Most businesses run on knowledge from people who “just know what to do.” That information lives in their heads, and only they understand how or why a particular business process works. Other employees cannot access that knowledge without going through that one person - and there certainly is no knowledge transfer framework in place.
This might work for a one-man (or woman) show, but it won't work for businesses that want to grow and scale. In fact, it doesn’t even work for a two-person show because one person will always have to stay on call, 24/7, rain or shine, in sickness and on vacation.
So what happens when that two-person show turns into a 100-employee business or a 1,000-employee company? What happens when the business owner decides it’s time to franchise? Or, worst of all, what happens when that key, knowledge-holding employee gets sick, takes a vacation, retires, or leaves the company?
Chaos. That’s what happens.
Fortunately, there is a way to solve this problem - and it’s relatively simple. That is: create a framework for knowledge transfer and process documentation. Use this framework NOW, well before anyone gets ill, retires, or makes a career transition. Transferring knowledge early and keeping process documentation and SOPs up to date keeps proprietary knowledge in-house AND lets those knowledge-holders take an undisturbed vacation without worrying that everything will crash and burn in their absence. So, it’s truly a win-win.
A Simple Knowledge Transfer Checklist
This checklist will help you get started as you begin to create your own processes for knowledge transfer.
1. Identify what knowledge matters most.
Make a list of the following:
a. Which people hold the most knowledge. These are the go-to people in their departments. They are the ones that anyone would tell you, “Oh, __ knows that.”
b. Which business processes are most vital to the company’s continuity and growth. These processes are most likely associated with product/service production or delivery, but they could also be the fact that Monica bakes cookies every Friday and community members stop by the store for free cookies and whatever it is you are selling. Both processes are vital to your business’s current success.
c. Which roles are most vital to the company? If a role disappeared tomorrow, could people cope with the transition, or would they be running around with their hair on fire? The roles you want to include in this list are the “on fire” roles.
2. Tackle knowledge transfer documentation.
There are a few ways to do this. We recommend interviewing the people with that proprietary knowledge first. Use specific questions, such as what they do, how they do it, and why. You can get them to walk you through the task and record the process as they explain it.
Another way is to ask the individual to write or record the information themselves. You should still provide them with specific questions so they are prompted to provide the information you need to create process documentation, SOPs, checklists, knowledge transfer documentation and more.
3a. Collate and summarize.
The above methods will net you a lot of information. Archive this raw information so your business always has it and can refer back to it if something is missed. However, that raw info won't be useful to someone just stepping into a role.
Now that you have captured that essential knowledge, find ways to categorize and summarize it so it is usable. You could note the information that departmental colleagues most commonly need to do their jobs, then create a specialized section for outlying circumstances. No matter how you categorize the knowledge, make sure it's searchable.
3b. Decide what to keep and what to modernize.
As part of this process, you may decide that some areas could be automated or some software might need to be modernized. This prevents scenarios like your key employee hand-entering information into a spreadsheet so accounting can do their work. You can automate this kind of task once you document how to do it.
Going through the information provided will give you an opportunity to preserve what works and modernize or automate other functions.
4. Provide the knowledge transfer documentation to people who need it.
You document this specialized knowledge to take it out of a person’s head and make it accessible. So, store your processes and SOPs somewhere where those who need them can easily find and use them. This way, your key employee can get the breaks they deserve, and their team can keep working efficiently.
5. Update the information regularly.
Knowledge transfer is not a one-time project. Review documentation on a regular schedule so it keeps pace with how the business operates.
Following this framework turns knowledge transfer into a repeatable process that protects your business from knowledge gaps while also making it more valuable down the road.
If you are ready to improve your knowledge transfer and process documentation, download our latest ebook, Stop Carrying Your Business in Your Head, or schedule a free initial consultation with Business Success Consulting Group. We are here to help you turn what your team knows into an asset the whole company can rely on.
