Bridging Knowledge Gaps for Leadership Continuity

The Human Resources leadership inside of a petroleum organization with multi-national workforce was nearing retirement and lacked a succession plan to quickly and seamlessly transition staff into leadership roles. There were significant knowledge gaps between current leaders and staff, with undocumented processes and tacit knowledge. With senior leaders leaving within a year, a structured transition plan was essential to ensure continuity of operations.

APQC collaborated with HR leadership to map critical operational knowledge for key positions requiring short-to-midterm transitions. They captured knowledge in four areas: process, legal/regulatory, organizational, and technical. APQC developed knowledge capture and transfer plans using techniques like job shadowing, process documentation, and targeted videos. These plans aimed to facilitate staffing transitions and broader staff growth.

• Knowledge Mapping
• Knowledge Capture and Transfer
• Knowledge Management
• Process Knowledge Documentation

A structured approach for managing critical HR knowledge was established, involving broader staff engagement to evaluate, capture, and apply day-to-day knowledge. The organization developed criteria for selecting and developing successors for key roles. They also documented work procedures and created a playbook to prevent reliance on tacit knowledge held by a few leaders.

• Focus on customer service can overshadow staff development for shifting roles and attrition.
• Tacit knowledge held by key leaders and experts should be periodically evaluated and captured or shared.
• When staff leave, prioritize capturing critical knowledge to mitigate risks and maintain team performance.