What is tribal knowledge and how do you capture it?
Over a quarter-million Baby Boomers turn 65 monthly, taking decades of undocumented processes with them when they retire. Tribal knowledge creates job security when employees intentionally position themselves as the only person who can fix problems. Documentation must close the knowledge gap before critical knowledge walks out the door.
Capturing tribal knowledge before it walks out the door requires documented standard operating procedures. Here is how Tallyfy helps organizations preserve critical process knowledge.
SOP Management Made Easy
Summary
- Quarter-million Baby Boomers turn 65 monthly - When these experienced employees retire, they take decades of undocumented processes and insights with them, leaving knowledge gaps that cripple operations
- Knowledge hoarding creates job security - Employees sometimes intentionally or unintentionally position themselves as the only person who can fix problems or perform critical tasks, making themselves indispensable
- Documentation is your defense - Identify your most knowledgeable employees, capture their insights through structured processes, and close the knowledge gap between veterans and new hires before it’s too late
- Struggling with knowledge transfer? Let’s talk about documenting your processes before critical knowledge walks out the door.
Knowledge management and documentation come up frequently in our discussions with mid-market teams. Based on patterns we have observed, roughly 80% of processes in most organizations remain undocumented - tribal knowledge that exists only in people’s heads and is easily lost when they leave. In most companies, there’s a large amount of knowledge about products, buyers, and processes that are only known to certain employees. This information is called tribal knowledge and it is a problem that many companies are either unaware of or unconcerned about.
“Tribal knowledge” is a term that refers to any information that isn’t widely known by other employees within a company. It’s not documented and exists only in the minds of certain people. It is often information that is used in reference to producing a product or service and it is a big problem in rapidly growing companies.
The problem with tribal knowledge is that if information only exists in the minds a few people then it probably may as well not exist at all. This matters more than most realize. If you have one long-term employee who is the only person who knows how to do a lot of things, what happens when that person leaves?
If the information is not documented then no one knows about it. And if no one but a few people knows about it, then it may as well not exist at all. Tribal knowledge is a barrier to sustainable, long-term growth so capturing it should be your company’s highest priority.
Problems with tribal knowledge
Every company is comprised of different departments or teams that have their own methods for accomplishing certain tasks. Over the years, these employees will develop their own knowledge and insights into different processes.
This tribal knowledge can be an asset to your company in many ways. Obviously, you want employees who are knowledgeable and just know how to do their jobs effectively. But the problem comes in when companies develop an over-reliance on certain employees. Here are four of the biggest problems with tribal knowledge:
- When employees leave, they take this tribal knowledge with them
In discussions we have had with real estate title companies, one CEO specifically created an “Escrow Officer Legacy Program” to help senior escrow officers transition to retirement - because they recognized that decades of knowledge about closing processes would walk out the door otherwise.
Every month, over a quarter-million Americans will turn 65 and move even closer to retirement. And when they retire, they take all the knowledge they have learned over the years with them. Ironically, even though these are the most experienced and knowledgeable employees in the company, most companies don’t value them the way they value new employees.
There is a lot of useful tribal knowledge but just as often, tribal knowledge is incorrect. This becomes problematic when newer employees are incorrectly trained by long-term employees. If certain software or equipment is used inaccurately then this can pose serious risks to the product, service, or the safety of employees.
- Tribal knowledge can be an excuse to avoid automation
Even today, many businesses are still very averse to the idea of automation and still rely on time-consuming manual processes. If management isn’t interested in using automation to improve the quality and speed of their processes then the problem of tribal knowledge will usually persist.
- Employees can hoard information for job security
Occasionally, certain employees will either intentionally or unintentionally put themselves in the position of being the only person who knows how to fix a problem or perform a task. This tribal knowledge gives them job security because they put themselves in the position of being indispensable to the company.
How to capture tribal knowledge
Your company already has a formal employee training plan in place where you explain basic job functions. And you most likely have an employee handbook that explains your company’s policies and procedures. But what about the information that exists only in the minds of certain employees? What would happen if that information were to suddenly disappear?
Often, tribal knowledge is passed down by word of mouth and while this can work for a little while, it is not a sustainable process for retaining important company information. Here are four ways you can begin to capture tribal knowledge:
- Identify and use the most knowledgeable employees
To begin, you should identify the employees with the most knowledge about your services or products. Certain employees will have knowledge, tips, and tricks about your company that no one else has access to. These employees are invaluable to your company and capturing this knowledge should be a high priority.
