The Value of Tacit Knowledge: A Balanced Perspective

YES—Tacit Knowledge is important. NO—Its tacit nature isn’t what makes it valuable.

Why do we get so excited when discussing tacit knowledge and its significance? 

Here are a few reasons:

Knowledge creation always starts with tacit knowledge—so yes, it’s important. 

Experts in our organizations possess undocumented, unshared knowledge that is crucial for problem-solving and decision-making. This tacit knowledge is not only important but vital to business performance. 

Tacit knowledge was neglected for many years in KM programs because managing explicit knowledge was easier. This gap elevates the importance of tacit knowledge. 

These are indeed good and important reasons. However:

Not all tacit knowledge is equal. While some represent deep, critical knowledge, other portions may be less significant or even shallow. 

Capturing tacit knowledge and turning it explicit doesn’t diminish its value. Even if some of it remains tacit, successfully codifying 80% of it is a win! 

So, what’s my suggestion?

YES: Aim to handle tacit knowledge by:

• Fostering interactions and encouraging experts to share their knowledge. 

• Creating new knowledge through various KM activities. 

• Capturing tacit knowledge and turning it explicit. 

NO:

• Don’t treat all tacit knowledge equally—it depends on its depth and specific value. 

• Don’t neglect the knowledge we’ve turned explicit; its value is priceless. 

We’re on the right track by embracing tacit knowledge. Let’s take it a step further by being smarter about how we treat both tacit and explicit knowledge.