Every company has a duty to protect and retain Intellectual Property, especially critical knowledge. Yet this precious resource simply walks out the door at the end of day. As key people leave, retire or get laid off, the brain drain begins.

If the corporation doesn't manage critical knowledge, there is a risk that one day executives will have to explain to shareholders, Congress, and regulators how that critical knowledge was lost and why it was not retained.*

They may have to explain to shareholders why it will cost $10 million and 5 years to regain that knowledge. They may have to explain to shareholders why the stock price went from $20 to $5 while you were out to lunch.

Companies need to ask themselves what is the risk if critical experts quit, get hit by a truck, or retire? What is the risk of not retaining the critical knowledge of top level experts so it can be shared and reused?

Visible Knowledge LLC helps companies retain corporate knowledge and prevent brain drain. Our approach is simple:

• documenting and retaining what your experts know and how they think
• sharing it with those who need to know

Our Legacy Interview^SM goes way beyond a typical HR exit interview. It focuses on rapidly eliciting and documenting critical knowledge so it can be shared and automated.

This service can help your company prevent brain drain and "retain the brains" of your top-level experts.

* See: BP corrosion expert job open year before spill; Vacancy hindered BP's ability to maintain a "strategic view"  of its corrosion prevention activities