Two ways to go about knowledge sharing in the workplace are through narrated work or through observable work. The concepts are similar but there are important differences.
Observable Work = Work in Progress
Keeping your work-in-progress and other files on a company shared drive is one way to make your work observable. People can not only see what you’re working on, they can get an idea how you do it.
Narrated Work Captures Process Details for Others to See
Narrated work can mean blogging, tweeting, journaling or otherwise publishing specific details about work you are doing. It is a way to take tacit knowledge (the details that only you know) and make it explicit (available to others). But the work of capturing all the details of your job in writing takes a lot of overhead in terms of thought, energy and time.
Working Out Loud
Combining observable work with narrated work produces with Bryce Williams calls “Working Out Loud,” a kind “follow along and learn” process of knowlege sharing.
SOURCE Bryce Williams When will we Work Out Loud? Soon!
SEE ALSO
Andy Matuschack’s take on observable work is what he calls “working with the garage door up.”
