One of the dangers in any organization is that the hard-won know-how of our experts remains locked in their brains and is not shared. To beat this tendency, knowledge management should be a continuous activity in any quality system. So why not start by documenting your own knowledge as an expert?
| Subject | Answer these Questions | Things to clarify |
| Foundational Knowledge | What reference materials do you use? How do you track technical trends? | Should a knowledge recipient own any of these reference materials? What are the best websites? Are there particular journals that you fi nd useful? What about associations? |
| Technical/Scientific | What kinds of problems do people come to you to solve? What are the biggest risks in the project, process, or system you manage? | Can you describe a problem brought to you recently? What technical mistakes is a novice likely to make in that project or process? |
| Professional Network | Whom do you ask about technology trends and innovation? Whom do you contact for information about government regulations? | What is this go-to person’s complete contact information? What medium does he or she prefer (email versus telephone)? What is his or her background? How do you know this person? |
| Organizational | Who are the major stakeholders in the project, process, or system you manage? What are the biggest mistakes newcomers make in trying to get projects going here? | What are the positions of the major stakeholders? Where are there competing priorities? Can you give me an example of a newcomer mistake and suggest how to avoid such mistakes? |
| Interpersonal | Regarding team leadership, what criteria do you use to select team members? How do you ensure the team is connected to the overall business strategy? On a general level, how do you motivate people who report to you? | Why do you use these particular criteria? Have you ever chosen unwisely? What communication strategies are most effective? Can you give an example of what has really helped? |
Once you’ve documented this knowledge, identify who else needs to know it, and then ensure the knowledge is transferred.
Investigations of a Dog 
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