Information hides. Expertise is trapped in heads. Critical knowledge walks out the door.
High Knowledge Location friction means critical information is trapped in individual heads instead of distributed across the organization.
Being the only one who knows something feels like job security. Sharing feels risky.
Writing things down isn't part of the workflow. Learning stays verbal.
Information exists somewhere but finding it takes longer than asking someone.
Being the expert gets promoted. Making others experts doesn't.
Write down WHY you made a choice, not just what you decided. Future you (or your replacement) needs the reasoning, not just the result.
// ADR (Architecture Decision Record)
Context: We needed to choose a database
Decision: PostgreSQL over MongoDB
Why: Relational data, ACID compliance needed
Trade-offs: Less flexible schema
Don't just assign mentors—have new people shadow critical processes. Watching work get done transfers tacit knowledge that can't be written down.
Include "knowledge transfer" in performance reviews and promotion criteria. If you can't explain it to others, you don't fully own it yet.
Monthly "how things actually work" sessions, recorded and searchable. Let experts explain the undocumented reality behind the official process.
If you'd be in trouble when someone is on vacation, write the runbook. Step-by-step guides that let anyone handle the critical paths.
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