Choosing what to keep in a changing world

What it means to know something 

An organisation needs to make an informed guess about what knowledge is relevant to survive and prosper in the future. But before diving into this complex question, it is essential to clarify: How do we define « Knowledge »? Is a piece of paper knowledge? Does knowledge only live inside human brains? Is it knowledge if I know how to create a graph in Excel or if I can handle my emotions in a difficult meeting? (cf. card Definition of knowledge) 

We could venture into philosophical explorations, but to keep things straightforward, let’s refer to Kenneth H. Rose’s definition (which is just one of many): 

« Knowledge is information in the context of experience, values and expert insight. It is action-oriented, addressing how things work. » In other words, knowledge is more than just information (facts, data, …); it is what we get when we apply and understand that information through experience, helping us make decisions and take action. 

Rose continues: « Knowledge exists in two types, explicit and tacit. Explicit knowledge is documented and accessible. It is maintained in records and databases and indexed in some way to facilitate retrieval. Tacit knowledge is undocumented and not easily accessible – it exists in people's heads. Finding it when needed can be a hard problem; getting it out of the person's head can be even worse. » (cf. card Non-transferable Knowledge) Clearly, in the international cooperation sector, with its complex partnerships, ever-changing situations, etc., tacit knowledge plays a considerable role. 

In a similar vein, Nadja El Kassar categorises knowledge as follows (Nadja El Kassar): 

• Declarative knowledge, which can be expressed in declarative sentences 
• Practical knowledge, which is harder to translate into words 
• Phenomenal knowledge, or knowing how something feels 
• Physical knowledge, with proprioception at its core. 

Leading a team, managing a budget, or handling a new digital tool all require different types of knowledge. Of course, other categorisations exist, but what’s important is that understanding these different types of knowledge helps us reflect on what truly matters. What explicit and tacit knowledge, or what discursive, practical, or phenomenal knowledge is worth preserving or developing within an organisation? 

What knowledge really matters 

In the work context, organisations should prioritise nurturing knowledge that supports their strategic goals, core competencies, customer insights, operational efficiency, and innovation. This ensures that the most valuable and impactful knowledge is preserved and leveraged for competitive advantage (cf. card essential knowledge).  

While it's easy to identify short-term knowledge vital to keeping the organisation functioning, determining which competencies, relationships, and historical knowledge form the core of the organisation – ensuring its relevance for the future – presents a more complex challenge. One participant in our study expressed concern, asking: « Could there come a time when there is no one left who truly understands the organisation’s history, putting its identity at risk? » 

Apart from the risk of losing knowledge, a significant challenge is that of knowledge silos, where valuable information and expertise are confined within specific departments or individuals. This isolation of knowledge prevents the organisation from formulating informed and mindful decisions and strategies.  

Therefore, organisations should engage in a collaborative exercise to determine what knowledge is essential for them. For instance, in a Harvard Business Review article, two authors describe their method for identifying essential knowledge across various professional sectors. This process, involving management, knowledge managers, subject matter experts, and employees, ensures that diverse perspectives are considered, and critical knowledge areas are accurately identified and prioritised: 

« Identifying and mapping strategic knowledge is iterative. In our work with organisations we generally start by assembling a multifunctional team – at the organisational, divisional, or business unit level – to articulate what the members consider to be key dimensions of the company’s competitive performance and the knowledge that underpins them. Your list of key assets should ultimately include some that are 'hard', such as technical proficiency, and some that are 'soft', such as a culture that supports intelligent risk taking. You may also have identified knowledge that you should possess but don’t or that you suspect needs shoring up. This, too, should be captured. […] The next step is to map your assets on a simple grid along two dimensions: tacit versus explicit (unstructured versus structured) and proprietary versus widespread (undiffused versus diffused). » 

Static knowledge in a changing world 

Keeping knowledge up-to-date and applicable is another major challenge; further evolving it to face emerging situations and adapt to the rapidly changing contexts that the cooperation sector is witnessing and the resulting shift of requirements, demands and conditions adds an additional layer of complexity. This contrasts with the existing tendency to excessively document past processes and experiences (cf. card Best Practices) 

While documenting practices can be valuable and offer a foundation for future action, « best practices » are often too static. Moreover, given the complexity and uniqueness of most situations in the international cooperation sector, labelling practices as universally « best » can be problematic. A careful costs-benefit evaluation of maintaining such documentation is needed. A significant amount of time is dedicated to drafting internal reports and minuting every second meeting, but we must ask: is it truly worth the effort? 

Returning to the definition at the beginning of this article, we must distinguish: Are we documenting mere information, or action-oriented knowledge? Knowing where to find knowledge sources can sometimes be more important than knowing the correct facts. One study participant shared an example of a project that could have benefited from knowledge held by an experienced paediatrician in a neighbouring country, had they known sooner. 

Reinventing the wheel 

This leads to another critical question: How much should we rely on past knowledge, and can it hinder innovation? A study participant offered this perspective: « Innovation can mean different things; for us, it means to adapt existing knowledge for new contexts. » (cf. card Innovation) 

Under this definition, pre-existing knowledge serves as a foundation for innovation by enriching problem-solving and idea generation. However, organisations must balance leveraging existing knowledge with fostering an environment that encourages new perspectives and experimentation. This balance prevents rigid adherence to existing knowledge, which can limit creative thinking, as well as naive rush and excitement, prioritising the new without appreciation and recognition of the importance of past insights and established understanding. 

The key is cultivating a culture of continuous learning, where the knowledge that matters most is both preserved and adapted, ensuring that the organisation remains agile and forward-thinking in the face of change. 

The following inputs were shared by the organisations’ representatives we interviewed. Each context is different – take this as inspiration; reflect on how your organisation addresses knowledge transfer and what it should do differently. 

• Before documenting knowledge, consider what kind of knowledge you are dealing with, using frameworks such as Cynefin to guide your decision-making (cf. Card Definition of Knowledge) 
• Emphasise conceptual knowledge and understanding over rigidly applying best practices that may not fit every situation. 
• Reflect on the purpose of knowledge transfer: Is it about improving efficiency, reducing mistakes, or is it driven by a desire to leave a personal mark? 
• Identify critical knowledge and key areas of expertise; ensure there’s a backup plan in place if a key knowledge holder is unavailable. 
• Create an organisational chart or knowledge map that identifies who has expertise in specific areas, focusing on who can help rather than documenting knowledge. 
• Facilitate the sharing of implicit knowledge, including insights about networks and understanding how specific partners operate. 
• Before you spend a lot of time researching how things have been done in the past, ask yourself this question: What will happen if I just try it? Is it safe enough?  Challenge the need to always rely on established practices. 
• When onboarding new team members, encourage them to develop their own working methods and build their own knowledge. 
• When hiring new team members, always seek complementary skills currently missing within the team. 

• « Was ist Wissen », Nadja El Kassar 
• « It's not about knowledge, it's about action », Ruben Ugarte, 
• Cynefin framework 
• « Creative thinking - how to get out of the box and generate ideas », Giovanni Corazza at TEDx 
• « How knowledge can stimulate but also impede creativity », Pier Vittorio Mannucci 
• « Managing Your Mission-Critical Knowledge », Martin Ihrig and Ian MacMillan, Harvard Business Review