What is tacit knowledge and how is it manifested?

Tacit knowledge is knowledge that a person possesses and uses intuitively and automatically., but that cannot be expressed or communicated explicitly. It corresponds to the information and knowledge acquired through personal experience, practice and interaction with the environment; It is rooted in abilities, skills and perceptions.

Within this knowledge is all the information and knowledge consciously forgotten, but which remains alive in the unconscious. It is possible that one does not remember when or how that knowledge was acquired and it usually comes to light by instinct.

Implicit knowledge plays an important role in many activities and professions, as it is based on personal experience and intuition. In addition, It is essential for decision making and problem solving.

Characteristics of tacit knowledge

Tacit knowledge, as pointed out in an article by Health Gazette, is the one who It is used intuitively and unconsciously; It consists of contextual and personal knowledge that is only acquired through experience.

In your publication Knowledge Management: from tacit to explicit, Eduardo Contreras maintains that this It is very difficult to formalize and communicate. In addition, it is made up of technical and cognitive skills.

It was the sociologist Michael Polanyi, in the 1960s, who coined the term when he was designing his postulates on personal knowledge (Sanford et al., 2020). According to Polanyi, a valuable part of knowledge derives from informal understandings and skills that precede conscious thought. Instead of direct teachings, It is transmitted through culture and history.

This knowledge is invaluable in many areas, such as art, music, sports, and intuitive decision making. Also, in all those activities where experience and personal practice are essential, as is the case with firefighters, police officers, pilots or people who have risky jobs. Its characteristics are the following:

Contextual: To a large extent, it is related to the context in which it was acquired. It can be personalized and depends on individual experience and perspective.Automatic and intuitive: It is applied without the conscious mind. Once acquired, it becomes an intrinsic part of the way a person performs tasks or makes determinations.Complementary: Both tacit and explicit knowledge are complementary and combine to support understanding and the ability to act in various situations.You win with experience: Its development is as a person interacts with their environment and acquires practice in a certain area. It arises from observation, experimentation and direct learning.It is not easily articulated: It is intrinsic, since it is rooted in skills, intuitions and personal experiences. Due to its implicit nature, it is often complex to encode and transfer effectively through explicit words or instructions.

Why is implicit knowledge difficult to communicate?

Communicating this kind of knowledge is difficult, due to its implicit and subjective nature. Unlike explicit knowledge, which can be shared through words and symbols, implicit knowledge manifests itself more in practice than in theory.

Most people have difficulties identifying and verbalizing the skills and knowledge acquired intuitively. Furthermore, this knowledge is largely contextual.which means that they depend on specific situations and further hinder their universal communication.

For example, this is the case of a firefighter who instinctively decides whether or not to enter a burning building, based on a general observation. It also corresponds to what is known as “clinical eye” in some doctors.

Types of tacit knowledge and their manifestations

There are several types of intuitive knowledge; One of them is technical or related to specific technical skills in a certain field, such as repairing a car. There is also the procedural, associated with procedures and sequences to carry out particular tasks; It could be how to ride a bicycle.

Psychosocial knowledge, such as the way we should behave in a formal meeting, is classified as intuitive contextual knowledge. And we speak of cognitive when it is based merely on intuition, quick judgments and unconscious perceptions, an example of this is having a “nose” for business.

This knowledge They tend to come to light in various situations, especially when a quick and automatic response is required., or when personal skills and experiences are essential. Below, we present some situations in which this knowledge is relevant:

Routines and habits.Social interactions.Intuitive decision making.Complex problem solving.Skillful tasks, such as playing a musical instrument, playing a sport, cooking, or driving.

Implicit knowledge becomes explicit, as long as it becomes information that can be expressed and communicate clearly and formally. Outsourcing, coding and documentation techniques work for this.

Tacit knowledge and interpersonal communication

In certain contexts, Implicit knowledge influences communication and mutual understanding. Let’s look at it in a scenario: when two coworkers talk, they may understand each other more easily due to years of working together.

The tacit knowledge that both workers have about their functions allows them to understand the subtleties of the technical language they use in the company. This means that it is not necessary for them to explain how to do operational activities or how to perform their roles.

On the other hand, When people do not have the same tacit knowledge, there may be misunderstandings. This is because assumptions, intuitions, experiences and practical knowledge are not in tune.

Another scenario to review: if of two firefighters, one has years of experience and the other none, perhaps the experienced one expects certain intuitive actions or skills that the other person has not yet acquired.

In short, tacit knowledge can affect communication between people and the way they relate in certain contexts. Because of this, it is important that we understand that we all have different implicit knowledge and it may interfere with our interactions with others.

Conclusion

People possess and use skills intuitively and automatically that are related to their stock of tacit knowledge. This way of acquiring and storing information is mediated by experience and repeated practice.

Although it is difficult to verbalize and explain, it has an enormous impact on what we do. and how we relate to our environment, be it professional, social or family. Implicit knowledge is complementary to explicit knowledge and can manifest itself in decision making, problem solving, social interactions, routines and habits.

We invite you to examine the skills you have to do different things, such as riding a bike, tying your shoes, or cooking. Do you think you could do them without your implicit knowledge?

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