Knowledge Sharing

DatabaseHead

Just curious how you senior guys operate as far as knowledge sharing goes?

One part of me believes in the whole karma thing and strongly believes in passing information on, then there is the other side. Why should I spoon feed someone who hasn't put the time in and put myself at potential risk and devaluing my worth to my organization.

This is how I rectified my situation, I stacked my top 10 skills that I currently possess, all technical in nature. Soft skills I freely share without reservation. The top 2 - 3 I don't openly share I keep them to myself, that way I protect myself. 4 - 10 I share with my younger co-workers to help bring them along. These are truly hard skills that lead them to greener pastures, but I still refuse to show my top 2 - 3. Note -- I have seen several younger guys/gals go on to make even more than I through the skills I taught them.

A former director told me a funny story that addressed this very scenario.

Summarized version

Tiger is sick and unable to get food
Cousin cat shows Tiger how to hunt stalk etc.
Tiger gets hungry and tries to jump on cat to eat
Cat jumps up in tree avoids the attack
Tiger says to Cat I thought you taught me everything you know
Cat replies I have to survive as well

dhay13

My last manager was very selective as to what he shared. He had no IT background and only knew what he learned along the way. He worked in shipping and the CEO liked him so moved him into IT when there was an opening. It was a mess when I got there and I was able to fix some stuff but there were a few systems that only he had admin access to and he wouldn't share the passwords. I had access to the DC and pretty much ran active directory, firewall, etc., and a few other things. But he had our MRP system locked down and he was the only one that had access or knew how it worked. He was also the only one in the company that had access to the safe deposit box for backups, although most of the time he 'forgot' them and they stayed in his car. When he took over as IT Manager he called the cell provider and had everyone in the company pulled from the 'approval' list so anyone that walked into the cell store had to get his approval to do anything, including the President, owner, and all the VP's. If they wanted a new phone or to make any changes to their plan he had to approve it.

As far as myself, I will help whoever needs it. I don't hold any info back. I look at it as a team and as a team we all need to work together for a common goal. That is one thing I love about my current job. No selfishness. Everyone helps each other and does whatever it takes to get the job done and nobody worries about who gets credit for it.

Trucido

I share what I know. I don't hold back unless I feel the person won't even understand what i'm talking about, in which case they probably won't be working there long anyway.

scaredoftests

I share too. What is the point to holding back? Where I work now, we share information between us if something screws up during an upgrade/patch etc.

cyberguypr

When I was 18-19 I had a very bad experience with a guy I looked up to not helping me with Windows server knowledge. He would answer questions with "that's easy" and then walk away. From that day on I decided to spend as much time as needed with people who are GENUINELY interested in learning from me. I'm known for being the guy that stops what he is doing (with limits of course) to help a jr colleague understand or complete something. I'm also big on documenting everything so anyone can pick up what I do.

E Double U

"If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your own path."

I share it all. No holding back.

gespenstern

I share everything. Job security doesn't bother me at all as I move anyways in a few years when get bored.

beads

You see this during economic downturns when people suddenly feel insecure about their positions at work. Not sharing only hurts the group in general and thus the organization as a whole. My analogy to IT work is like boxing. It only takes on bad day or fight and you'll find yourself waking up on the floor because your opponent just beat the tar out of you.

Someone else is always going to be more knowledgeable about something you don't know as well.

- b/eads

jcundiff

my last gig in management ( very large IT services/outsourced services provider) one of our metrics/performance review objectives was upward mobility of your people. If you werent developing talent, you got dinged for it at the end of the year. If you dont mentor and develop the younger generation, we are all going to pay for it at the end of the day. If you are worried about training someone enough to be able to do/take your job, then your primary focus may need to be developing your own skills while you mentor others.

DatabaseHead

Remember most skills just not all..... I don't want that to get lost in the discussion.

beads

DatabaseHead wrote: »

Remember most skills just not all..... I don't want that to get lost in the discussion.

I forget how much I have forgotten over time. Still I had a brilliant interview with someone till he became irate that I couldn't remember the exact sequence to IPL an OS360 mainframe from 30 years ago. I mean, really? Seriously? There's a "hand gesture" for that. Don't worry about the forgotten knowledge part. There's a reason we forget useless stuff.

I get up every day and know I will one of two people: The man of international mystery or the man from La Mancha. Either I am so cool I am deluding myself or I will be jousting at windmills.

By the way the term 'hack' is used in the modern sense in the first chapter of don Quixote. The book was written when...? Back in the 1600s and the slang still holds to this day.

- b/eads

alias454

If asked, I share what I know. the thing that makes me valuable isn't that I know how to click this button and that button together so this thing happens. I can tell you everything I know today; tomorrow, you will know everything I knew from a day ago and be right back behind me in line. With that said, I know what I know because I learn much of it from others. Sometimes that knowledge comes from a book or another colleague, this forum or making mistakes.

As you bring more inexperienced folks up, you also go up in value. If your company doesn't see that, find a company that does or start your own. Don't let fear be the guiding principal of your life. "A rising tide lifts all boats." Kennedy was talking about the economy but in general, that applies to knowledge as well.

