Keeping what people know.
WHAT THE RISK IS
Knowledge held in one person's head.
WHAT THAT PRODUCES
Escalation to that person for everything A crisis when they leave
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
Write things down as they are learned.
WHEN
Immediately after resolving something unusual.
WHAT TO CAPTURE
The symptom How it was diagnosed What resolved it
WHAT TO AVOID
Documentation projects scheduled and never done.
WHY
Documentation written in bulk is out of date and nobody reads it.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
A small note per unusual ticket.
WHAT TO REVIEW
Escalations, for patterns indicating undocumented knowledge.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE ANYONE LEAVES
A structured handover of what only they know.
HOW TO FIND IT
Ask what they are asked about most.
WHAT TO ALSO CAPTURE
Relationships: which customers they know, and what is agreed with them.
WHY
Informal arrangements are invisible and binding.
WHAT TO CROSS-TRAIN
Anything only one person can do.
WHY
It is a risk regardless of departure: illness and leave happen.
WHAT TO TEST
Whether someone else can actually do it.
