Blogs for converting tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge

Whereas most of what we know only resides in the head, it is crucial that we try hard to ducoment it in some way. Explicit knowledge is more manageable than tacit knowledge. It helps the knower even more, actually. Ever pull out the album that has your (or loved ones) childhood pictures? We all need to keep track of what we have learned, what we think, and how we feel along the way. That kind of deep conversation with self may also help others understand real you.

When used with discipline, blogs can be a great tool for knowledge creation (reflective thinking) and knowledge transfer (sharing).

One learns from wiki that, in the group work, everybody is held responsible for the group outcome. Individual preformance directly impacts group performance.

Through blogging, one experiences the difficulty of converting tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. Difficult, yet crucial. No wonder knowledge management is claimed to be a core competence that drives competitive advantage.

Business is about providing solution

People often ask wrong questions. Then they try very hard to figure out how to solve those wrong questions. As a result, one problem solved often leads to another problem being created. It may even be a much bigger problem! Buckman Laboratories is in specialty chemical products market. Their competitive advantage primarily stems from their customer-centric approach to doing business. Everything they do starts with customer problems. Their knowledge-intensive internal processes seek to solve customer problems. Customers constant bring about new problems. Buckman Labs thrives in creating and mobilizing new knowledge to satisfy their customers requirements.

Managing codified knowledge

We know that what we don't show that we know (tacit knowledge) is usually much more than what we show. We also know that learning and knowing often take place at the individual level. After all, how great a team can be without great members? No wonder most KM literature stresses management of tacit knowledge more than that of codified knowledge. Perhaps only technology vendors would devote entire articles on description of how to manage codified knowledge. However, it's also true that not everything that is tacit should remain tacit. We can't argue against the value of documentation in management of information systems. Managing a large application portfolio lacking documentation support is difficult assignment. Similarly, codifying knowledge may also be a discipline issue. Painful, perhaps. But with a little experience, things can get easier and easier. Converting what is tacit to an explicit form is a valuable competence that requires conscious and disciplined effort. Remember, the effect of increasing return will be experienced here.