Institutional Knowledge

Within some organizations, internal and/or external communications rest exclusively with perhaps only one or two individuals, who have developed their own processes and relationships over time, and who retain virtually all institutional knowledge (a/k/a institutional memory) in their heads.

In many such cases, leadership deems communications to be largely successful, and is weary of “fixing something that isn’t broken.” However, such situations pose enormous risks, as the departure of a single employee could result in disastrous impacts to an entire communications program—and the organization’s bottom line. Smaller organizations, including startups and nonprofits, need to be especially mindful of such risks.