Feature
As we hit the ground running in 2024, many are hoping to leave some bad habits behind. In the digital workplace, one such bad habit is knowledge hoarding — that damaging dynamic that persists year after year in companies worldwide.
The telltale signs of knowledge hoarding?
- There are recurring disconnects over how things are done and very little documentation detailing key processes.
- A small number of people, or even just one person, holds the answers to specific things, and cross-training is sporadic at best, if not nonexistent.
- Everyone knows bits and pieces about things, but critical information is kept on a need-to-know basis, even though the information is not confidential and should be widely known.
- Disconnects are prompting customer complaints.
Seems counterproductive when you look at it this way. So why does the problem persist?
The problem, said Stephanie Barnes, a knowledge management consultant and self-proclaimed “chief chaos organizer” with more than 20 years of experience, is that sharing knowledge hinges on creating trust.
And while a transition toward knowledge sharing is possible, it requires a cultural shift. Let’s dive in.
Exploring Trust and Psychological Safety
It may feel intuitive, but for true collaboration and knowledge sharing to take place, it’s crucial to create a safe environment where employees don’t fear the negative consequences of opening the books, where the information could be used against them somehow.
In an article published on Medium, Stan Garfield, knowledge management author, speaker and community leader, wrote that the reasons why some employees are concerned about sharing their knowledge is that they fear it will allow other people to be rewarded for it, without giving them credit or something in return.
Worse, he wrote, it can create a situation where they’re punished for doing so. For instance, “as a result of spending time on knowledge sharing, they don't achieve other goals which are more important to the organization.”
All this points to the bigger fear: that it could even potentially lead to job loss. This is a very real concern in a healthy economy, never mind today, when layoffs have plagued most sectors.
But while she doesn’t deny the fear of job loss, Barnes points to another trigger, one that, she believes, contributes to an even stronger psychological driving force: Knowledge is power.
On the one hand, she said, information holders may worry that if they tell people everything they know, then they won't be valued. We’ve all come across these “gurus” who wield their power of information and take pride in being the go-to resource for something.
On the other hand, while some of those gurus may be happy to spread the wealth of information they possess, those around them may fear asking for the information because that would expose the fact that they don’t know.
“They are afraid of asking or answering a question in public because it may expose their ignorance, make them appear incompetent, or subject them to criticism, blame or embarrassment for sharing something improper or incorrect,” Garfield wrote.
Both of those dynamics add to an organization’s information gaps. And the answer to this situation comes down to creating incentives and simplifying the information-sharing process.
Related Article: How Internal Communications Can Revive the Enterprise Social Network
Creating Communities of Practice and Sharing Incentives
Helping people connect so they are comfortable sharing knowledge is essential, and in her work, Barnes advises leaders to address and dispel the “misconception that sharing knowledge is a waste of time and that people should already know what they are doing.”
There can be generational differences, with veteran employees often more willing to share knowledge and mentor others, while younger or less experienced employees may be more hesitant, she said.
But there can also be situations where bad behavior is rewarded.
It sounds unlikely, but companies continuously reinforce destructive behaviors, with knowledge hoarders celebrated for their expertise when, instead, they should be applauded for sharing that expertise with others.
Unfortunately, as Garfield said, the opposite is often true; “there is no positive consequence to them for doing it,” he said. “They receive no rewards, recognition, promotions or other benefits for sharing knowledge.”
He said to rectify this situation, leadership needs to make a strong case for knowledge sharing, with clear expectations, goals and rewards, and embed it into the foundational processes of the organization so that it is not viewed as a separate task that can be avoided. “Recognize those who ask, answer and share in public, and provide ways to ask questions on behalf of others,” he said.
Companies can nurture communities within the organization by creating an environment where team success is consistently celebrated and rewarded — both the act of seeking out and disseminating information company-wide. Leaders must communicate the importance of spending time sharing information with the broadest audience possible.
Conference
Sep
16
HR Tech Conference Las Vegas 2025
Register
Conference
Oct
27
Gartner HR Symposium/Xpo Orlando 2025
Register
He cautions: it’s one thing to say this is valued and even to reward it, but it won’t happen on a larger scale unless appropriate resources are devoted to streamlining the knowledge-sharing process.
Related Article: Microsoft Teams Has a Wiki Function. Are You Using It?
Devoting Appropriate Resources to Simplify Sharing
While technology can help, it isn't enough for effective knowledge management. The human aspect, including understanding user needs and processes, is critical.
Barnes has seen and worked with organizations that have implemented top technologies that have failed. This happens “because they've not involved people in it," she said. They’ve moved ahead with software without input from the people they expect to use it. As a result, adoption falters and fizzles out.
This is a common refrain: Overlooking the human element, focusing too much on the technology and the problems it promises to solve. Often, this results in staff not being entirely clear about how to use the technology — or why they must.
“They have not received training and communications on how to share knowledge,” Garfield said. It all feels intuitive to those involved in the tech’s procurement, but it’s not. “Regularly communicate and conduct training, webinars and knowledge fairs celebrating knowledge sharing.”
Another suggestion is to create a leaderboard, where you award points and offer desirable rewards to those who share knowledge.
You can also take an unconventional approach with radical knowledge management. The idea of being playful and creative in our learning has often been educated out of us in the name of efficiency, effectiveness, analysis, logic and rationality, Barnes said. But overcoming communication hurdles could be as simple or radical (depending on your perception) as one’s comfort level dictates.
For example, companies could offer an improv element or a rapid free writing exercise to kick off each meeting. Art and dance can foster better communication, connections and trust; these activities can also help break down barriers.
As Barnes shared, “The part that’s missing a lot in communication in general is the ability to truly connect and not have a ‘script’ that's AI-driven."
People will people when encouraged to do so with modeled behavior. This sounds easy, but if it were, these knowledge silos wouldn’t exist! Resolve to be the culture you’d like to see in 2024, and it will happen by degrees.
