Bina Shah writes about tacit knowledge that got me thinking down another path. It's the title that did it to me. Capturing tacit knowledge: Do you know more than you think?
It is widely accepted that knowledge has two dimensions: explicit and tacit. Explicit knowledge can be captured, articulated and documented. It can also be codified and entered into an electronic repository of knowledge to be accessed by others. By contrast, a database cannot capture knowledge that resides in people's heads. Tacit knowledge is a mixture of deliberations, subjective insight, intuition and judgment that lawyers acquire by virtue of their experience and expertise. It is difficult to articulate in writing and is acquired through personal experience. It dates quickly and, very often, the lawyer will not even be aware that he or she has tacit knowledge on a subject. Professional support lawyers (PSLs) come up against the difference between explicit and tacit knowledge on a day-to-day basis.
[via Column Two, via Excited Utterances
Do I know more than I think? Of course I do. Do I?
Being "in transition" from the corporate world to my own consulting practice has given me the opportunity to review what I've done and where I think I want to go. In that review, I have re-discovered a wide variety of skills and interests that either have become part of my routine or that I haven't practiced lately.
Most of the challenge of the job search / creation of a consultancy is about figuring out what I'm good at doing AND what I want to do. Hopefully these two areas intersect. And the thinking and writing involved is all about discovering those hidden skills and capabilities.
In the KM world, I suspect the same kinds of problems arise, and this article hints at many of them. To elucidate hidden knowledge and talents is a careful balance of getting right level of information without overwhelming or angering the people who need to work with the results.