Baby boomers’ retirement
What knowledge will be lost with the outgoing generation?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«Generational change should be seen as an opportunity to innovate, rather than a threat.»
• Are we simply losing the perspectives and experience of an old guard, making the potential opportunity greater than the risk?
• Are younger employees ready (or even willing) to learn from their more experienced colleagues – and are the latter ready to share their knowledge?
• Could differences in working styles hinder important knowledge transfer? Is the nature of these differences generational?
• What would you want to know from a retiring colleague before s/he leaves?
!In some organisations, a significant number of employees, even entire management teams, are nearing retirement. Decades of experience risk being lost. Some argue that it could have a significant impact on the quality and efficiency of work – others rather see room for new ideas, arguing that the departure of baby boomers open the opportunity to overcome old elitist bias and welcome broader representation, more diversity and inclusion. It is important to identify which knowledge is specific to the baby boomer generation – and what are the specific knowledge biases or blind spots of the same generation.
Resources
When is knowledge management a luxury, and when is it a necessity?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«Transferring knowledge requires time and is often the first thing to be abandoned when pressure rises.»
• How can we estimate the potential cost of poor knowledge management in terms of wasted resources and project delays?
• How different would knowledge transfer be if your organisation was a private company of equal size in Switzerland?
• When is knowledge management a luxury? And when is lack of knowledge management a luxury?
!International cooperation faces several challenges, including high staff turnover, multilingual and multistakeholder environments, and the dependence on short-term consultants. Under significant pressure, most organisations prioritise immediate tasks, often neglecting knowledge management and transfer. While knowledge management is widely regarded as important, it cannot succeed without adequate resources. Conversely, even when resources are allocated, knowledge products are often underutilised by employees, diminishing their value.
Related cards
Misconceptions
Organisational structure
Humans vs. systems Where does knowledge reside?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«We need knowledge to be independent of people.»
People come and go, but knowledge should stay. Traditionally, when people leave their job, their knowledge goes with them. The solution? Store it in systems, knowledge bases or archives. However, people often bypass stored knowledge and instead seek information directly from colleagues or elsewhere.
This raises concerns about the kind of knowledge that can or should be effectively stored in systems and whether it is truly the relevant kind.
• You arrive at work on a Monday and...
• ...all your organisation’s stored knowledge (documents, emails, etc.) is gone. What good could come of this? What difficulties?
• ...all your colleagues are mysteriously absent. What good could happen? What would be difficult?
• Does our obsession with capturing knowledge and storing it in systems produce the desired results? Does the ratio of resource input vs. outcomes justify the effort?
Non-transferable knowledge
Knowledge exchange How do people share knowledge effectively?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«Most people prefer talking to listening. They are only open to new information under certain conditions.»
• Think of something you know. How did you acquire this knowledge? Was it deliberate learning, or did you absorb it passively? What role did the environment play?
• To what degree does effective knowledge transfer require a specific method, or can/must it happen naturally through collaboration? Share your experience.
• What vessels or media facilitate the transfer of knowledge between humans?
!Approaches to knowledge management seem to be informed by beliefs and habits rather than evidence. Some advocate investing in structured processes. Others believe in facilitating natural knowledge flows through everyday collaboration and informal sharing. Maybe it’s about providing the right conditions, similar to building trust, which cannot be «created» upon demand.
Related cards
Definition of knowledge
Secrets of memory
Secrets of memory What makes knowledge stick?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«As a newcomer, I was given great responsibility and trust. This trust sparked my curiosity and motivated me to learn how to get things done.»
• Think about something you remember from a long time ago. What made it stick?
• How do emotions help you learn? When can they be a barrier to the learning process?
• How can your organisation create a learning environment that fosters curiosity and hands-on experience, just like the one in the quote?
Storing and retrieving knowledge is a complex cognitive process that goes beyond the mere accumulation of facts in our heads. We notice our brain remembers some types or pieces of information and forgets others.
Certain important things come to mind not by conscious effort, but by relaxing and not actively thinking about them.
Non-transferable knowledge
How do we deal with knowledge that words can’t capture?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«Sharing values starts with knowing your own and finding where they align with others and the organisation.»
!Complex knowledge, developed over time and enriched by experience and self-reflection (such as cultural awareness or strategic thinking), cannot simply be transferred from one person to another at any given moment. This transfer process relies heavily on the recipient’s conditions, similar to how a seed needs fertile soil, water, and other elements to grow. The challenge lies in the fact that this type of «deep knowledge» – related to perceptions and reactions to the world – is often the most crucial. Therefore, promoting personal development may be more important than focusing on immediate knowledge transfer.
