Types of Knowledge

Tacit knowledge is instinctive or learned

Knowledge is divided into two classes: explicit or tacit. Explicit knowledge is knowledge that is easy to write down and transfer to other people: the process to be followed in producing a customer invoice, for example, or the way to assemble five components to build a product.

Tacit knowledge, by comparison, is knowledge that is not easily passed on. A flute player, for example, can tell someone else how to position their fingers to make each note, but not how to bring it all together in giving a fine performance. Tacit knowledge is instinctive or learned through years of experience, and it cannot be passed on quickly or sometimes even at all.

ACTION POINT: Capture your explicit knowledge, capitalize on your tacit knowledge.