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Applying the Principles of Knowledge Management (1 day)
Managers leave knowing which knowledge their unit cannot afford to lose and with a practical plan to capture it and share it.
Every organisation loses knowledge: an experienced artisan retires, a key analyst resigns, a project closes and its lessons disappear into someone's inbox. In a skills-scarce economy like South Africa's, that loss is expensive and slow to repair. This knowledge management course shows managers how to identify the knowledge that matters, keep it inside the organisation and get it to the people who need it.
In one day, delegates cover the concepts and components of knowledge management – data, information and knowledge, tacit and explicit knowledge, the knowledge life cycle and the SECI model – and then apply them. They review their own unit against the organisation's knowledge management policies and practices, identify critical and at-risk knowledge, and choose practical techniques such as communities of practice, after-action reviews, structured handovers and mentoring.
The day ends with each delegate drafting a knowledge management implementation plan for their unit, including quick wins that need no budget.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Critical know-how kept when experienced staff leave or retire
- Fewer repeated mistakes and faster onboarding of new staff
- Lessons from projects captured and reused
- A practical starting point for a wider knowledge management programme
For your delegates
- A clear, jargon-free understanding of knowledge management
- A method to find the knowledge your unit cannot afford to lose
- A toolkit of low-cost ways to capture and share knowledge
- A draft implementation plan for your own unit
What delegates will be able to do
- Distinguish data, information and knowledge, and tacit from explicit knowledge
- Describe the knowledge management life cycle and the SECI model
- Identify the people, process, content and technology components of knowledge management
- Review their unit against the organisation's knowledge management policy and procedures
- Identify critical and at-risk knowledge in their unit
- Select practical techniques for capturing and sharing knowledge
- Draft a knowledge management implementation plan for their unit
Who should attend
Heads of department, section heads, divisional managers and team leaders responsible for a unit's know-how, and HR, learning and development, quality and IT practitioners involved in knowledge, records or intranet projects. It is also useful for any employee asked to help capture and share knowledge.
Course outline
Day 1 – Knowledge management in practice
What knowledge management is
- Data, information and knowledge
- Tacit and explicit knowledge
- Why knowledge is lost: retirements, resignations, restructuring and silos
- Where knowledge management helps: operations, HR, training, IT and projects
- Case study: the cost of one key resignation
Concepts, components and models
- The knowledge life cycle: spotting, acquiring, putting in context and integrating knowledge
- The SECI model: socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation
- Other models in brief, and how to choose one
- People, process, content and technology components
- From storing knowledge to sharing it through networks
Analysing your unit
- Reviewing your organisation's knowledge management policy and procedures
- Mapping critical knowledge and who holds it
- Rating knowledge at risk of being lost
- POPIA when knowledge includes personal information
- Exercise: a knowledge risk map for your unit
Techniques for capturing and sharing knowledge
- Communities of practice and expert networks
- After-action reviews and lessons-learned sessions
- Structured handovers, job shadowing and mentoring
- Process documentation, wikis and intranets
- Choosing techniques that fit your culture and budget
Your knowledge management implementation plan
- Building the business case and gathering support
- Roles: sponsor, knowledge champions and contributors
- Quick wins and a no-budget scenario
- Measuring progress and overcoming common obstacles
- Drafting and presenting your plan
How it is delivered
One day, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20; examples tailored to your sector on request. Workbook, knowledge risk map and implementation plan templates included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
★★★★★ 4.8 on Google from 790+ reviews · word-for-word quotes from signed letters of reference, from clients on this and/or related BOTI courses
“The training was well received and we were impressed by the knowledge of the facilitators and the quality of overall training.”
“All training programmes were delivered in a highly professional manner, with effective coordination and strict adherence to our scheduling requirements. The facilitators demonstrated a commendable level of expertise, and the quality of delivery consistently met our expectations.”
“The training was practical, engaging and relevant to our workplace environment, providing participants with valuable knowledge and practical skills that could be applied in their respective roles.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. We train at client premises anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to a group of about 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.
Is it accredited?
No. This is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Is there a longer version?
Yes. The three-day Applying the Principles of Knowledge Management course covers the same ground in more depth and adds a workplace project. The one-day course suits managers who need the essentials and a starting plan.
Can we work on our own knowledge management policy?
Yes. Send us your policy or current practices beforehand and delegates use them in the unit review and the implementation plan.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
Related courses
Ask a consultant for a written quote
A BOTI consultant emails you a written quote, usually within 15 minutes (Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00). After hours, we reply on the next working day. To speak to someone now, call 011 882 8853.
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