The 3 types of knowledge
In the field of knowledge management, we characterize an organization’s knowledge in three ways.
Ideally, you want to make all three types of information as accessible as possible so your team saves more
time and stays productive. Let’s discuss each type of knowledge and how to integrate them into your
knowledge management strategy.
1. Explicit knowledge
You likely already have a repository of explicit knowledge in your organization. Explicit knowledge is
information in its most basic form, which is documented and shared with your team. This is the easiest
type of knowledge to explain, share, and understand. Explicit knowledge includes information like:
SOPs
Instruction manuals
Guides
White papers
Datasheets
Product specifications
Case studies
Formal documentation
Explicit knowledge is helpful because it’s absolute: It’s black-and-white information that doesn’t leave
room for interpretation. Best of all, it’s already prepared and ready for your knowledge management
system.
Explicit knowledge is best used for training new employees on your processes. It’s also helpful to give
step-by-step guides or context on your business processes.
The biggest challenge with explicit knowledge is finding a way to efficiently store it in your knowledge
management platform.
2. Implicit knowledge
Implicit knowledge builds upon your existing explicit knowledge. It’s the way your team _applies _their
explicit knowledge. This includes the skills and best practices your employees bring from previous jobs.
Implicit knowledge includes data gleaned from:
Skype
Email
Intranet
Meeting notes
Because implicit knowledge is based on practice and skills, it differs from person to person. For example,
if you ask your data team to pull a report, they’re likely going to take different approaches to run the same
report. The different paths each employee takes to perform this task is informed by their implicit
knowledge.
Implicit knowledge is more challenging to document because all of the information is based on your
team’s workflow and daily activities. Subject matter experts (SMEs) become the gatekeepers of important
processes and practical applications in your businesses, too.
Without proper documentation, your organization risks losing this implicit knowledge when SMEs leave
your business.
3. Tacit knowledge
The final type of knowledge is tacit knowledge, which builds on the foundation created by explicit and
implicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is wisdom in its purest form. This is the experience a person earns
over time—likely before their tenure at your company.
Tacit knowledge is how one of your graphic designers seems to “get” your aesthetic more quickly. Or how
a customer service representative easily de-escalates client calls without a problem while everyone else
seems to struggle.
Tacit knowledge builds on explicit knowledge, which is the step-by-step information an employee needs
to complete a task. From there, they gain experience doing that task and build their implicit knowledge
from practical application. After performing the task many times over the years, the person gains wisdom
(tacit knowledge) that’s difficult to explain to others in a simple document or phone call.
If this wise employee leaves, you immediately lose their tacit knowledge because it’s based on their
individual experience. When you allow one employee to be the go-to person for a situation or project,
that’s a liability against your knowledge management strategy because their absence can cause problems
in your business.
Tacit knowledge is the most challenging type of information to share and express because it’s based on
personal experience. How can your successful sales rep coach others on client management when they’re
just a natural at selling?
It’s possible to document tacit knowledge, but it can be very challenging. To make use of your team’s tacit
knowledge, invest in strategies like:
Mentoring
Exit interviews
Ongoing quarterly interviews
Your team is trying to document the undocumentable, which is a challenge. But instead of relying solely
on explicit or implicit knowledge, your organization can build a repository of tacit knowledge over time by
working with your experienced team members.
Capture all of your organization’s knowledge
Your organization likely has all three types of knowledge within your team and systems already. When it’s
time to formulate a strategy for your knowledge management platform, you need to understand the three
types of information you’re categorizing and how they affect your long-term success.
https://elium.com/blog/3-types-of-knowledge/
