You have surely amassed a lot of know-how during your career. But do others also know what you know? In any case, one thing’s for sure: Those who share knowledge benefit in the end.
In some matters, you’re the absolute expert. For other topics you at least know who is well informed. But like everyone else, there are topics where you are clueless. In such cases, it’s important to know where to obtain the information you need.
Functioning know-how management is extremely important for companies, for example, to include everyone in the same knowledge during projects or to lose as little knowledge as possible when employees leave the company. The right know-how management will also advance you as an employee as well as a private individual.
Know-how management requires openness
The technical requirements for know-how management are already established in many companies. There is a social intranet, which is ideally even linked to a corporate wiki where the exchanged know-how is stored and made available to others. In order for employees to actually be prepared to share their know-how with others, it’s important to foster a corporate culture of openness. Employees must know that sharing information is worth it.
Those who share their know-how are experts
Imagine having a colleague who regularly posts in the social intranet about his area of expertise. What impression do you have of him? An idiot who’s constantly “giving away” his know-how? No, you automatically consider him to be very well versed in his field. Sharing your know-how is therefore not a loss for you, but a win, since by doing so you position yourself as an expert.
Now you might still think, it’s well and good to be perceived as an expert, but then in the end everyone will know what I know. Doesn’t that just make me that much easier to replace? No, because your know-how will grow even further through active sharing. If there are new developments in your area of expertise, who do you turn to? To the person who quietly hoards their know-how or to the one who shares it openly? Of course to the latter, since the former is not even perceived as an expert. In this way, you can network with other professionals within your company and – through LinkedIn and other professional social networks – outside your company too.
Faster solutions through good know-how management
The network of knowledge that you build up when you set a good example by actively sharing your know-how will also help you with future tasks in the company. You can access information more quickly, know who you can talk to, and join forces to find solutions to emerging problems more quickly.
Conclusion: If you are open with your know-how and invest the time to make it available to others, you will benefit in the long run. You will be perceived positively and can solve problems more quickly. It’s worth it!
