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Determine how to stop the "brain drain".

In order to determine the appropriate Knowledge Transfer Model to use, managers need to determine the content and type of job-specific knowledge held by employees. If the manager does not already have this information, the best way to obtain it is via a "knowledge interview". This interview is not for the purpose of actually gathering the knowledge, but rather to make an assessment of what they know that should be retained. Here is a list of general type questions to ask.

• What kinds of knowledge or skills do you now have that this office will miss most when you leave?
• If you had to leave suddenly and only had one day left to brief your replacement, what would you put on your list of things to tell them?
• Looking back, what things do you wish this office had taught you early in your job that you eventually learned the hard way? .
• What are the key resources (procedures, manuals, etc.) that you use to do your job? .
• What pieces of knowledge are you most worried about slipping through the cracks when you leave? .
• Are there some important types of at-risk knowledge that take a long time for someone else to learn? What are they?
• How did you learn the things you know? What were the critical training programs, work assignments, etc.? What is unique about your background compared to the typical employee in a position like yours?

When gathering this information define "knowledge" and "skills" as anything a new employee would need to know to do the job, but do not include standard skills common to the job or that are gained through a particular certification or degree. When asking for a list or description, make sure it is a general description and not a detailed description — that level of detail will be gathered later. If this information already exists somewhere else, do not waste time rewriting the list in the knowledge interview'.

We have included several links that provide information which will assist you in gathering information that needs to be transferred.

• Guide Questions about Tasks (Appendix D1)

This Appendix includes questions regarding how to do specific tasks or operate certain pieces of equipment.

• Guide Questions about Facts or Information (Appendix D2)

This Appendix includes questions that help determine what the employee knows; helps generate lists of contacts, maps, manuals and other information.

• Guide Questions about Pattern Recognition Knowledge (Appendix D3)

This Appendix includes questions regarding lessons learned and insights about what is likely to go wrong and how to fix it.

All of these guide questions have been adapted from the TVA's Knowledge Retention program by permission.

Based on the information gathered, the manager is able to compile a list of potential knowledge loss items for each key job. The next step is to prioritize their importance and decide on an appropriate plan of action in order to manage the potential knowledge loss due to attrition.

Types of Knowledge — Explicit and Tacit

Knowledge is usually classified as either explicit or tacit:

• Explicit knowledge can be readily transferred to others
• It can be easily articulated, standardized, shared independently of its human source, or stored in systems or processes
• The most common types of explicit knowledge are manuals, documents and procedures
• Tacit knowledge, on the other hand, is what we know, but it has not or cannot always be articulated
• Often, people are not even aware that they have this knowledge or that it could be important to others
• It is not easily shared and requires more extensive personal contact or hands-on experience
• Ex: An employee knows the best way to complete a task. Unfortunately, it differs from the way it is described in the manual. The employee's way was learned over time through trial and error. This is tacit knowledge only because it has not been articulated or standardized (e.g., the manual is outdated)
• Another type of unarticulated knowledge is when an employee knows from experience which vendors or stakeholders are most helpful and who is ineffective in helping the employee do the job. Again, this is information not normally made explicit, but can be readily transferred if the employee is asked the right questions
• Then there is the truly tacit knowledge that is indeed very difficult to articulate, much less to transfer to someone else. An example of this type of knowledge is "how to ride a bicycle." The expert's knowledge is gained out of personal experience
• It is very difficult to articulate, according to DeLong, because it is "gained from the comprehension of different elements
  and situations." It's almost impossible to explain to someone how to balance your weight, steer the wheel and peddle at the same time in order to learn to ride a bike
• Cultural norms also are tacit knowledge that is very difficult to pass on. According to Charles Hapmden-Turner, the author of Charting the Corporate Mind, it is usually passed on unconsciously through a set of practices that are unique to that organization
  

Thus, the transfer method chosen to transfer tacit knowledge must be different from that used to transfer explicit knowledge. Understanding the differences in the kinds of knowledge can only assist the manager in making the right choice of the method of transfer for all critical knowledge. See Figure 1 for both types of knowledge. This Knowledge Transfer Practices model shows which options are best suited for retaining each type of knowledge or to mitigate the effects of its loss.

Once all of the right questions have been asked to compile the lists of potential knowledge loss area profiles, use the Analysis Form for Assessing Criticality to help assess the consequences of losing the critical knowledge. Prioritize these areas based on business consequences of loss.

The final task in Step 2 is deciding the method of disposition for the critical knowledge. Use the Knowledge Disposition Worksheet in the toolkit to identify the options for retaining or transferring knowledge. Document actions to be taken by using the Knowledge Retention Plan template. This integrated knowledge retention program brings together traditional HR practices such as training and recruitment and untraditional HR functions such as procedure documentation and re-engineering. Obtain any approvals necessary to implement the plan. Ensure that the plan is reflected in performance goals.

If line managers find they do not have the support of upper management to implement a full Knowledge Retention Program, there are things that managers can do to assist in stemming the loss of knowledge through attrition by modifying this program to fit the work unit. An unofficial program can easily be adapted for the unit level application. If successful, the manager can market the program and benefits to upper management with a goal of obtaining management buy-in. HR Consultants at OSP are available for assistance.