In attempting to gain context for the ongoing changes and discussion surrounding the Fairfield apartments I found myself in a kind of vacuum. I knew what I’d heard said in meetings, but that information lacked context. How exactly did the Fairfield apartments come under county ownership? How was the Meeker Colorado Civic Improvement Corporation involved? When did the transfer happen? How is the Town of Meeker involved? Who made the decision, and why?
I made a couple of calls and emails, found an article in our archives, and then talked to someone who was present at the time. Her information was what I needed… institutional knowledge. (Story coming soon.)
Institutional knowledge is invaluable, in both the private and public sectors, and it’s always at risk of being lost. When it’s lost, we waste time and energy relearning something the person before us already learned. It may partially explain why the wheels of government turn so slowly, and why we seem to repeat things.
We see it on boards and clubs all the time. Members change, folks retire, elections happen, and take with them institutional knowledge. They’re the ones who know the ins and outs, the nuts and bolts, of the organization. Without them we have to reinvent the wheel, and make decisions without knowing the full story.
The good news is that institutional knowledge can be preserved, but we have to make a conscious effort to do so, and to do it in a way that can be communicated with others. Don’t limit the notion of institutional knowledge to work, either… it’s good to have for your household, too. For example, I appreciate the previous owners who penciled the furnace filter dimensions on the inside of a cabinet door in my kitchen and taped instructions for the pellet stove inside the hopper. Both save time and trouble, and that’s just part of the value of institutional knowledge.
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
