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Knowledge Transfer - our KT principles

These points below are the principles under which we try to operate out Knowledge Transfer Networks - they are not moral guidelines or event strategic objectives - this is our cook book the way we try to work.

1. Deliver a solution to meet business' reactive problems, reflecting the business' context, have reasonable timeframe and time structure for interventions. Use this as a starting point to develop a strategic capacity.
   
2. Use a solution as a building block for long term relationships geared towards building strategic capability or at least strategic readiness in the business. Work on 'Absorptive capacity' the chance and ability for a business to see and use new ideas and concepts and gain the ability to be able to play with them and talk about them.
       - This is our opportunity to develop long term friendly relationships built on trust, where each party allows the other party into their world
   
3. Focus on pull strategies to engage clients and members - we want epiphany and realisation, revelation and inspiration. Develop opportunities for people to be bitten by the bug of learning and application - break away from pure reactive to opportunity capture, preparedness for emergent strategy or strategic planning.
   
4. Look to build and build on relationships and learning in the business, create the absorptive capacity in the business to take on new ideas, new relationships and use new language and ideas effectively. Make sure the right people are speaking to each other - getting the environment right for communication is one thing but making sure key networked members are aware of each other is another vital job. Spend time match making -always look for common threads and complementary activity.
   
5. Create common language and understanding of practice and methods so that people in different places in the network can communicate and share ideas, have reference points. This is important to spread and develop networks and practice across regional differences and strengths.
   
6. Trust: Deliver on familiarity, integrity; consistency and competence: these are the major factors in determining the success of interactions and collaborations and the belief in potential solutions. These are particularly important when so much change is evident all around and after years and years of upheaval in the national business support infrastructure. Trust makes knowledge ideas and thoughts less 'sticky' and more likely to be shared and developed.
   
7. Developing trust in the region. This is key to the sharing and development of knowledge. Clearly the attributes of trust are particularly important to facilitate relationships and to mediate the stress felt in complex, emotional or risky situations and environments. In the right environment experimentation and learning can flourish, not just in a business but in the business support community. Mistakes are more likely to provide lessons than strife.
   
8. Get the relationships right; the Network must create the right boundary roles to attract the network and allow it to grow and take shape. Boundary spanning roles are critical role in minimising communication failures, identifying appropriate peer mentors, building trust, personal and working friendships. Show that the best way of benefiting from the network is to work out how to serve the network and its members better. Be a better network member.
      -This has implications for knowledge sharing and
      - Referral marketing
   
9. Recognise that Knowledge is not just explicit that can be taught or learned through a book or course but that at its most effective is learned around real problems and issues and the subtle/tacit ways in which people learn to deal with situations and problems.
      - A business problem is likely to involve more than one person, go across more than one function and not be set in one point in time. We might need multiple inputs to develop learning in the business and in the people.
       - Equally, some people may just need a course/workshop or a question answered - in doing so we open the door to a wider network of opportunity.  
       - Allow businesses to develop the capacity to learn and experiment with idea, to develop wider networks and to learn to communicate effectively in them. (Cognitive Social Capital - Absorptive Capacity)
   
10. Not driven by policy/funding agenda: but seeking to support successful evidenced-based practice and ideas from the business community that warrant good solid research focus. Work on the Knowledge - These are Knowledge Networks and the University and the commercial and public sector world must work together to further research goals and apply and disseminate appropriative research from a core and cutting edge evidence base out into the communities and networks.