ABSTRACT
Anthropologists talk about diffusion rates for the spread of ideas but we need to be proactive to distribute knowledge throughout the organization. No fancy machinery is required. People are ready to share their knowledge with others and enjoy doing so; just think of the crowd by the water cooler! People-topeople exchanges are generally motivating — note that most of the suggestions here involve discussions rather than files or repositories, although those need to be part of the mix. Information exchanges set up the networks and relationships that move the organization forward faster because there are more people with a big-picture perspective who can learn from one another and adjust their actions appropriately. The organization benefits in flexibility from people who become more knowledgeable about other parts of the organization, or about their own knowledge domain.
