Scott Ellliott writes (in part)
"My observations are that loss of organizational knowledge when
individuals leave is very much dependent on the structure of the
organization. If the org. is very hierarchical (like an Army), little
knowledge is lost because each position is very well specified.
Individuals are recruited, trained and fitted to the position. Knowledge
has well-defined paths up and down the ranks.
In flattened orgs, such as self-directed work teams, the loss of an
individual can be very difficult for the team and the org."
Knowledge is created and learned in unpredictable ways. After the loss of
a team member, the team must close ranks to try to cover those lost
skills, or hire another person. The new person usually has different
skills, so the team must spend some time to redistribute the roles and
tasks, and to "re-learn" to do their team job.
...snip...
The reason that flattened organizations are less apt to identify and
document skills, knowledge and procedures is that there is something in
the their paradigm which indicates that this is unessential. (Perhaps it
is the notion that since one person does more, that person can remember
all the elements of the process themselves.) The logical extension of
this is that since documentation is "extra work" it is more effecient,
more profitable to NOT document. However, there are many reasons for
documentation besides the loss of key persons.
I work in a startup software firm where change is constant. We refine our
software design and evaluate the markets response to our product
constantly. We are a fairly tight group with no hierarchy. The usual
paradigm would suggest that there would be little need for documentation
in this setting.
However, IMO, in such a fast paced situation, documentation can really be
critical. Often, tasks and responsibilities are shared. If real time
communication does not occur, the system doesn't function well. It is
interesting to notice that even though there is not 100 feet between any
one of our desks, email gets used a lot. With such busy schedules, email
helps us manage time effectively. And in my book, email counts for
documentation.
Most significant decisions are made by the managers jointly. Each person
comes to the table with their area of specialization. Often, they will be
predisposed to a course of action. In such situations, it has been my
observation and personal experience that even though there is enough
discourse to resolve the topics, my memory of the nuances of others
positions is sketchy. Consequently, it has been important to have some
system of recapping decisions.
As always, love the shared knowledge.
Steve Weed
Printpaks, Inc.
htttp://www.printpaks.com
Effective Communications Dynamics
sweed@easystreet.com
--Stephen Weed <sweed@easystreet.com>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>