What is Tacit Knowledge?

Tacit knowledge in project management is information and skills that someone possesses but may not be written down or easily explained. It’s similar to knowing how to ride a bike or make your favorite dish—it’s something you just do without thinking about it too much. In projects, tacit knowledge refers to team members’ talents, ideas, or experiences that are not explicitly documented. It’s the sort of information that individuals have in their minds from previous experiences or intuition, and it’s generally conveyed through mentorship, observation, or hands-on practice rather than being written down in manuals or guides. Capturing and sharing this knowledge among team members may be extremely beneficial in overcoming obstacles and making better decisions in a project.