Knowledge Sharing Pattern Language

Problem	Communication structures of an organization need to be strengthened.
Initial Context	An organization willing to support the emergence of positive unofficial networking.
Roles	Individuals at the organization.
Forces	Expertise is deeply embodied knowledge and requires human-to-human processes through which this expertise is triggered and shared (Fitzpatrick, 2003). Also, like Haas et al. (2003) notice, "communication, both formal and informal, is the main driver of success in a community of practice". Haas et al. (2003) report about the organization of Chrysler. Earlier they had a stovepipe organization, where design passed the work on to engineering and so on. This resulted in insufficient communication and collaboration between the different functions and costly re-do loops occurred. To overcome this they changed to a platform-based model bringing together all development stakeholders of a vehicle in teams. After a while the platforms started to be a sort of lateral stovepipes and, again, lack of communication was the fact, now between the teams for optimized production in the original functions . If a project team works well together also the informal communication is most probably more efficient and supports the project work. Team building activities will support the familiarizing to the team and to the people there. In addition to good communication in a project team, communication between project managers or between architects, software engineers etc. is important especially from the perspective of improving the work practices. An organization, represented by the management, can not force people to communicate, but an organization can make it possible for people to meet each other, to know each other and to try to initiate communication and collaboration in reasonable sub-groups.
Solution	To initiate unofficial communication it is required that people know each other (for example: prepare more formal situations where they are introduced) but also making possible unofficial situations to meet each other. The first three introduced actions are more formal and the fourth is to make possible the unofficial situations. Team Building. With team building exercises it is possible to build strong core teams to be basis for project teams. Create Role Based Communication. Examples of this could be like monthly or so project manager forum, internal software engineering or technology days. Also, officially announcing experts (see Named Experts, KSP02) could be a start for this. Remember also cross-role type of communication. This can create new kind of ideas. Support Contacts to Externals. Externals can provide new knowledge for the organization. In practice this could mean e.g. sending personnel to seminars, fairs etc. or having externals as consultants etc. working in the organization. The limits of information security, however, shall be clear to everyone communicating with externals. Create Unofficial Communication Occasions. In addition to formally making possible people meeting each other, free space is required for them to continue communication. For this, arrange spaces in the office for water coolers, coffee rooms, entertainment etc. Also, arrange entertainment situations for the personnel to make it possible for them to see each other freely. This would be especially important if an organization has several offices and people see each other very seldom. The purpose of this pattern is to create possibilities for knowledge sharing to take place during and especially after these steps in the form of unofficial knowledge sharing. Pattern My Network (KSP21) looks at this same thing from the perspective of an individual.
Resulting Context	An organization that has possibilities for strong multidimensional knowledge sharing including unofficial knowledge sharing.
Instances	Always when an organization feels that the communication networks should be strengthened. Most of the activities introduced are continuous activities that should be thought to be on-going. One potential pitfall is that much unofficial knowledge sharing is created but it is not positive to the organization.
Process Connection	No direct reference to processes.