Is the awareness and understanding of a set of information and the ways that information can be?

When creating a knowledge management strategy, the different types of knowledge must be taken into account in order for the end result (of creating a knowledge base) to be as useful as possible in both the short and long terms. So how can you best understand things like explicit vs tacit knowledge? Let’s dive in!

1. Explicit knowledge
2. Implicit knowledge
3. Tacit knowledge
4. Procedural knowledge
5. Declarative knowledge
6. A Posteriori knowledge
7. A Priori knowledge

The 7 types of knowledge

1. Explicit knowledge

Explicit knowledge is knowledge covering topics that are easy to systematically document (in writing), and share out at scale: what we think of as structured information. When explicit knowledge is well-managed, it can help a company make better decisions, save time, and maintain an increase in performance.

These types of explicit knowledge are all things that have traditionally been what has been captured in a knowledge base or as part of a knowledge management strategy. It’s formalized documentation that can be used to do a job, make a decision, or inform an audience.

Explicit knowledge examples

Companies can share explicit knowledge by maintaining well-documented information in the company knowledge base. Examples of explicit knowledge include things like FAQs, instructions, raw data and related reports, diagrams, one-sheets, and strategy slide decks.

Here is an example of documented explicit knowledge:

Learn more about structuring knowledge.

2. Implicit knowledge

Implicit knowledge is, essentially, learned skills or know-how. It is gained by taking explicit knowledge and applying it to a specific situation. If explicit knowledge is a book on the mechanics of flight and a layout diagram of an airplane cockpit, implicit knowledge is what happens when you apply that information in order to fly the plane.

Implicit knowledge is gained when you learn the best way to do something. You can then take that experience and synthesize it with other learned information in order to solve an entirely new problem.

This type of knowledge has traditionally been excluded from formal knowledge bases, as it can be difficult to document and capture in a scalable way. In order to add it to a knowledge base, think of it this way: “What new thing did I learn, would it be useful to others, and how can I explain it?” Here is an example of documented implicit knowledge:

Implicit knowledge examples

While implicit knowledge can be more difficult to document, some examples of implicit knowledge could include an individual’s ability to prioritize tasks or juggle projects to meet deadlines.

3. Tacit knowledge

Tacit knowledge is intangible information that can be difficult to explain in a straightforward way, such as things that are often “understood” without necessarily being said, and are often personal or cultural. This type of knowledge is informal, learned with experience over time, and usually applies to a specific situation.

When it can be captured (if it’s not, for instance, a feeling), it should be added to a knowledge base. Doing so makes it easy to share expertise gained over time with others who may need it.

Tacit knowledge examples

Tacit knowledge can be difficult to transfer and usually isn’t able to be stored. An example of tacit knowledge could be a salesperson’s ability to know the perfect time to give their pitch during a meeting. A combination of experience, reading social cues, and other personal factors must come together to form that unique bit of knowledge.

Since this knowledge is learned with experience over time, companies can help employees strengthen their tacit knowledge by sharing techniques and tips on handling certain situations. An example of this could be a list of phrases for sales leads to look out for when dealing with customer complaints. The sales lead could better understand how to ‘read’ or rectify a situation by being prepared with possible conversation outcomes.

Here’s an example of documented tacit knowledge:

4. Declarative knowledge

Declarative knowledge which can be also understood as propositional knowledge, refers to static information and facts that are specific to a given topic, which can be easily accessed and retrieved. It’s a type of knowledge where the individual is consciously aware of their understanding of the subject matter.

This type of knowledge is typically stored in documentation or databases and focuses more on the 'who', 'what', 'where', and 'when' behind information and less on the 'how' or 'why'. When documented, it creates the foundation for understanding the subject matter and can help companies improve how they share procedural and explicit knowledge.

Declarative knowledge examples

Some examples of declarative knowledge include an individual's ability to know what the company goals are for the year. The individual can also understand how performance will be measured due to reading the company newsletter where the goals and metrics are shared across teams.

5. Procedural knowledge

Procedural knowledge focuses on the ‘how’ behind which things operate, and is demonstrated through one’s ability to do something. Where declarative knowledge focuses more on the ‘who, what, where, or when’, procedural knowledge is less articulated and shown through action or documented through manuals.

Procedural knowledge examples

Stemming from the root “procedure”, an example of procedural knowledge could include a standard operating procedure on how to do specific tasks, or use certain equipment in an organization.

6. A Posteriori knowledge

A posteriori knowledge is a subjective type of knowledge that is gained from individual experience. While this type of knowledge isn’t one to be documented on a company’s knowledge base, it still plays a critical role in the success of teams. This kind of knowledge gives individuals the ability to know their strengths and weaknesses that stem from their experiences, and can help companies diversify their teams skill set.

A Posteriori knowledge examples

Due to a posteriori knowledge being derived from individual experiences, some examples of a posteriori knowledge could include an individual's ability to lead teams based on their previous roles in management, or the ability to de-escalate or diffuse tense situations.

7. A Priori knowledge

A priori knowledge is the opposite of posteriori knowledge, and is gained independent of experience or evidence. This type of knowledge is often shared through logical reasoning, or one's ability to think abstractly. Although a priori knowledge isn’t necessarily documented, it’s often shown in the form of team’s ability to understand and reason when faced with situations.

A Priori knowledge examples

Examples of a priori knowledge could include one’s ability to excel in mathematics, or logical reasoning due to their natural ability to understand and interpret information without needing further explanation.

Frequently asked questions about the types of knowledge

What is the importance of explicit knowledge?

Explicit knowledge plays an important role in organizations, due to its ability to be easily articulated, documented, and accessed. Since explicit knowledge can be easily shared across teams, this type of knowledge allows companies to save time by maintaining a single source of truth.

How can explicit knowledge be improved?

Explicit knowledge maintains a single source of truth within an organization, being open to team feedback on ideas for continuous improvement can help improve explicit knowledge.

How do you gain tacit knowledge?

One of the easiest ways to gain tacit knowledge is by observing others in the workplace, whether it be how they prioritize, address or scale tasks and projects.

What are the positive aspects of procedural knowledge?

Since procedural knowledge is focused on the ability to take action, some positive aspects of procedural knowledge include being goal-oriented and having the ability to problem-solve.

What is an awareness and understanding of a set of information and ways that information can be made useful to support a specific task or reach a decision?

Which of the following is the awareness and understanding of a set of information and ways that information can be made useful?

Is the awareness and understanding of something based on information acquired about it?

What is data and information and knowledge?