{"id":16542,"date":"2021-01-26T10:17:09","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T10:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=16542"},"modified":"2023-01-16T12:55:55","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T12:55:55","slug":"using-knowledge-management-to-improve-remote-team-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/using-knowledge-management-to-improve-remote-team-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Knowledge Management to Improve Remote Team Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

For small businesses around the world, the coronavirus pandemic has ushered in the era of the virtual office.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, while many companies were <\/span>forced<\/span><\/i> into operating remotely throughout the shutdown, others have actually been doing so well before the pandemic took hold. In fact, many believe that <\/span>remote operations<\/span><\/a> will soon become the new normal, citing factors such as productivity and sustainability<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Of course, making the transition to remote operations \u2014 especially during a global emergency \u2014 <\/span>comes with a fair set of challenges<\/span><\/a>. In addition to ensuring your day-to-day operations continue running smoothly, you\u2019ll also need to keep your team members aligned and focused on your organisation\u2019s overall goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

(And, you\u2019ll have to do all this while operating in relative isolation from your fellow team members.)<\/span><\/p>\n

To be sure, the transition to remote operations can be a hectic and uncertain time for your business.<\/span><\/p>\n

The key to keeping things moving in the right direction?<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowledge management.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Knowledge Management?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Knowledge management<\/span><\/a> can be defined as the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

The systematic management of an organisation’s knowledge assets for the purpose of creating value and meeting tactical & strategic requirements. It consists of the initiatives, processes, strategies, and systems that sustain and enhance the storage, assessment, sharing, refinement, and creation of knowledge.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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Knowledge management (KM) is all about enabling your team members to harness and use the explicit knowledge as well as the <\/span>tacit knowledge<\/span><\/a> that flows throughout your organisation in order to be as productive as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, KM certainly <\/span>is<\/span><\/i> important to all organisations, no matter how they operate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But, again, it becomes even more crucial when your team isn\u2019t operating under the same roof. With so much happening at such a frantic pace \u2014 and with team members working in isolation \u2014 you <\/span>need<\/span><\/i> to ensure your approach to knowledge management is on point.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s now take a look at exactly how KM can help lead your remote team to success \u2014 and how to make it happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowledge Management Keeps Teams Aligned and Focused On Your Mission<\/b><\/h2>\n

Though many things will change as you transition to remote operations, there are two things that should remain as-is:<\/span><\/p>\n

Your company\u2019s mission and <\/span>organisational vision<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, what <\/span>will<\/span><\/i> change is how your team works to achieve this mission and vision.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, this is where many remotely-operating teams become a bit disjointed \u2014 causing team members to lose sight of the organisation\u2019s overall goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to a <\/span>2018 study from CultureWizard<\/span><\/a>, 76% of remote team managers report a lack of engagement from their employees. What\u2019s more, 86% say fostering relationships and managing conflict present key challenges for their virtual teams.<\/span>
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Now, as we\u2019ll get to later on, knowledge management can absolutely help manage these issues <\/span>after<\/span><\/i> they arise.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, it can also help you proactively avoid these issues altogether by maintaining (and improving) alignment throughout your team from the get-go.<\/span><\/p>\n

For one thing, knowledge management ensures your team\u2019s vision and mission statements (and other related documents) are <\/span>always<\/span><\/i> available to your employees, no matter where they\u2019re working from. Here, policies and procedures will be documented clearly \u2014 meaning your employees will always know what\u2019s expected of them as a member of your team.<\/span><\/p>\n

(And, should conflict of any kind arise between team members, they can refer to these documents for guidance for how to proceed. This means less time and energy spent focussing on the <\/span>problem<\/span><\/i>, and more spent on reaching a solution \u2014 and moving on productively.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowledge management also allows for the collaborative modification of these documents to address the \u201cnew normal\u201d for your organisation. Again, though your mission and vision remain relatively unchanged, the way in which you work toward these goals will need to be amended when operating remotely.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, you may need to make changes regarding:<\/span><\/p>\n