In project management, “tacit knowledge” is the knowledge and skills that are hard to write down or pass on to others through traditional means like written documents or training. It is often based on personal experience, gut feelings, and knowledge that has been gained over time. In project management, tacit knowledge is very important because it lets project managers use their intuition and experience to make good decisions and solve problems.
Tacit knowledge can show up in many different ways. For example, a project manager may just know when a project is going off track and needs to be fixed, even if there isn’t any specific data or metric that shows a problem. They may be able to sense the needs and concerns of project team members and stakeholders and change the way they talk to match those needs and concerns. They may also have an innate sense of how to deal with risk in projects that are hard to predict and have many moving parts.
The problem with tacit knowledge is that it’s hard to capture and share with other people. It is often learned through years of experience and can be deeply ingrained in a project manager’s instincts and decision-making processes. Some aspects of tacit knowledge can be taught through mentoring and coaching, but it can be hard to copy all of the tacit knowledge that an experienced project manager has. So, when experienced project managers retire or move on to other jobs, it can be challenging for organizations to keep and pass on this knowledge.
Usage
It is used in Risk Management, Effort Estimation, Human Resource Management, and Schedule Management
