Technology is moving quickly and so is our culture.

In a time not so long ago, gatekeeping was synonymous with power. In some fields, companies still operate this way *cough* Wall Street *cough.* Knowledge and specific skill sets are held close to the chest, like poker cards.  Learning new things is what helps elevate our culture. However, information is only useful when it’s in the hands of the people with the right skill set.

For us here at Digital Mountaineers, knowledge sharing is a fundamental building block because we believe in & practice conscious capitalism. Click here to read more about our stance on conscious capitalism and why it benefits everyone.

Yes, we run a business. We have a global team comprised of creatives who are at the top of their game. But more than that, our team is a group of people who care deeply about our communities and the world at large. We login to work and want to know that we’re making a real difference in the way that we operate. We do that by donating time and work to organizations that can’t afford our services. When you work with us, there is no difference between how we treat pro-bono or paid clientele. Everyone gets the same support and care. So in theory, every client who works with us essentially contributes to funding another Positive Impact Organization’s website. We love that type of pay-it-forward mentality and we use it whenever possible!

We are able to offer as much as we can because knowledge sharing makes best practices available to everyone. As a team, we are on the same page about creating the best possible product, even if we personally do not have all of the information needed to do so. We rely on one another with this shared goal in mind.

There are a variety of ways to share knowledge at your positive impact organization. Here are a couple that we like:

• Host events, either in person or virtually, where team members present workshops on a specific aspect of their role or pitching an idea they’d like to expand upon with the help of other team members
• Take a poll of interests on your team. Is there someone who can help mentor another team member so they can learn a new skill?
• Give away information that you’ve gathered for free. Share it with your audience so that they can use it to build upon. Sharing what you know doesn’t take away from your organization, it greatly contributes to your success and commitment to transparency in your circles.

According to an article in Forbes magazine:

Fortune 500 companies lose roughly “$31.5 billion a year by failing to share knowledge” (Babcock, 2004, p. 46), a very scary figure in this global economy filled with turbulence and change. Actively managing knowledge can help companies increase their chances of success by facilitating decision-making, building learning environments by making learning routine, and stimulating cultural change and innovation. By proactively implementing knowledge management systems, companies can re-write the old saying, “Change is inevitable, growth is optional” to “Change is inevitable, growth is intentional.”

Whether you are a Fortune 500 company, a positive impact organization, or a business that practices conscious capitalism, growth must be intentional. In order for that to happen, team members need to feel empowered and encouraged to explore new areas to expand their experience. And if you’re in business to help change the world, you are most likely a person who is excited by learning. Knowledge sharing is the key to connecting to each other. If everyone keeps their head down and looks at their own paper, we can’t see outside of what we are doing. It’s only when we look up and share that we can find the key to unlock problems we think we need to solve alone.

We are happy that technology has evolved to a place where it is way more accessible than it was 10 or even 5 years ago. This is why as web designers we utilize WordPress, a completely free to use open source software. Once your website is live, we host a complimentary learning session to teach you how to use the site and easily make updates yourself. We believe in leveling the playing field. We believe in sharing what we know as often as we can for as little as we can. Because if we can inspire someone, the ripples of that inspiration and knowledge go farther than we can imagine.

What is something YOU are interested in learning about? Let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear them (and help where we can!)