In their article, “Tacit Knowledge Cultivation as an Essential Component of Developing Experts” by LisaRe Brooks Babin and Alice J. (Sena) Garven, emphasizes the critical role of tacit knowledge in developing experts within the U.S. military.
You can read the full article here: https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Journal-of-Military-Learning/Journal-of-Military-Learning-Archives/JML-Apr-2019/Babin-Garvin-Tacit-Knowledge/
The authors begin by differentiating between explicit knowledge (codified, easily communicated, like textbook information) and tacit knowledge (personal, intuitive, gained through experience, like riding a bike). They argue that while explicit knowledge is important, tacit knowledge is often the larger and more crucial component for true expertise, citing the example of marksmanship where the majority of learning comes from practice and feedback, not just reading manuals.
The article highlights that in increasingly complex and uncertain military environments, the ability to quickly acquire and apply tacit knowledge is essential for agility, adaptability, and effective responses to challenges. They discuss that the military already engages in some tacit knowledge transfer through methods like after-action reviews and “right seat rides,” but more systematic approaches are needed.
To better cultivate and transfer tacit knowledge, the authors propose measuring both explicit and tacit knowledge. They connect tacit knowledge development to Bloom’s Taxonomy, illustrating how higher cognitive levels (application, analysis, evaluation, and creation) inherently involve more tacit knowledge. They also present the work of Robert Sternberg and his team, who developed scenario-based instruments to measure tacit knowledge in military leaders by categorizing it into intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational domains.
The article concludes by advocating for further research to assess tacit knowledge transfer in military education and training. The goal is to determine the optimal balance of explicit and tacit knowledge required for various military roles and to improve talent management, training, and deployment strategies for the total force.
You can read the full article here: https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Journal-of-Military-Learning/Journal-of-Military-Learning-Archives/JML-Apr-2019/Babin-Garvin-Tacit-Knowledge/
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