Why Tacit Knowledge is More Important Than Deliberate Practice: Incorporating Gamification in the Workplace

Why Tacit Knowledge is More Important Than Deliberate Practice: Incorporating Gamification in the Workplace

In today's fast-paced and competitive world, the acquisition of knowledge and expertise is crucial for success in any field. Traditionally, deliberate practice has been hailed as the key to mastering a skill or becoming an expert. However, recent research suggests that tacit knowledge, which cannot be easily captured through words alone, may hold more significance than deliberate practice. Moreover, the introduction of gamification in the workplace provides a unique opportunity to enhance productivity and engagement among employees.

Tacit knowledge, as defined by Ikujiro Nonaka in "The Knowledge-Creating Company," is acquired through emulation, action, and apprenticeship. It involves learning by observing and imitating the actions of a master until the underlying principles are internalized. This type of knowledge is particularly valuable when it comes to complex judgment and decision-making, as it allows individuals to balance multiple considerations in real-time. Attempting to explain this level of expertise through explicit instructions alone is often insufficient, as the intricacies and nuances cannot be fully captured in words.

The limitations of attempting to encode tacit knowledge into expert systems became apparent when researchers realized the difficulty of encompassing all the branches, gotchas, and nuances of human expertise. Merely providing individuals with a list of procedures to follow denies them the opportunity to build their own expertise and hinders their ability to engage in creative problem-solving. Recognizing the existence and importance of tacit knowledge prompts us to shift our focus towards directly acquiring this knowledge instead of relying on explicit explanations.

Deliberate practice, on the other hand, is considered feasible only in domains with a long history of established pedagogy, such as music, math, and chess. It typically involves finding a master in the field, working under their guidance, and learning through emulation, feedback, and osmosis. This process of acquiring tacit knowledge cannot be effectively replaced by deliberate practice alone.

Interestingly, the field of Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) is actively exploring ways to enhance the acquisition of tacit knowledge. NDM methods aim to make the practice of acquiring expertise more effective and efficient, focusing on the often overlooked topic of tacit knowledge. By keeping an eye on developments in NDM, we can gain valuable insights and strategies to enhance our own learning and expertise-building processes.

Incorporating gamification into the workplace is one such development that has gained traction in recent years. Amazon, for instance, has expanded its gamification program to encourage warehouse employees to work harder. The games themselves are not designed to provide tangible, real-world benefits; instead, they serve as a means for Amazon to boost productivity in an environment that can often be monotonous and repetitive. Employees can earn rewards by playing these games, which can then be exchanged for virtual pets like penguins and dinosaurs. While it remains unclear whether these virtual pets hold any intrinsic value or can be further exchanged, employees have reported that the games help alleviate the tedium and repetition of their warehouse shifts.