Transforming knowledge into shared treasure

Abstract

Gary Jensen is my desk buddy in our Townsville office. Gary has been a part of Townsville’s water and engineering industries for many years. He works full-time and is regularly the last person to leave our office each day. He has an ‘old-school’ dedication to his clients - he’ll stay until the job is done. That probably explains why he is still working - Gary is 83 years old. At some point in the near future, Gary will finally decide to retire. This is a common story across our industry - whether we’re talking about consulting, construction or water utilities and local councils. Our workforce is aging and as each experienced employee walks out into retirement, we are losing decades of valuable knowledge. The question is… are we as an industry doing enough to capture that knowledge and experience while we still can? I think the answer is no, and we can do better. To address this challenge, we must: Break Down Silos Our organisations commonly operate in silos, with teams divided based on function or service, limiting cross-team interaction. However, an approach that encourages collaboration across these silos can significantly enhance performance and innovation. For instance, a project that integrates various teams - from planning to construction - under one roof can facilitate real-time decision-making. This cross-functional collaboration not only boosts project performance but also fosters innovation, underscoring the substantial benefits of dismantling organisational silos. Promote a Culture of Inquiry: When we start out as grads, we’re told ‘there’s no such thing as a silly question’. But at some point in our career, that changes. We develop a fear of asking, or questioning, in case we appear ‘stupid’ or unintelligent. How many times have you sat in a meeting and someone uses an acronym that you don’t know? Do you stick your hand up and ask ‘what does that stand for’? Or do you pretend you know it and make a mental note to quickly google it after the meeting….? Or maybe that’s just me. Cultivating an environment where 'silly questions' are not just tolerated but encouraged, no matter what your career level, is essential for nurturing curiosity and understanding. Illustrate the Big Picture: Empowering every team member, from the newest graduates to veterans like Gary, to see beyond the horizon of their day to day work is crucial. When our teams are attuned to the overarching goals and understand the significance of collective success, they are more inclined to share knowledge. As we face the challenges of our aging workforce, being able to transition knowledge from the outgoing generation of experts like Gary to the next, is vital to the success of our industry. We must do better to adopt strategies that make knowledge sharing the ‘norm’, not the exception. By dismantling silos, encouraging ‘silly’ questions, and ensuring that everyone gets to see the big picture, we will help to ensure that our industry’s treasure trove of knowledge and experience is not left to sink below the surface.