Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
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What about when late-career workers will not share their knowledge with the experientially-challenged? We have seen in previous posts how this can be very advantageous to early-career workers who want to learn quickly and appreciate higher-level contacts in their company. It can improve performance and retention.
One of the standard strategies to handle a difficult employee is to first initiate a conversation where you find out what is exactly the problem. In the case of a late-career worker who does not want to share expertise, you might not get a straight answer. Why would she tell you she is afraid of becoming obsolete? Why would he tell you he wants to keep his professional advantage of having this special expertise?
So let’s say that your organization has done all it can to create an environment supportive of the late-career worker, but you still have such workers who are non-cooperative in helping early-career workers. What do you do? You probably will have to assume the problem is the fear of losing prestige from giving up critical knowledge and intervene appropriately.
The experienced employees need guarantees that they will not be terminated. Explain that they are needed to coach the less experienced workers for years to come. If you cannot make these guarantees, then find someone more appropriate who can. If nobody can, then find other late-career workers who are not concerned with providing their expertise. And check into this worrisome issue of what the plans are for late-career workers in your organization!
Posted on: May 25, 2007 02:11 PM |
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