- Identify the available tribal knowledge
As we have already identified, some of the tribal knowledge you will want to hang onto and some you will not. Identify the knowledge available in different departments or teams and look at what is working and what is not.
- Document the knowledge you want to keep
If you cannot document the available information, then you will not be able to successfully train your newest employees. Commit to documenting the knowledge you want to retain for training purposes. But be aware that this could be a lengthy process.
- Confront the knowledge gap
You need to minimize the knowledge gap between the more experienced employees and the newer employees. A lot of the tribal knowledge will be training resources that can help your newer employees be more efficient and knowledgeable about their job.
Templates for capturing tribal knowledge
Is tribal knowledge risky?
Are you hearing this at work? That's busywork
Enter between 1 and 150,000
Enter between 0.5 and 40
Enter between $10 and $1,000
Based on $30/hr x 4 hrs/wk
Your loss and waste is:
every week
What you are losing
Cash burned on busywork
per week in wasted wages
What you could have gained
160 extra hours could create:
per week in real and compounding value
Total cumulative impact over time (real cost + missed opportunities)
You are bleeding cash, annoying every employee and killing dreams.
It's a no-brainer
Conclusion
Tribal knowledge is information that is known by certain individuals or groups of individuals within a company but it is undocumented and is not common knowledge to everyone. It often involves processes that contribute significantly to the quality of a product or service.
While it is something present in most companies, it can be a major threat. Every manager wants knowledgeable employees who they just “get it” and don’t need any hand-holding. However, what happens if those people were to leave? If certain key employees were to leave the company, they would take that knowledge with them.
Tribal knowledge is often created unintentionally and is common in most organizations. Companies must be diligent about capturing this information and making it readily available to all employees.
Related questions
What is a better word for tribal knowledge?
The more appropriate word for tribal knowledge is “institutional knowledge.” This is a term, if not in its meaning certainly in its tone the opposite of the sinister tribal. It highlights the communal aspects of accumulated data accrued over years and the generations of employees who learn from it.
What is the difference between tribal knowledge and tacit knowledge?
Contrast to Tacit Knowledge Tribal knowledge and Tacit knowledge are used interchangeably but there is a small difference. By “tribal knowledge”, we refer information that is exchanged within a given group or work place, and may be based on oral transmission. Tacit knowledge, meanwhile, is individual, experience-based knowledge that is hard to communicate or codify. Tribal knowledge might comprise overt (explicit) and covert (tacit) knowledge, and hence it is considered to be a larger concept.
What is the opposite of tribal knowledge?
The antonym of tribal knowledge is perhaps something like “standardized knowledge” or “formal documentation”. Through oral history, tribal knowledge is often undocumented, living in the memories of a few, and learned best by doing, the opposite would be something well documented, easily accessed, and not relying on individuals or sharing in an informal way. This would be such things as official manuals or standard operating procedures or corporate-wide databases.
Why is tribal knowledge important for an organization?
As it turns out, Tribal knowledge is important because it is unique to the idea or organization; it is competitive. This is the unwritten knowledge, the best practices, or the tacit knowledge of processes that have been fostered over years. This intelligence is what so often separates the successful from the struggling when it comes to working effectively, solving problems, and ensuring quality. It is the “secret sauce” that can set one company apart from another, and one that competitors can be hard pressed to match.
How to capture tribal knowledge before it is lost?
Tribal knowledge does not just get recorded naturally. Begin with-based experts and make sure they have opportunities to communicate best practices.
Use mentor programs, regular knowledge sharing sessions, and a method like video interviews/podcasts to capture valuable information. Use workflow automation software such as Tallyfy to list processes and best practices. Promote an environment of exchange and open communication, where employees are free to express their knowledge and perspective.
Why is tribal knowledge crucial for an organization?
Tribal knowledge is the lifeblood of your culture and performance. It encapsulates all the years of collective experience and the tried, tested, working solutions. This body of knowledge can be the bridge between how something should work according to official procedures and the reality of how those things actually work, and allows for operations to both be more streamlined and for problems to be solved faster. On the other hand, it cultivates a sense of community and history in your company, enabling new hires to assimilate and catch the vibe for how stuff is done around there.
About the Author
Amit is the CEO of Tallyfy. He is a workflow expert and specializes in process automation and the next generation of business process management in the post-flowchart age. He has decades of consulting experience in task and workflow automation, continuous improvement (all the flavors) and AI-driven workflows for small and large companies. Amit did a Computer Science degree at the University of Bath and moved from the UK to St. Louis, MO in 2014. He loves watching American robins and their nesting behaviors!
Follow Amit on his website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Reddit, X (Twitter) or YouTube.
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