In Episode 1, we explored the SECI model, focusing on the four modes of knowledge conversion—socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization—and how individual tacit knowledge is transformed into organizationally shared knowledge. In this Episode 2, we will examine the knowledge spiral, a process in which these conversions iterate and expand across the organization, and discuss practical approaches to activate it for driving innovation within the company.
You can find the introductory post, including links to all episodes, here.
The SECI model is not a one-time, linear process. It is iterative and expansive. As each of the four knowledge conversion modes (socialization, externalization, combination, internalization) repeats, the knowledge created doesn't just stay where it started—it grows. This dynamic process of expansion is known as the Knowledge Spiral.
The knowledge spiral captures how knowledge created by individuals gradually moves outward—first to teams, then departments, and eventually the entire organization. It crosses hierarchical levels and breaks through functional silos, making organizational knowledge creation a truly dynamic phenomenon.
Consider this: an employee in a customer service department devises a new way to handle inquiries more efficiently. Initially, this is tacit knowledge. As they share it informally with peers (socialization), the idea takes shape and is eventually written into a formal guide (externalization). That guide is then integrated with other training materials used by different departments (combination). As employees across the company adopt the guide and apply its principles, the knowledge becomes embedded in their daily routines (internalization).
This is the knowledge spiral in motion—one idea evolving into a shared organizational capability.
The spiral isn't just about growth in quantity of knowledge. It’s about the transformation of meaning and value. Each loop of the spiral reframes the knowledge in new contexts, creating opportunities for innovation and reinterpretation.
The knowledge spiral is where learning becomes systemic and innovation becomes sustainable.
Here are three actionable strategies—infused with modern tools and practices—to spark and sustain the Knowledge Spiral in today’s organizations:
1) Elevate the quality and reach of conversations with digital augmentation
In the age of hybrid work, meaningful dialogue must happen both in-person and online. Move beyond status updates and leverage tools like collaborative whiteboards, real-time transcription, and AI-assisted summarization to ensure everyone’s insights are heard and remembered. Encourage team members to share not only solutions but also their reasoning process and open questions. By combining human empathy with digital augmentation, you create richer, more inclusive conversations that fuel trust and creativity.
2) Design multi-layered “Ba” (shared spaces) that blend physical and virtual experiences
A meeting room is only one kind of Ba. Modern organizations can create layered environments: persistent online workspaces for asynchronous idea sharing, immersive virtual reality rooms for co-creation, and informal social channels that mimic the spontaneity of hallway chats. The goal is to cultivate psychological safety across all these layers so people feel free to test ideas, voice doubts, and explore unconventional perspectives—no matter where they are.
3) Actively capture, connect, and evolve knowledge assets using intelligent systems
Valuable insights shouldn’t vanish after a project ends. Modern platforms can automatically capture discussions, tag them with relevant metadata, and integrate them into knowledge graphs or enterprise search systems. Use AI to extract key takeaways, identify patterns, and suggest connections to related knowledge. This transforms knowledge from static archives into living resources that can be easily accessed, adapted, and recombined for new contexts.
When these three approaches work together, they not only accelerate the Knowledge Spiral but also expand its reach—allowing tacit knowledge to emerge, circulate, and continuously generate value in a connected, digital-first world.
As a concrete example, consider the popular corporate practice of a hackathon.
A hackathon is a short-term event, typically lasting one to three days, where participants from different departments and areas of expertise come together to focus intensely on idea generation and prototyping. Its appeal lies in the ability to combine diverse knowledge and experience across the usual boundaries of roles and hierarchies. In practice, the event progresses at remarkable speed, from icebreakers to problem definition, team formation, brainstorming, prototype development, and final presentations. Throughout this process, the four modes of the SECI model—Socialization, Externalization, Combination, and Internalization—are cycled through rapidly.
Socialization
Teams composed of members with different backgrounds and skill sets share their experiences, intuitions, and on-the-job insights directly with one another. Conversations between roles that usually do not interact often spark new perspectives and build trust. The empathy and mutual understanding established at this stage lay the foundation for subsequent idea development.
Externalization
Vague concepts or ideas in participants’ minds are converted into tangible forms such as words, sketches, storyboards, or impromptu demos. Within the limited timeframe, abstract ideas are clarified into concrete expressions that all team members can understand, reducing misalignment and establishing a clear direction.
Combination
Participants combine their knowledge, past cases, existing tools or APIs, and internal and external technical assets to design the structure of a new solution. Due to time constraints, the clever reuse and recombination of existing resources often determine success, demonstrating the value of “connecting knowledge.”
Internalization
Through actual prototyping and testing, the newly acquired knowledge and skills are internalized by participants. The rapid cycles of trial and error generate hands-on, experiential knowledge rather than just theoretical understanding. After the event, this learning remains as tacit knowledge for each participant and can be applied to future projects and daily work.
In this way, hackathons serve as a typical example of how the SECI model can be applied in practice. While a single event is short-term, running hackathons systematically and repeatedly across the organization can create a sustained knowledge spiral, continuously circulating tacit and explicit knowledge and promoting organizational knowledge creation and sharing. Behind this cycle is a critical context—or “Ba”—where participants feel free to exchange ideas and experiment without fear of failure.
In the next Episode 3, we will take a closer look at 'Ba'—the context that shapes knowledge creation—and explore how the design of spaces and relationships supports the generation of knowledge.
