If you haven’t already, review the Systems Scale Relationships Philosophy page before starting. It explains the mindset behind this workshop and how to think through the MiM™ lens when guiding your client.
What is Arkenology™?
Arcanology, as a real word, is the scientific study of magic—how it works and how it interacts with natural laws.
Arkenology™, the term we created, blends archaeology and knowledge. In many organizations, critical knowledge is buried beneath day-to-day operations—inside people’s experience, undocumented processes, or work that simply “happens” without being fully understood.
The Arkenology™ Program is a structured process for uncovering that hidden knowledge and making it usable across the business.
Working with leadership and key team members, we identify areas where important knowledge exists but is difficult to access, document, or improve. Through guided interviews and AI-assisted analysis, we surface how work actually happens inside the organization.
That knowledge is then organized into a searchable system that allows teams to:
- Access expertise that previously lived with only a few individuals
- Understand and document operational processes
- Identify inefficiencies or manual work that could be improved or automated
- Preserve important business knowledge as teams evolve
The result is a clearer picture of how the organization actually operates—and a practical system for using that knowledge to improve the business.
In simple terms, Arkenology™ takes knowledge that is buried inside the organization and makes it visible, usable, and scalable.
When to Recommend
Arkenology™ is recommended when leaders recognize that important knowledge inside the organization is difficult to access, document, or transfer.
These signals often surface during Quick Start conversations, particularly in sessions such as:
- Growth Roles – when key expertise or institutional knowledge sits with only a few individuals
- Brand, Tech, & Tools – when processes are manual, inconsistent, or poorly documented
Coaches should consider recommending this program when they observe signals such as:
- Key processes rely on the experience of specific individuals
- Teams struggle to transfer knowledge during onboarding or role transitions
- Work is performed manually without a clear understanding of how it happens across the organization
- Leadership wants better visibility into operational processes or improvement opportunities
The Role of the MiM™ Team
Delivering the Arkenology™ Program requires collaboration between the MiM™ Coach and a Solutions Architect from the Technology Studio.
Coach
The Coach works with leadership to clarify what knowledge the organization wants to uncover and guides the discovery conversations that surface it.
They identify the right people and processes to explore, ask the questions that bring important insights to the surface, and translate those needs into clear inputs for the Solutions Architect.
Solutions Architect
The Solutions Architect designs and builds the system that captures and organizes the organization’s knowledge.
Using the inputs provided by the Coach, they configure the AI-driven interviews, build the prototype environment, and prepare the system that will capture, structure, and make that knowledge searchable for the organization.
How They Work Together
Once the Coach has clarified with leadership what type of information they want to uncover, the Coach brings the Solutions Architect into the process.
The Solutions Architect reviews the requirements, builds the prototype system, and presents it to the client. They also train the client team members responsible for using the model so the necessary information can be captured.
Once the interviews or data collection are complete, the Solutions Architect provides the captured data to the Coach. The Coach then synthesizes the information, summarizes the key insights, and incorporates it into the final output delivered to the leadership team.
Program Outline
The Arkenology™ Program is delivered through four focused working sessions designed to uncover, structure, and institutionalize important knowledge within the organization. While the program consists of four core meetings, it is typically completed over approximately six weeks.
This extended timeline allows time between sessions for the Solutions Architect to refine the prototype as needed and for participants to complete the knowledge capture process. It also gives the Coach time to synthesize the collected information and translate it into a useful final output for the leadership team.
Each session builds on the previous one, moving from discovery to system design, implementation, and final insights.
Discovery
- Program Progress25%
60 minutes | Led by: Coach
In this session, the Coach works with leadership to clarify what type of information the organization wants to uncover and why it matters to the business. Together, the team identifies the areas of knowledge that are currently difficult to access—such as undocumented processes, operational workflows, or expertise held by specific individuals.
The goal of this session is to define the scope of the Arkenology™ system so the Solutions Architect can begin designing the model that will capture and organize that knowledge.
Click below to learn how to facilitate this session.
System Design
- Program Progress50%
90 minutes | Led by: Solutions Architect + Coach
In this session, the Solutions Architect presents the initial prototype based on the requirements gathered during Discovery. The team reviews how the system will capture the information identified in Session 1 and confirms that the structure aligns with how the organization actually operates.
Leaders also identify the individuals who will participate in the interviews or data collection process and confirm how the captured information will ultimately be used across the business.
Click below to learn how to facilitate this session.
Link Coming Soon
Implementation
- Program Progress75%
60 minutes | Led by: Solutions Architect + Coach
In this session, the Solutions Architect trains the client team members responsible for using the model. Participants learn how the system collects information, how to interact with the AI-driven interviews, and how the captured knowledge will be organized.
The goal is to ensure the organization can confidently begin capturing the information identified during Discovery.
Click below to learn how to facilitate this session.
Link Coming Soon
- Program Progress100%
Insights
90 minutes | Led by: Coach
In this session, the Coach reviews the information captured through the Arkenology™ system and synthesizes the key insights uncovered during the process. Together with leadership, the team examines what the data reveals about how the organization operates, where knowledge gaps exist, and where opportunities for improvement or automation may emerge.
The session concludes with the delivery of the final output and recommendations for how the organization can continue using and expanding the system moving forward.
Click below to learn how to facilitate this session.
Link Coming Soon
What's Next?
Arkenology™ helps leadership uncover and organize important knowledge that already exists within the organization. Once that knowledge is surfaced, the next step is determining how it can be applied to improve how the business operates.
In many cases, the insights uncovered through Arkenology™ reveal opportunities to streamline processes, improve systems, or automate manual work. These opportunities can then inform the next phase of work as the organization continues building a more scalable and efficient operating model.