Most operational gaps are not hidden. They are discussed in hallways, mentioned in meetings, and worked around every day. The spreadsheet, the manual check, the extra phone call, the daily email—all started as temporary solutions.

Most businesses don’t struggle because they have too many exceptions. They struggle because they spend too much time searching for them.

The most valuable process in the company may not be documented in a system, a manual, or a workflow. It may be carried by a single employee. Exceptional organizations find ways to transform individual knowledge into organizational knowledge before it walks out the door—and before the reasons behind their most important decisions are forgotten.