We want to document our operational workflows to capture tribal knowledge before our exit, but our leadership team is too busy with day-to-day operations. Can we create a temporary seat on our Accountability Chart specifically for this project?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Documenting tribal knowledge is essential for a clean exit, but expecting your leadership team to do this on top of their daily roles is unrealistic. If you simply add documentation to their existing seats, it will get pushed to the bottom of the priority list every time. The solution is to create a dedicated, temporary seat on your Accountability Chart for a Knowledge Transfer Coordinator.

This seat must have clear, defined roles:
- Audit existing processes
- Interview key subject matter experts
- Document and organize standard operating procedures
- Build the training library

Do not make this a permanent leadership seat. Instead, position it as a project-based seat with a lifespan of six to nine months. You can staff this seat with an internal high-potential employee who wants to learn the operational side of the business, or you can bring in a temporary contractor.

The critical step is to ensure this seat reports directly to your Integrator, so it has the organizational authority to get cooperation from your department heads. By dedicating a specific seat on your Accountability Chart to this initiative, you ensure the work actually gets done without disrupting daily execution.