Sharing Knowledge, learning and teaching on the job
I spoke to a person who had just started his first job in molecular biology research. He was really happy to be shown some of the lessons learnt by a colleague in the laboratory. This colleague had been on the job for several years and knew where certain chemicals were stored, how much was ideal for each experiment, etc. This advice and help was crucial in reducing the time needed to learn the ropes and the cost of the paraphernalia that would have been otherwise wasted. I congratulated the new recruit on finding a knowledgable person who was willing to help. I also congratulated him on his willingness to ask for and accept help.
Key to adding value fast
The imperative these days is to add value to any organisation as soon as possible after you join. The ability to do this is in large part dependent on understanding how the organisation fits into its ecosystem, interacts with all its stakeholders, and really works internally. What you have been told in the interview stage and the reality on the ground can be and often is very different. Despite all the process documentation that has been done in most companies, a large amount of crucial knowledge resides in the minds of your fellow team members and nowhere else.
The ability to tap into this crucial undocumented knowledge is important. The willingness to share knowledge is also important. Taken together they form a key ingredient to success.
Building a strong team
In contrast, I remember a colleague I worked with in the telecommunications industry. We received a really good book on how the GSM technology worked. This colleague acquired the book and locked it in his desk. He did not even read it himself. We had to prise it from him almost by force. Perhaps he hoped to acquire the information from the book by osmosis.
If you are a manager looking to build a strong team, look for people who ask when they have doubts and are willing to help others. These personnel are the glue that will hold the rest of the team together. This does not mean that you should not have mavericks in the team. The person in the telecom example above was a great salesman. He just did things in his own individualistic way and to the irritation of his colleagues. But he was necessary to the success of the team as well.
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