Communication vs Knowledge Management

In my writing here before, I have indicated that many organizations confuse data and or information with knowledge, information technology with information and in some instances, knowledge (re)packaging and sharing of information (read communication)with managing knowledge.

Corporate communication involves the development and maintaining of a corporate identity or brand image. It comprises of communication with internal and external audiences, through public relations and wide-spread communication tools. Communication assists organizations to explain their mission, combine its vision and values in cohesive messages to clients, partners and stakeholders. Primarily, effective communication requires three key components: to inform, to listen, to converse.

Consequently, successful knowledge management describes the organization’s endeavor to; create, gather, synthesize, share, and use specific insights and experiences to improve work and work processes. The insights and experiences comprise of knowledge that is embodied in individuals –tacit knowledge and or embedded in organizational processes and practices – explicit knowledge.

Knowledge management’s strategic priorities are; knowledge generation, knowledge capture, knowledge sharing, and utilization.

“Knowledge Management is the systematic management of an organization’s knowledge assets for the purpose of creating value and meeting tactical and strategic needs”

However, a lot of organizations in recent days are using Communication Specialists as Knowledge managers, misconstruing the whole concept of Knowledge Management (KM).

Trying to present KM as communication in the lenses of a communication specialist, focuses only on knowledge sharing (and maybe capture) in the communication aspect and ignores the different critical stages of the Knowledge Management processes.

Do not get me wrong, communication is and should be part of the KM strategy. Communication is one channel that is useful for knowledge capture and sharing, and a key component for the Knowledge Management lifecycle. Just as Information Communication Technology (ICT), Human Resources, data management, research, people, and organizational processes.

Without them, the proper deployment of the holistic KM initiative and organizational cultural change management would be muddled.

More information on how organizations can create value with their knowledge assets – follow this link – https://knowledgemanagementinternational.com