People

Map the knowledge needed to deliver and sustain the outcome (domain, technical, stakeholder, process), then flag areas held by few people or with high impact if lost. A knowledge audit or knowledge map makes these gaps visible so transfer can be planned.

Information management handles explicit data and documents (storing, versioning, distributing). Knowledge management focuses on helping people apply what others know, including tacit know-how, so the organization learns and performs better.

Identify the critical knowledge the expert holds and who needs it, then plan a transfer approach (pairing, shadowing, recorded walkthroughs, documentation) within the remaining time. Analyze before acting rather than just requesting a replacement.

A learner observes an experienced person doing real work, seeing context and judgment calls that documents miss. It is effective for tacit knowledge and is often followed by reverse shadowing, where the expert observes the learner.

Have the recipient demonstrate the knowledge: teach it back, perform the task independently (reverse shadowing), or handle a real case while the expert observes. Completed documentation alone does not prove transfer.

Stories carry context, causes, and judgment (what happened, why, what was learned) that checklists strip out, and people remember them. They suit sharing experience in retrospectives, communities of practice, and onboarding.