In today’s world, many of us cannot get away from digital devices. We rely on computers for work, mobile phones for social connection, and all kinds of other screens for entertainment and relaxation. For workers immersed in this digital environment, the threat of digital overload is all too real.

Digital overload is an unpleasant and unproductive experience that business leaders should strive to overcome. Fortunately, knowledge management plays a unique role in mitigating factors that lead to overload. To better protect your workforce, a strong knowledge management system is one of your greatest assets.

However, using knowledge management to protect employees from digital overload first requires understanding. Learn how to recognize digital overload, then apply knowledge management in the following ways.

What is Digital Overload?

Let’s start with a clearer definition of digital overload. This is closely related to information overload; however, digital overload is a bit more on the nose considering modern working conditions. When too much information crowds a person, they tend to enter into a state of limited functionality—even a sort of paralysis—in which it becomes difficult to make winning business decisions. Some refer to this state as “infoxication.”

With digital overload, this state is caused by the number of messages, notifications, channels, tabs, devices, monitors, instruments, and whatever other digital tech you happen to work with. Information overload has become increasingly digital due to the convenience and efficiency of digital workflows. These are information systems and management dashboards designed for productivity and oversight and resultantly come with a lot of notifications.

That’s where knowledge management can help. These systems can make information complete, organizable, and searchable across an organization. From there managing digital overload can be as simple as setting filters and customizing dashboards.

The Role of Knowledge Management in Preventing Overload

Knowledge management tools play a significant role in preventing digital overload. That’s because with these knowledge bases come a safe place for employees to turn to when they feel most overwhelmed.

Primarily, the role of these systems in protecting employee health and well-being is to provide resources and information in an organized and coherent fashion, best fitted to the user. In this case, users are employees seeking out solutions to a cluttered digital landscape. The right management tools make it easy to find these solutions.

Routing Resources

First and foremost, a knowledge management system functions to connect employees to resources. This can mean training, reference guides, templates, and much more. In the modern era of comprehensive management platforms, workers are even managing workflows entirely within these systems. This allows for convenient routing to schedules complete with necessary breaks.

A knowledge system can even link employees to resources that help them mitigate symptoms of digital overload such as computer fatigue. Paired with tech advancements like artificial intelligence, these platforms can recommend strategies like stepping away from the computer and going for a walk for employees struggling with overload.

Organizing Info

Additionally, knowledge management systems lend themselves to the kind of digital organization that can improve the employee experience. After an interruption in—perhaps out of a need to seek out additional information—workers require time to get back on task. Well-organized information makes that easy.

That’s because this information comes with all kinds of benefits that combat digital overload. These benefits include:

• Increased worker productivity
• Reduced stress levels
• Enhanced efficiency

Workers struggling to catch up with an overwhelming digital environment need a knowledge management system organized to fit their needs. Fortunately, many of these tools offer customizability and flexibility across devices and networks that can accommodate your business model.

Tips for Using Knowledge to Protect Employees

However, finding and utilizing the right knowledge management platform to suit your digital workflow isn’t always simple. For success, you’ll have to define the specific needs of your employees as well as assess their digital workflow for risks and usability challenges.

As you explore the uses of knowledge management systems in protecting employees’ digital health, consider the following tips:

Prioritize user experience. UX is the basis of a quality knowledge system. In this case, the users are employees. Their ability to navigate a system will make or break its effectiveness.

Provide employee education and resources. A great knowledge management platform is relatively self-explanatory. Still, employees need the resources to learn and utilize them well to avoid being overwhelmed by another digital tool.

Invite feedback in an inclusive environment. Build your knowledge management approach with employees’ digital overload concerns directly in mind by engaging them in the choice and implementation of these tools. This requires an inclusive working environment in which workers feel heard.

Knowledge management can be your most important tool in combating the mental fatigue that comes with too much technology. As workforces rely more on remote employees tied to these systems, it's in everyone’s best interest to choose and manage the right knowledge systems. Use these tips to aid in the process.

Supporting Employee Success

Knowledge management, by nature of its role in employee success, is a crucial part of protecting employees from digital overload. This brain power-sapping condition hamstrings workforces. Fortunately, having the resources you need where you need them is an important aspect of knowledge management that can cut down your time shifting through digital systems.

Find what you need in a complete and helpful picture with the right approach to knowledge management.

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Amanda Winstead is a writer focusing on many topics including business and technology. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.