The knowledge people bring to and share within an organization is critical to organizational culture and operational efficiency. Boys Town is an international nonprofit organization that cultivates and enables tacit knowledge toward its organizational mission and strategic plan. Learn how to help your organization create an environment of knowledge sharing and storytelling to positively impact the mission and strategy. James F. Gross, M.S., Associate Vice President, Training, Evaluation and Certification, Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, Boys Town Jennifer Murnane, Ph.D., Associate Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, and Senior Research Associate, Human Capital Lab, Bellevue University

1. Jennifer Murnane, PhD
Associate Vice President
Strategic Initiatives
Bellevue University
Jim Gross, MA
Associate Executive
Director of Training
Evaluation & Certification
Boys Town

2. Mission: To develop
innovative and valuable
approaches to unlocking
the long‐term potential of
human capital investments Human Capital:
Attributes, life
 Conducting research experience, knowledge,
skills, inventiveness,
 Collaborating with faculty energy, and enthusiasm
members who are that people invest in their
work.
developing our Ph.D. &
Masters program

3. The Boys Town Model
The Boys Town Model contains the core
principles and values of our approach to child
care and is the foundation for all services
provided through our Integrated Continuum
of Care.
The Model delivers a consistent structure
for the treatment we provide to children and
families and, through years of research, has
been shown to deliver significant, lasting,
positive results.

4. Boys Town
MISSION
Change the way America cares for children, families
and communities by providing and promoting an
integrated continuum of care that instills Boys Town
values to strengthen body, mind and spirit.

5. The Boys Town Model
The Model has four main elements:
 Teaching children and families new, life‐changing skills
 Helping children and families build health relationships
 Empowering children and families to make good
decisions on their own
 Caring for children in a family‐style environment

6. The Boys Town Model
The Model assures:
 Children are always in a safe place and a safe program
 Children and families get better
 Children and families are nurtured and respected
 It can be adopted and implemented by other
organizations
(Since Boys Town began using the Model in the 1970s, it
has been continually adapted and improved to meet the
changing needs of America’s children and families. )

7. The Study
Question: How effective is Boys Town’s use of
tacit knowledge cultivating and enabling
processes in contributing to mission
achievement?
 Stakeholders involved in study: employees,
board members, and volunteers
 Interviews, observations, and document
review

8. Knowledge Sharing
 Knowledge cultivation & enablement
– Instead of knowledge management
 Cultural knowledge
– Depends on others in the organization
 Explicit knowledge
– Formal aspect
 Tacit knowledge
– Important focus for
organizations (retirees, etc.)

9. Results
Positive support of knowledge
cultivation & enablement
 Training
 Meetings
 Leadership Development Program
 Constructive Feedback
9

10. Results
Highly Dependent on Tacit Knowledge
in order to Achieve its Mission
 Storytelling
 Collaboration
 Mentoring
 Explicit Knowledge guiding & supporting tacit
knowledge development
10

11. Boys Town’s Knowledge Base
Boys Town has an aging experience pool.
 It is essential to capture this experience
and pass it on.
 Archive this knowledge for
future generations
Diversification of experience pool

12. Organizational Knowledge
 Where is your knowledge base in the
organization?
 What is the focus on tacit knowledge
sharing as an organizational priority?

13. Boys Town’s Focus of Training
is to Create Skilled
“Youth and Family” Staff
 Thinkers
 Planners
 Motivators
 Technicians

14. Boys Town’s Focus of Leadership/
Supervision Development is to Create
Advanced…
 Content Experts
 Thinkers, Planners, Motivators and
Collaborators
 Management Skills

15. Boys Town’s Focus for Meetings
 Support the Training
 Plan and Manage
 Solution focused Results
 Team Development
 Delegate

16. The Power of Tacit Knowledge provides
Boys Town a Broader Understanding of:
 The use of historical experiences to build upon and
avoid ineffective business processes
 The ability to remain focused on the Mission
 The reasons why activities work
 How to use principles to make calculated changes
 The use of personal experiences to relate to the
audience and create personal validity
 The supports and challenges of Nuevo/Creative
thinking
16

17. The Power of Tacit Knowledge
in Your Organization
 How can utilization of tacit knowledge
cultivation in your organization increase
employee performance?
 How can this impact strategic outcomes?

18. How does Boys Town use Tacit
Knowledge to Accomplish Its Mission
and Strategic Plan?
 Embraced Culture of Feedback
 Mentoring
 Explicit Knowledge
 Collaboration
 Storytelling

19. Contact Information
Jennifer Murnane
Jennifer.Murnane@bellevue.edu
Jim Gross
James.Gross@boystown.org