Knowledge Management Glossary

A structured debriefing process used to analyze what happened, why it happened, and how it can be done better, originally developed by the U.S. Army.

A Japanese concept introduced by Nonaka referring to a shared space (physical, virtual, or mental) for knowledge creation and sharing.

Methods or techniques that have consistently shown superior results compared to alternatives and are used as benchmarks for quality and performance.

A group of people who share a domain of interest and engage in collective learning through regular interaction and knowledge exchange.

A sense-making framework created by Dave Snowden that categorizes situations into five domains to guide appropriate management and decision-making approaches.

A collaborative web-based platform that allows organizational members to create, edit, and share knowledge articles and documentation.

A searchable database that maps individuals to their areas of knowledge and skill, helping others locate subject matter experts within an organization.

Knowledge that has been documented, codified, and stored in a structured format that can be easily communicated and shared.

The knowledge, skills, competencies, and attributes embodied in individuals that contribute to organizational value creation.

The total intangible value of an organization's knowledge, comprising human capital, structural capital, and relational capital.

A systematic assessment of an organization's knowledge assets, flows, needs, and gaps to inform knowledge management strategy.

The framework of policies, roles, and processes that guide how knowledge is created, validated, shared, maintained, and retired within an organization.

The systematic process of creating, capturing, organizing, sharing, and applying knowledge to achieve organizational objectives.

A visual representation of knowledge sources, flows, and gaps within an organization used for strategic planning.

A centralized database or platform for storing, organizing, and retrieving an organization's documented knowledge assets.

Strategies to preserve critical organizational knowledge, particularly when experienced employees depart through retirement or turnover.

Isolated pockets of knowledge within an organization where information does not flow between departments or teams.

The process of moving knowledge from one individual, team, or organizational unit to another.

An employee whose primary contribution is based on specialized knowledge, analysis, and intellectual capabilities rather than manual labor.

An organization that continuously transforms itself by facilitating the learning of all its members and adapting based on new knowledge.

Documented insights from past experiences that capture successes, failures, and recommendations for future improvement.

The process through which an organization collectively acquires, interprets, and applies knowledge to adapt and improve its performance.

A knowledge creation framework by Nonaka and Takeuchi with four conversion modes: Socialization, Externalization, Combination, and Internalization.

Learning that occurs through observation, interaction, and collaboration with others, often in informal settings rather than structured training.

Personal, experience-based knowledge that is difficult to articulate, codify, or transfer through formal documentation.