When I first started working, I had some important projects and thought I was on the fast track to success. Putting everything into learning about wireless networking, I became our department's technical lead for that technology. Fearing that my position may be toppled, I did the worst possible thing... I squirreled the information away. I reasoned that if I was the only one that knew the technical info, I would be invaluable to the department. I was wrong.
One Christmas I went back home for the holidays. While on vacation, my plan backfired. One of our main routers crashed and the backup never took over. My department scrambled to find documentation in our workroom... but there was none. They asked around to see who could fix it... but no one could. This is the situation I was hoping for - I would be recognized as the "expert" who could fix everything. Instead, my manager absolutely chewed my butt out. They couldn't get a hold of me for 3 days and in this time, our client was furious. I almost lost my job over this...
In the end, I learned that sharing information is good. Teaching others was the best way to improve the department while showing commitment and leadership!
Streaning Star Trek: Insurrection Full Movie
6 years ago
4 comments:
Wow - that sounds like a scary situation. I'm glad you didn't lose your job and it sounds like you learned an important lesson! I thought the same thing when I first got my job; I thought if I was the only one who knew something I would be invaluable. However, I once overheard my boss complaining about one of my colleagues who also never shared information and I quickly changed my ways. I think it would help if bosses explained to new employees the importance of sharing knowledge. As a new employee, I had no idea about these things, I just wanted to be valuable and keep my job.
That is indeed a scary story! One way to feel recognized without thinking that your thunder will be stolen is to make a big deal of what you know - probably give a presentation to the group summarizing your findings, and then tell people how it can be used in a crisis situation. That way, you get your due credit, and people will remember your help when next they see your solution when the problem does occur.
If you are not able to give a presentation at work, another way to gain recognition is to bring up the subject at a meeting and explain that there could be a crisis brewing anytime, and offer the solution that your method provides.
The vice president and managing director of one of the companies I used to work for had what she called the Hit By A Bus fear. That is, she didn't want any employee to have exclusive knowledge of anything important, because you just never know when someone might get hit by a bus, or become severely ill, or for whatever reason not be able to communicate with the company.
Our tech guy, Jim, was of great concern to her. He was the only person who had an overview of what was going on with every phone system, every internet system, every piece of technology that passed through our buildings. She tried again and again to get him to train others to do his job and document exactly what it was he was doing, but seeing as the company wouldn't hire anyone else to formally work with him, he was usually too busy actually doing his job to tell anyone about it. Ultimately, since he was spread so thin, we just had to surreptitiously pick up bits and pieces when we could by observing his work and trying to solve problems on our own when he wasn't around.
That is an interesting balancing act: wanting to generate both job security and expertise by strategically managing the flow of information. On the other side is the practical need for that information and its dissemination. I think that there are at least two types of factors at work: a psychological one and a communicative one. The psychological aspect is in the feeling of importance attached to the singular holding of knowledge. It feels good. The other factor is in impression management. In order to increase an image of importance, specialization and value, only certain things are allowed to pass the gateways of communication. At least, that is how I see it.
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