Definition:
The SECI Model, developed by Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi, is a knowledge management framework that describes how knowledge is created, shared, and transformed within an organization through four continuous modes of conversion between tacit knowledge (personal, experience-based, hard to express) and explicit knowledge (documented, codified, easily shared).
Knowledge doesn’t just sit still — it constantly transforms and spirals outward from individuals to teams to the entire organization.
Two Types of Knowledge First
| Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 🧠 Tacit | Personal, intuitive, hard to put into words | How a chef feels when dough is perfectly kneaded |
| 📄 Explicit | Written down, codified, easily transferred | A recipe with exact measurements and steps |
The SECI model is essentially the story of how these two types of knowledge continuously convert into each other.
Example:
| Industry | S | E | C | I |
|----------|---|---|---|---|
| 🏥 Healthcare | Surgeon mentors resident in OR | Resident documents new surgical technique | Technique merged into hospital protocol | Doctors practice until it's muscle memory |
| 🏭 Manufacturing | Master technician shows repair tricks | Tricks written into maintenance manual | Manual combined with safety standards | Workers practice until repairs are automatic |
| 🎓 Education | Teacher models problem-solving live | Teacher writes lesson plan | Lesson plans compiled into curriculum | Students practice until concepts are intuitive |
| 💻 Tech | Senior dev pair-programs | Dev writes architecture decision records | ADRs merged into engineering handbook | New devs build features until patterns are instinct |