Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a Knowledge Navigator?

A “Knowledge Navigator” is simply someone who navigates, or facilitates, the transfer and application of knowledge.

Q: What is the difference between knowledge and information?

According to Margaret Wheatley, there is a widespread belief that the organization that knows how to convert information into knowledge, that knows what it knows, and that can act with greater intelligence and discernment are the organizations that will make it into the future. Knowledge management is a survival skill – but only if done right. Knowledge is not a “thing” that can be measured: it is created by human beings and should be renamed “human knowledge” to accurately reflect its nature. It is natural for people to create and share knowledge, but because it is a choice, they only willingly share if they feel committed to the organization, believe their leaders are worth supporting, feel encouraged to participate and learn, and value their colleagues. Knowledge is born in chaotic processes that take time. It is everywhere in the organization, but we won’t have access to it until we create work that is meaningful, leaders that are trustworthy, and organizations that foster everyone’s contribution and support by giving staff time to think and reflect together.

Q: What is a Practitioner?

A practitioner is one who practices their trade or skill. In our approach, we want learners to become practitioners by allowing them the opportunity to practice a new skill at work, to think and reflect with a coworker or immediate supervisor, and to get feedback before learning new content. To accomplish that objective, we implement a process that includes the proven model of deliberate practice.

Q: What do you mean by “deliberate practice”?

Deliberate practice contains four elements:

The practice focuses on a well-defined task

The task is at an appropriate level of difficulty

The person receives informative feedback

The person has opportunities for repetition and correction of errors.

Q: How do we get started?

Identify “what should be” for people, teams and the organization as a whole through interaction, dialogue and reflection.

Focus on results, or outcomes, instead of efforts. (SMART goals can be interchanged with outcomes)

Ensure that all managers and supervisors support a Culture for Engagement and Retention and are willing to invest in an ongoing process of improvement.

Define the process and behaviors needed to create the desired results.

Question the process. Identify assumptions.

Decide on indicators. What will we measure? How will we measure our measures?

Benchmark the indicators. Measure results. Measure again.

Celebrate successes.

Implement improvements

Q: Why must we establish a Culture of Engagement and Retention?

Our vision for building a culture that actively promotes and supports improvement through measurement is taken from the great work of Integro Leadership and their model for a Responsibility-Based Environment (RBE), Dean Spitzer, author of Transforming Performance Measurement, and Margaret Wheatley, author of Finding Our Way. In an RBE, people want to do good work, are trusted, and take personal responsibility for their actions. (The opposite of this is command and control behavior in an environment of low trust where efforts are rewarded and employees are actively disengaged).

The similarities and benefits from working in this type of culture include:

1) a change in attitudes about learning and the use of knowledge,

2) repeated use of a deliberate process to build institutional knowledge,

3) a belief in people as the creators of knowledge,

4) joy in work, and

5) a sense of shared purpose.

Q: What workplace learning tools do you use with clients?

The Learning Connection is an award-winning distributor of self-paced, online learning resources from John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Together, we have invested heavily in validating and promoting the Everything DiSC® model and the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team as foundation tools for building positive relationships in the workplace. These tools lend insight into individual and team barriers that impact performance. Additional applications include conflict, management, emotional intelligence, and communication skills. Clients appreciate that the Everything DiSC model provides a common language for describing behavioral differences that leads to actionable and measurable steps forward.

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Note: “Everything DiSC” and “Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team” are registered trademark of John Wiley and Sons