• What essential knowledge in your organisation cannot be documented in manuals?
• Think of a professional challenge you were confronted with when you were much younger. How would you handle it today?
• How can we help less experienced individuals engage with existing «deep knowledge»?
More on this subject Related card
«We are holding on to useless habits – minute-taking in every meeting, process documents that are always out-of-date, and one-size-fits-all training for new tools... Yet, it’s equally naive to think that knowledge management will just ‘happen’ on its own.»
• Estimate and visualise the number of documents never to be read (again).
• When have you encountered any of these knowledge management myths? How has it hindered knowledge transfer in your team? Or how and why did it work in your case?
• Why doesn’t our awareness about inefficient knowledge transfer drive more change in knowledge management?
• What other misconceptions or flawed mental models can you think of?
Certain deeply entrenched and ineffective habits and beliefs are driving our knowledge management and transfer efforts. They are still widely used, despite awareness or hints of their inadequacy. Often, more than one (unspoken) assumption can be found – not all always wrong:
1. Document everything: It will be read in the future.
2. Disseminated knowledge is received, understood, and will be used when needed.
3. Knowledge transfer (and use) will just somehow happen.
4. Knowledge is universally applicable.
More on this subject Knowledge
Engaging formats What draws attention to knowledge?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«I’ve noticed that younger employees tend to seek knowledge only through tools they are familiar with or prefer to use. It appears that the format is key.»
!Relevant knowledge may be overlooked because it’s not presented in an attractive format. And some knowledge may be presented in a manner that generates way more attention than it deserves. Striking a balance is crucial. We must determine how much to invest in creating engaging formats and user-friendly knowledge management. It’s not just about looks; usability and practicality matter too. Making knowledge more accessible and engaging contributes to the success and sustainability of knowledge management efforts. However, effective knowledge management should always prioritise meaningful content; using engaging formats as a way to enhance engagement, not to distract from the message.
• Think of a time when you were bored when trying to learn something because the presentation style was terrible. How could they have made it more engaging without sacrificing the core message?
• Have you been attracted to a cool video or blog article but were disappointed with the content? How did the packaging harm the content?
Essential knowledge What is considered vital to the organisation?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«We run the risk, at some point, that no one will be left to uphold the original spirit of the organisation.»
Organisations should know why they invest in keeping or nurturing specific types and pieces of knowledge. However, we don’t know what is significant or what will be relevant in the future. In a world in flux, predicting tomorrow’s valuable knowledge with our focus on the present is like building a sandcastle on the beach. We risk irrelevance in the future.
Nevertheless, most of us feel there is essential knowledge we should keep and transfer – knowledge which has to do with the organisation’s identity.
• In your organisation, what kind of knowledge is actively nurtured and what is not? How is this decided?
• Does your organisation have a strategy for essential knowledge to develop in the future?
• Identify knowledge necessary to the organisation’s present function in the short run and the organisation’s identity and spirit in the long run.
Best practices Why document past experiences for future challenges?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«Using ‘best practices’ is a limiting approach to problems because cases in the future are never identical. That’s why conceptual thinking is more important than transferring knowledge.»
!There seems to be a common belief that practices that lead to success should be documented and stored as ‘best practices’ to be used again in the future. These efforts are partly in vain, as these «recipes» may be so connected to the particulars of a single situation or outdated by the time they are needed again – depending if we remember they even exist. What’s more, there is no authority or possibility to judge what’s «best». While «best practices» can address simple or complicated problems, they forcibly fail with complex problems, as these issues cannot be solved with standard solutions.
• Does your organisation collect «best practices»? Why? How can you know what’s «best»? How much do you invest in this?
• When was the last time you checked «best practices» before starting a task? How was this helpful?
• Who in your organisation decides what is «best»?
Human
Definition What is knowledge?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«When we discuss knowledge transfer, the typical response revolves around archiving systems and processes. Is this because it’s simpler than considering the complex facets of knowledge?»
• Consider the types of knowledge (discursive, practical, phenomenal, embodied) that exist in your organisation. Which do your organisation address?
• What types of knowledge are most important for the organisation to function?
• What do you consider worth labelling knowledge sharing, and what is information management?
!When talking to people about knowledge, there seem to be assumptions, but no real definition of what exactly we are trying to manage and transfer. According to literature, knowledge comprises much more than discursive knowledge (expressed in words, possibly stored somewhere). There is also practical knowledge (know-how), phenomenal knowledge (feeling), and embodied knowledge (learned through experience and residing in the body). For some reason, discursive knowledge seems to have more weight.
