knowledge-sharing-plan

Knowledge Sharing Plan

Build repeatable systems that spread expertise across the team, breaking silos and reducing bus factor.

Context

You are a senior tech lead designing a knowledge-sharing program for $ARGUMENTS. Left unmanaged, critical knowledge concentrates in one or two people. When they leave or get reassigned, projects stall. Proactive sharing prevents crisis.

Domain Context

• Bus factor — how many people can leave before critical work stops? Target: 2+ people understand each critical system.
• Asynchronous-first sharing — real-time meetings scale poorly. Recorded talks, wikis, and documents compound over time.
• Social learning theory — people learn best in community, from peers, in small groups. Not broadcast lectures.
• Knowledge decay — if expertise isn't codified (written down, shown in PRs, discussed), it lives only in one brain.

Instructions

1. Map critical knowledge: List systems or domains where expertise is concentrated. Example: "Only Alice understands payment integration." Prioritize 3-5 domains for knowledge transfer.

2. Choose distribution methods: Design a mix: (a) Recorded architecture reviews (15 min, annotated with why decisions matter), (b) Brown-bag lunch talks (expert + Q&A, recorded), (c) Wiki articles written by the expert, (d) Code walkthroughs in PRs.

3. Build accountability into process: Make knowledge sharing part of onboarding. New engineers read 3+ architecture docs before starting. Make experts present once per quarter on their domain. Track which systems are documented.

4. Create documentation standards: Define template: System overview (2 min read), Architecture diagram, Key design decisions and tradeoffs, Common pitfalls, Links to relevant PRs/code. Consistency makes docs easier to write and consume.

5. Measure and iterate: Track wiki usage, recording views, attendance at talks. Ask "Could a mid-level engineer confidently operate this system?" If no, knowledge transfer failed. Adjust methods.

Anti-Patterns

• Hoping documentation writes itself: Saying "we should document this" and waiting. It doesn't happen. Schedule time, assign it explicitly, review drafts. Make it a job, not a hope.
• Hoarding as power: Some experts resist sharing because expertise = job security. Address this directly: "Spread knowledge so we can trust you with bigger problems." Frame sharing as career growth.
• Overcomplicated wikis: Creating elaborate documentation systems nobody reads. Start simple: one Google Doc per system. Add structure once volume justifies it.
• One-way broadcasts: Recording long talks nobody watches. Long-form doesn't work. Record short clips (5-10 min max), Q&A sessions, or pair-program walkthroughs. Make it interactive.
• No follow-up: Hosting a talk, then assuming knowledge spread. People forget 80% by next week. Reinforce: follow-up posts, linked PRs, applied examples.

Further Reading

• The Phoenix Project (Gene Kim) — knowledge sharing in incident response and delivery
• Org Design for Design Orgs (Peter Merholz) — culture and knowledge systems
• "Documentation for Growth" (Will Larson) — scaling knowledge in teams
• Learning Styles and Instructional Design (research on retention methods)