rely on other people as sources of knowledge and help. In fact,
the company knowledge base was ranked fourth among fi ve choices. For the
most part, CoPs are voluntary, informal gatherings and sharing of expertise where
synergies occur, best practices are identifi ed and shared, lessons learned are analyzed
and discussed, problems are identifi ed, and often the seeds of innovation are sown.
The knowledge capture and transfer challenge lies in conveying what needs to be
understood or what employees need to know for business results. This can encompass
a company ’ s values, work climate, commitment, culture — in short, a communal
mental model of the company, how it works, and the environment in which it works.
To foster its learning capabilities and “ transfer knowledge at the organizational
level, ” an organization must fi rst be aware of its core competencies and its associated
knowledge. These knowledge assets must fi rst be made explicit to become a real or
practical asset. Organizational learning and corporate memory are two terms that are
often used to describe the transfer of knowledge from individuals and CoPs to the
organization as a whole. These are usually encapsulated in the form of lessons learned,
best practices, the organization ’ s “ way of doing things, ” anecdotes, myths, and case
studies.
Table 11.2 summarizes the three-tiered approach to knowledge capture and transfer,
together with the types of knowledge best addressed by each tier and the types of
tangible legacy products that can be produced for individual, group, and organiza-
tional knowledge transfer processes.
There is not one specifi c approach that should be used with each of the three tiers.
Rather, a wide range of knowledge retention and transfer approaches should be used