Knowledge Sharing: What Benefits Can You Expect from It?
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We believe that knowledge sharing is essential for every company that wants to succeed and keep evolving. However, we have seen that a lot of companies somehow overlook the importance of knowledge sharing and the benefits it can bring to employees and companies. Nurturing a culture where people are encouraged to share what they know with others can create a learning organisation, build stronger relationships between employees, engage them and stimulate innovation.
What Is Knowledge Sharing?
Knowledge is defined as the deliberate exchange of information between colleagues, friends, families, companies, etc. But to be able to understand the importance of knowledge sharing better, we first need to differentiate knowledge from information.
You need to keep in mind that knowledge is all about know-how and know-why.
Let’s picture a chocolate cake. The list of ingredients you get from someone is information, but what you do with that information is actually knowledge. It means you are using your previous relevant knowledge and skills to solve a problem that you are facing, even though it is maybe something you’ve never done before. :)
Vega IT, a place where learning continues
What Are the Best Ways To Share Knowledge?
Our colleagues are our biggest value. They have a lot of knowledge and skills they can share with others. That’s why we came up with several ways to encourage them to do just that:
Internal conferences and lectures
Some of the best examples of knowledge sharing in our company are internal conferences such as STAR Conference and Front-End Day - our two biggest internal conferences. The goal is to invite our colleagues to share their knowledge with other colleagues in the form of a lecture.
Besides that our colleagues can also consult our People Operations team if they are interested in giving a lecture or organising a workshop for colleagues throughout the year. The topics can vary from technical to non-technical ones, but what’s important is that they always have our full support.
Writing blog posts
One more thing we encourage our colleagues to do is to share their knowledge by writing a blog for our website. If they have a specific topic on their mind, they can always come to our marketing team who will help them come up with ways to present their idea to the world.
Online knowledge base and Google Currents groups
Since having an online knowledge base containing a lot of materials on various topics is a great asset for the company and its employees, we decided to create one a few years ago. All employees can access it at any time at our Vega IT portal, find the right information and get the job done much faster. Besides that, we have many Google Current groups that are used to share knowledge about all sorts of topics. From tips and tricks on how to solve specific problems with code to time management techniques the colleagues have shared, you can find it all here.
Knowledge sharing is very welcomed and encouraged here at Vega IT. Together we can do so much more, and that is the key to success. :)
Sharing knowledge at one of our internal lectures
What Are the Benefits of Knowledge Sharing?
Throughout the years we have found out that creating a culture where knowledge sharing is praised can bring a lot of benefits to the company. These are just some of the benefits we have discovered over the years:
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It increases employee engagement
Knowledge sharing can empower employees to do more, because they feel that their voice, experience and skills are valued by other colleagues and the company. This inspires them to act more proactively which directly influences their performance and affects business in a positive way.
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It stimulates innovation and growth
Chasing revenue has never been something we wanted to do. Our goal has always been to invest in people and their knowledge, and since our employees always come first, they are more likely to share their knowledge with others. This allows others to gain access to valuable information and deliver better results. This can influence innovation and the growth of the company.
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It helps avoid mistakes at work
We all make mistakes. They should not be perceived only as a bad thing but also something good and useful we should share with others. Why? For instance, colleagues that share their past mistakes can help others learn from them and avoid making the same mistakes in future.
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It attracts talent
Since we live in a very fast-paced environment where things change daily, knowledge sharing in the company should be prioritised. It should be a constant. This is why companies who adopted this kind of thinking and incorporated knowledge sharing into their culture, are the ones that attract some of the best talents out there. It’s simple: people want to learn new things. :)
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It increases productivity
When you have internal resources and expertise within your organization at your fingertips, you start to work better and smarter. You don’t waste your time trying to find the information you need to finish the job. This way your productivity increases which will reflect positively on the business.
Knowledge is power as long as it is shared
We believe knowledge sharing brings benefits, not only to the employees but also to the company itself. It’s a win-win. :)
Creating an environment that helps stimulate knowledge sharing creates a close community inside the company, which can influence every aspect of business positively, from company culture and innovation to revenue.
Now that you have all the necessary information about knowledge sharing and its benefits, the only question is: What will you do with it? :)