More
subject
Daily interactions Is spontaneous knowledge exchange the answer?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«Why bother only at certain times when someone leaves or enters the workplace? Knowledge is often passed on inadvertently when two people work together.»
• What can you learn from a colleague working in another team and seemingly on a different subject?
• Do your project teams have a healthy mix of age, experience and backgrounds? Are team members interacting informally?
• What are the best conditions for spontaneous learning?
?• How cost-effective is facilitating spontaneous knowledge transfer compared to formal processes?
!The question of knowledge transfer often arises when a team member leaves. Usually, organisations rely on exit interviews, knowledge repositories, and documented processes to capture the expertise that might get lost. Yet, the value of «incidental learning» occurring through daily interactions should be reconsidered and possibly prioritised.
Collaborating side by side, sharing experiences, and having informal conversation can be just as vital as formal documentation and should occur without effort. Facilitating these forms of knowledge sharing may deserve more attention and effort. The role of diversity within teams, forms of collaboration, or individual preferences is crucial.
Organisational structure
Humans vs. systems
Organisational structure
How is knowledge management embedded in the organisation?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«With its rotation system and the outsourcing of content-related work to consultants, our sector has become an institution for the organised destruction of knowledge.»
• Does your organisation measure knowledge management effectiveness? Do you track results or just hope for the best?
• Identify your organisation’s anchor points for knowledge transfer. Consider roles, communication channels, and corporate policies.
• If structured knowledge management efforts in your organisation were to be stopped, who would notice? When? How?
In some (smaller) organisations, knowledge management is not formally embedded in the structure of the organisation, but rather seems to be – implicitly or explicitly – everyone’s responsibility. Other, often larger organisations may have a department or a designated person – with a cost. Responsibilities, goals and resources for knowledge management are often unclear.
Innovation
In what ways does existing knowledge impact creativity?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«Innovation can mean different things. For us, it means adapting existing knowledge to new contexts.»
«It’s good that not everything is transferred. I like the idea of having some empty space.»
!It is sometimes argued that existing knowledge hinders innovation. This statement does not stand scrutiny. However, certain ways of handling knowledge – and the underlying mental models – can get in the way of creativity and innovation. Innovation without knowledge is a big risk. Knowledge (understood as thinking in recipes or best practices) might stifle necessary developments. Opposing knowledge (understood as standing for tradition) to innovation (seen as always positive) does not help. Perhaps, the question is rather what kind of knowledge and conditions we need to foster creativity.
• Collect examples of when it was useful to question existing knowledge or experience and when this knowledge was – or would have been – crucial. What are the insights?
• Before you start your next task, set aside some time to consider what elements you want to question and why. What knowledge do you utilise from the past because it is still considered valuable.
• Find an example of an innovation where the role of existing knowledge was only marginal.
Artificial intelligence How does it impact knowledge management?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«Is
AI getting so effective at automating knowledge that
we’re actually losing our ability to understand things ourselves?»
AI holds the potential to revolutionise knowledge management. Internally stored knowledge becomes more readily available, which reduces the effort linked to archiving and sorting files. Any question finds a tailored answer, and content can be summarised, translated, and restructured in a few clicks.
However, this shift raises important societal issues. For instance, AI operates on existing biases, posing risks to diversity and inclusivity. Moreover, generative AI tools raise concerns about potentially skipping crucial cognitive processes necessary for deep understanding. Organisations must decide on the extent they rely on AI tools. And the competences expected from employees are evolving beyond technical know-how, with critical thinking, for example, becoming more important.
• Did you use AI tools in your last task? Other than saving you time, in which way did they improve the quality of your work?
• What tasks are irreplaceably human in your work? How can we ensure that these human competencies continue to be valued and developed?
• What skills are required to handle AI competently?
Knowledge and power Who decides what matters?
«Rethinking knowledge transfer. Questions that move you forward»
A study by cinfo with Swiss International Cooperation Organisations
«The more you decentralise power, the more everyone will diverge from the organisation’s central vision.»
• Where does the knowledge relevant for good work in international cooperation reside? How is it used?
• Who decides which knowledge is indispensable?
• How much emphasis does your organisation place on knowledge transfer, particularly with and between staff in partner countries?
• In what other contexts does power play a role in knowledge management? Who holds this power in your organisation?
!We actively discuss knowledge management and transfer in our (Swiss) organisations. However, there might be a tendency to narrow our focus and overlook our partner organisations – both in acknowledging their existing knowledge and in designing processes for its use. The criteria for determining which knowledge sources are deemed relevant and how they should be managed often reflect a Northern-centric viewpoint. Whether consciously or not, power dynamics influence the way we handle knowledge. Do we need to decolonise knowledge management?