Knowledge Management: Explicit vs Tacit Knowledge
PMBOK v8 Definition
Explicit knowledge is formal and systematic; it is the type of knowledge that can be readily codified using words, pictures, or numbers. This type of knowledge includes manuals, procedures, and documented processes, and is easily communicated and shared through information management tools such as databases, registers, and web searches. Tacit knowledge is information that is embedded in a person's mind and is highly personal, consisting of technical skills, experiences, insights, and practical knowledge that is difficult to articulate and challenging to transfer to others or different projects.
Why It Matters for the Exam
This distinction appears frequently in PMI exam questions testing your understanding of how knowledge is managed throughout a project. Questions typically present a scenario where knowledge needs to be captured, shared, or transferred, and you must identify whether explicit or tacit knowledge is involved and which tools or techniques apply to each type.
Key Points to Remember (for the exam)
- Explicit Knowledge Characteristics: Codifiable (words, pictures, numbers), formal and systematic, easily communicated through manuals, procedures, and documentation
- Tacit Knowledge Characteristics: Personal and embedded in an individual's mind, difficult to articulate, experience-based (insights, practical skills), challenging to transfer
- Knowledge Management Purpose: Reusing existing knowledge AND creating new knowledge through knowledge sharing and integration
- Key Limitation of Explicit Knowledge: Codified explicit knowledge lacks context and is open to different interpretations—it is not always understood or applied correctly
- Key Strength of Tacit Knowledge: Has further context but is difficult to codify
- Tacit Knowledge Sharing Method: Fostering a collaborative and trust-filled environment; shared through conversations and interactions between people
- Common Confusion: Managing knowledge involves more than just documenting explicit knowledge for sharing or obtaining lessons learned at the end of the project
Typical PMI Exam Example
A project manager wants to capture the expertise of a senior engineer who is retiring next month. The engineer has deep knowledge of the company's legacy systems that is not documented anywhere. The project manager arranges informal mentoring sessions where the engineer works alongside junior team members. This approach addresses tacit knowledge, which is experience-based and difficult to articulate, requiring personal interaction to transfer.
PMI Exam Traps
- Trap: Confusing explicit knowledge with tacit knowledge because both involve information sharing
- Reality: Explicit knowledge is codified and documented (manuals, databases); tacit knowledge resides in people's minds (experiences, insights)
- Trap: Thinking that documenting explicit knowledge is sufficient for knowledge management
- Reality: Managing knowledge involves both reusing existing knowledge AND creating new knowledge through sharing and integration
- Trap: Assuming that sharing explicit knowledge guarantees understanding
- Reality: Codified explicit knowledge lacks context and is open to different interpretations
- Trap: Believing tacit knowledge can be easily transferred through documentation
- Reality: Tacit knowledge is difficult to articulate and challenging to transfer; it requires collaborative environments and personal interactions
Important PMI Connections
| Related Concept | Relationship Type | Exam Attention Point |
|---|---|---|
| Lessons Learned | Output of knowledge management | Lessons learned contain both explicit and tacit knowledge; capturing only explicit knowledge misses valuable context |
| Communication Management | Enables knowledge sharing | Interactive communication model (acknowledge + feedback/response) is essential for transferring tacit knowledge |
| Project Documents | Store explicit knowledge | Databases, registers, and web searches are tools for managing explicit knowledge, not tacit knowledge |
| Stakeholder Engagement | Creates trust environment | Collaborative and trust-filled environment is required for sharing tacit knowledge through conversations |
Quick Review Questions
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A project manager creates a database of lessons learned from previous projects. What type of knowledge is being managed, and what is a key limitation of this approach?
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A senior developer has unique insights about the project's technical architecture that cannot be found in any documentation. How should the project manager facilitate sharing this knowledge?
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What are the two purposes of knowledge management, and what key activities underpin both purposes?
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A team member receives a documented procedure but applies it incorrectly. According to PMBOK v8, what is the likely reason for this misunderstanding?
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What is the difference between acknowledging receipt of a message and providing feedback in the interactive communication model, and why does this matter for knowledge transfer?
PMBOK v8 Reference
Section 4.5 - Manage Project Knowledge (Process Group: Executing, Knowledge Area: Project Integration Management)