Regards,

dave330i

I used to want to help, but kids these days think they know it all, so now I either point out the various flaws or don't bother.

alias454

I don't offer unless asked, you have to want to help yourself. But I don't like askholes either.

AverageJoe

Reputations are built but difficult to change. Once you're known as the guy who doesn't share/teach/help, that word starts to get around.

Management in places I've worked has valued those who can assist and mentor. Teaching a skill is a real talent, and not everyone can (or does) do it. If you're holding back in helping, you've become an impediment to the organization, and once that's realized, your days may be numbered. Another expert is always right around the corner.

BTW, that doesn't mean you should always spoon feed info. Having someone do research, experiment, or lab is part of learning. Setting a trail of breadcrumbs that someone wanting to learn can follow can be valuable. But there's a difference between helping someone learn and keeping information to yourself. And if someone you help is even more successful than you because of what you taught them, great! Success can help breed success, and then you become even more valuable in your role because you're not just a king, you're a king maker.

Just my 2 cents.
Joe

OctalDump

I'd say share as much knowledge as you can. The problem I've had is either I'm too busy to properly share (ie I can spend 25 minutes explaining this to you, or I can spend 3 minutes and do it myself), or I'm working with people that are too proud to ask.

In the end, it's usually not your knowledge that matters but your skills: being able to learn quickly, knowing where to find answers, being able to understand the question being asked, being able to deliver value to the organisation. This is especially true when what you are explaining is something that you figured out yourself. Not everyone has that skill to figure things out for themselves.

My experience is that the people that are motivated primarily through fear of losing their job, are bad workers. Bad to work with, bad to work under, bad to have working for you. If you are good at your job, you should (hopefully) not fear losing your job since either your current employer will see your value, or there will be another waiting for you.

Lexluethar

I find those who don't share knowledge are either insecure about their job (worried showing someone something will mean they won't get to do said thing) or they are incapable or articulating how to accomplish a task.

I share as much information as I can. Means less work for me and the more the next guy knows the less work off hours I have to do (on call, weekends) because others can do it.

dustervoice

I give all knowledge away as i didnt originate it ..got it from someone else.

DatabaseHead

Thanks for all the great thoughts.

Thoughts on spoon feeding? We've all done it, some more than others.... Do you, will you spoon feed your peers? What about time monopolizers? From personal experience this can create bad habits.

thomas_

I'm not quite sure what spoon-feeding means to you, but I don't spoon feed people. If they come to me and ask questions I'll answer their questions and help them understand. However, I'm not going to actively seek out people and try to teach them something. If they want to know something and think that I can help them learn it then they have to seek me out.

I've never had a time monoploizer, but I would imagine that I would point them into a study resource that they could look at on their own time. Once they read up and studied up on the subject then I would be willing to help them understand parts that they are not understanding.

I'm willing to meet people half-way, but that half-way point is them having enough initiative and motivation to seek me out.

iBrokeIT

DatabaseHead wrote: »

Thoughts on spoon feeding? We've all done it, some more than others.... Do you, will you spoon feed your peers? What about time monopolizers? From personal experience this can create bad habits.

For me, everyone starts out with respect and I freely share my knowledge but if you start to be THAT GUY then...

I usually start off with a probing question like "What have tried?" to find out where their troubleshooting process is failing. If they aren't going to put any effort into solving their own problems why should I? On the other side, I'll usually say I remember there being a resource, vendor documentation, knowledge base article ect that covers that issue/topic.

UnixGuy

beads wrote: »

...

I get up every day and know I will one of two people: The man of international mystery or the man from La Mancha. Either I am so cool I am deluding myself or I will be jousting at windmills.

I'm Milton from office space

--chris--

I share it all. I want my guys to be able to take my job, it lets me focus on my boss's job.

scaredoftests

UnixGuy wrote: »

I'm Milton from office space

LOL. With a red stapler I hope.

varelg

I wonder where knowledge sharing stops and tutoring begins. Yeah, I'll answer your question but there are limits...

DatabaseHead

@varelg - This is a great point, how do you manage against this?

UnixGuy

scaredoftests wrote: »

LOL. With a red stapler I hope.

Actually yes...there is one next to my screen and I kept it as a joke...

DatabaseHead

Just to conclude I agree knowledge sharing is huge, but like Varleg and a few others have mentioned, there is a limit before it hurts your own productivity.

Share all, but not at the cost of your own job.

DoubleNNs

I think people who hoard information are weak. It's out of fear. And if they really believe that answering a few questions for a junior would hurt them in the end, they must not be all that good to begin with.

I've actually struggled w/ finding a mentor my entire career, even tho I've only been in IT for 3 years. I simply haven't been able to, for various reasons or another.
Which sucks.

DoubleNNs

Lack of time is a horrible excuse too. Once you share the knowledge (and hopefully documentation) you now have more people capable of doing the task you were doing prior. Which frees up your time.

Remedymp

alias454 wrote: »

I don't offer unless asked, you have to want to help yourself. But I don't like askholes either.

Get out of IT then.