Forgive me for being explicit ......

I remember watching someone give a presentation many years ago.

I can’t remember their name. Or what they were talking about. But…. It had a profound and unsettling effect on me.

Said presenter was using PowerPoint. He gave us an overview of a particularly complicated process using Slide 1. He then used Slide 2 and explained a small part of it. He then made Slide 1 reappear without reversing through his presentation! Now he had my attention. I sat for an hour trying to work out what he knew that I didn’t. At the end I couldn’t help myself and approached him to ask how this sorcery had been achieved. He explained he duplicated the overview slide after every component part slide.

Have you ever had a magic trick explained and wonder whether you are the only one in the audience daft enough not to have worked out how it was done? That’s how I felt. It was so obvious now it was explained. I’ve used it ever since. Go on, I know you’re dying to pinch it. Have it on me.

Of course, his presentation wasn’t about how to train trainers. It was just a presentation. About something. The presenter wasn’t trying to teach me how to present. I just picked it up watching him. He seemed quite surprised when I asked him how it was done. He thought it was obvious. He didn’t even realise he did it as he used it so often. I asked him where he got the idea. He looked puzzled and said he couldn’t remember. I had more questions but I could tell I was irritating him by now and I hadn’t bought a copy of his autographed book. I left.

That’s tacit knowledge. The stuff you pick up when you are watching people. Or listening to them. It might simply be an overheard phone conversation or you might be watching them interacting with someone else. Having a heated row. Using a tried and tested technique for getting their own way. You know the kind of stuff. The stuff you experience when you are working in close proximity with someone. Remember that?

And therein lies a problem. We’re not working in close proximity with others. Teams and Zoom. Spaced out desks. Masks. The tacit transfer is missing. Years of shortcuts, personal effectiveness, honing banter. It’s gone. Or going.

Therefore, you’ll forgive me for currently being explicit. That is, you’ll have to rely on everything that is written down. Documents. Procedures. Structures. You can’t be around me or your colleagues.

So how do we stop this loss of precious information?

We have to be inventive. It’s not enough to have people explain to others how they do things. Many won’t even realise what it is they are doing. We need to create opportunities for them to work together. Even at distance. Pair them up and set them virtual based projects. Arrange cross function meetings to talk about current systems and how they could improve their collaboration. Have a sandwich together. Six feet apart.

Think about the potential for information and talent loss. What are you and your team going to do??