Rachad Najjar - Organizational Learning Leader at GE Vernova
Mar 1, 2024
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In this podcast, Rachad Najjar discusses creating adaptive spaces for knowledge exchange, overcoming knowledge sharing barriers, and the importance of psychological safety. They explore strategies for making tacit knowledge accessible through community engagement and technology. The conversation also delves into measuring the impact of knowledge management initiatives and emphasizes the significance of fostering a culture of knowledge sharing.
Establishing adaptive spaces facilitates tacit knowledge sharing and innovation.
Psychological safety is crucial for fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.
Deep dives
Definition of Knowledge Management and Creating Adaptive Spaces
Knowledge management involves creating adaptive spaces like communities and affinity groups to collectively extract, consolidate, and reuse tacit knowledge for building technical capabilities. Rashad Najar emphasizes the importance of establishing safe environments where individuals feel comfortable sharing and expressing ideas without fear of retribution. Psychological safety is key to fostering knowledge sharing, especially for those hesitant to seek help or share knowledge. By creating spaces for open dialogue and collaboration, knowledge managers can facilitate a culture of learning and innovation.
Executive Leadership and Grassroots Approach for Knowledge Management Adoption
Successful knowledge management adoption hinges on strong sponsorship at all organizational levels, not just at the executive tier. Rashad Najar highlights the significance of working closely with operational workers and informal networks to promote knowledge sharing. Implementing a grassroots marketing approach, focusing on small groups for quick wins, allows for organic growth and widespread adoption of knowledge management practices. By showcasing successful initiatives, knowledge sharing becomes contagious within the organization.
Universal Challenges and Solutions in Knowledge Management
Many challenges in international groups are similar, with shared themes like onboarding issues transcending different regions. Rashad Najar emphasizes the importance of identifying common problems faced by various teams and addressing them collectively. By solving challenges for one group, organizations can mitigate risks and improve efficiencies across the board, fostering a culture of shared learning and collaboration. This approach streamlines knowledge management efforts and encourages a more cohesive organizational learning environment.
Quantifying Knowledge Impact and Risk Mitigation
Measuring the impact of knowledge management programs requires a focus on cost avoidance and risk mitigation. Rashad Najar highlights the importance of quantifying the reusability of knowledge in critical situations to gauge effectiveness. By identifying knowledge deficiency moments and implementing community-driven risk reviews, organizations can enhance risk mitigation strategies. Distributed approaches, rather than centralized committees, empower knowledge sharing communities to monitor and address risks collaboratively, ensuring a more agile and effective risk management process.
Enterprise Knowledge CEO Zach Wahl speaks with Rachad Najjar, Organizational Learning Leader at GE Vernova. GE Vernova brings together GE’s portfolio of energy businesses including Power, Wind, Electrification and Digital businesses.
In their conversation, Zach and Rachad cover creating adaptive spaces for knowledge exchange, overcoming barriers to knowledge sharing, and the importance of psychological safety. They explore strategies for making tacit knowledge accessible, including community engagement and leveraging technology, while also delving into the challenges of measuring the impact of knowledge management initiatives.