At Streamlion Consulting, a Berkshire-based firm specialising in SME funding and growth strategies, capturing this intangible asset has become an art form crucial to its success. Like many business owners, founder Helen Steel has decades of experience under her belt, with tacit knowledge that is often difficult to sum up in a simple form. Capturing this type of knowledge is essential for Streamlion Consulting to be successful in applying for grants and funding on behalf of its clients. Helen discusses the importance of collating tacit knowledge in business.

The Power of Conversation

It's when we speak that we become most animated about our deep skills and knowledge. There's a magic that happens in dialogue that's hard to replicate in writing.

This observation hits at the heart of why tacit knowledge is so valuable – and so challenging to document. We're taught to write in a formal style, which often results in a pale shadow of our true thoughts and experiences. The richness of our expertise, the nuances of our understanding, and the depth of our insights often get lost in translation when we try to commit them to paper.

Capturing the Unsaid

To harness this wealth of knowledge, Streamlion Consulting has developed innovative methods for capturing dialogues. We've found that informal chats, team discussions, and even heated debates are goldmines for tacit knowledge. We use a combination of recording techniques – from traditional notetaking to AI-powered voice recognition – to ensure we don't miss those fleeting moments of brilliance.

The company has also implemented a system of 'knowledge cafes' – regular, informal gatherings where team members share stories, challenges, and solutions. These sessions are carefully documented, not just for their content, but for the emotion, enthusiasm, and non-verbal cues that often accompany the most valuable insights.

From Conversation to Application

The real challenge lies in translating these captured conversations into actionable knowledge, particularly when it comes to securing funding for clients. When we're helping a client apply for a grant or startup funding, we're not just relying on what's written in their business plan. We're drawing on the unspoken intuition we've gathered – the tone of voice when a founder talks about their business innovation, the spark in their eye when describing their target market.

This approach has proven particularly effective in grant writing. Tacit knowledge in grant writing isn't about what you know, but how you use it. It's the difference between listing qualifications and knowing exactly which experiences will resonate with a particular funding body.

The Invisible Edge

The value of this approach becomes clear when considering the competitive landscape of funding applications. In a world where everyone has access to the same information, it's the unwritten, unspoken knowledge that will make you stand out.

This invisible edge manifests in various ways:

1. Reading Between the Lines: Experienced grant writers can often discern the real priorities of a funding body, even when they're not explicitly stated

2. Narrative Crafting: Knowing how to tell a compelling story that goes beyond mere facts and figures

3. Networking Insights: Understanding the importance of building relationships within the funding community and how to leverage these connections appropriately

4. Timing and Trends: Recognising the optimal moments to submit applications and identifying emerging areas of interest before they become mainstream

5. Budget Nuances: Grasping the unwritten rules about budget allocation that can make or break an application

The Challenge of Preservation

While the value of tacit knowledge is clear, preserving and sharing it remains a significant challenge. We're constantly experimenting with ways to codify this learned information without losing its essence. It's a delicate balance between structure and spontaneity.

The Future of Knowledge Management

As funding landscapes become increasingly competitive, the ability to leverage tacit knowledge in grant applications is becoming a crucial skill. For institutions and individuals alike, finding ways to capture, share, and utilise this hidden wisdom can be the key to securing and sharing knowledge. The art of conversation and the ability to capture its essence may well be the most valuable skill of all.

A study by Kucharska & Erickson (2023) into tacit knowledge acquisition and sharing in the US and Poland concluded: "Tacit knowledge acquisition and sharing among workers should be a priority for IT organisations interested in innovation. Tacit knowledge creation can be directly linked to innovation outcomes, whether the source of knowledge is hands-on learning (learning by doing) or sharing by others (learning by interaction)."

In the world of grant applications, what you know is important. But increasingly, it's what you know beyond the obvious – and how you articulate it – that makes all the difference.