By Dominador "Sensei Domi" Tomate
I don’t know. I must be getting old, but I’ve got this thing about people who don’t like to share, especially important things...like information. I’ve heard about “silos", but it’s never been a problem, until, of course, I'd get "side-swiped" for not knowing (when I should've). After asking “why” five times, I’ve come to the conclusion that certain people (for what motivation) just don’t give a #$%1, or they feel their information is on a “need to know” basis. To me, this is about as stupid as a teacher not teaching for the same reasons.
Come on now!
An associate printed an Internet article on something called “Knowledge Management” which is the practice of collecting information and sharing. A novel concept, simple but difficult to implement if key individuals build walls or plant a land mine to prevent it. Whether learned or something fostered by cultural differences, I for one feel this distrust can be one big reason why companies fail.
Knowledge is power. You know who first coined the phrase? Well, it was Francis Bacon back in the 1500's. See how easy that was? I just shared information. Whether it was a bit of trivia you didn't know before, you know it now...because I shared it!!! Sheese menese, often times,individuals sincerely feel that hoarding information is beneficial, when, in fact, it's a liability.
Since this is a behavior issue, we need to draw techniques and tools to change mindsets. Root cause analysis pin points time and place when that door closed between division; and, it may suggest ways to mend the wounds that caused the rift. What I know from my years of doing things wrong and making mistakes and failing (meaning experience) short term fixes rarely are sustainable. Physics prove that thick silo walls rarely surrenders its integrity. I’ve learned through my studies and practice on Lean Sigma that small steps and gaining respect are key in helping this process but they are just a start in a long journey of getting people from the top to the bottom to communicate in an effective manner that accomplishes something.
Each day, our goal is to accomplish something (you fill in the blanks) and when you face a situation where delays occur because of the constraint called “failure to communicate” and then the finger of blame is pointed at you for trying to ask.
As you can see, I’m rambling, but this rambling has a goal and I’m going to fix this.
To help validate my point, the following is a past post written by colleague and fellow martial artist. Words of wisdom from Alan Kandel.
by Alan Kandel
As active participants in life, we are schooled, period – no ifs, ands or buts. It’s one of life’s so-called “facts.” Moreover, we encounter many people as we navigate our ways through life. That navigated or charted path is also referred to as the journey. Along that journey, we arrive at many a fork in the road where decisions, some critical (most not, thankfully) must be made. Armed with proper information the decisions made can be informed ones or lacking proper information, decisions made can be, well, for lack of finding a better way to put it, a shot in the dark. All of this can be summed up in one word – experience.
As humans, since we are experience-driven beings, the experiences we have act as lessons or teachers. They help guide us. But, more than that: They can help shape us into and help make us who we are.
Furthermore, as for the experience itself, the experiences experienced in life are the result of either happenstance or deliberateness. But, what exactly does this mean?
Situations involving happenstance as a life event – or life-changing event – and one that occurred by chance, is where the situation just happened. Hence the term “happenstance.” The long and short of it, though, is that the situation happened and, by virtue of that, it’s an experience.
Regardless of initial approach taken, if the student senses that the martial art is the correct one, the setting is appropriate and the instruction is satisfactory or superior, all this can be influential in the student joining. Not just this, but the way in which this new student is received by others in the class can also influence the new student’s decision to sign on or not sign on. This process is also referred to as “testing he waters.”
What this has all led up to is that experience is one of the best teachers and being that this is the case, there is definitely value in that.
Above and beyond this, if we are able to share such experience and help others in the process, better still.
Experience: Don’t pass on it; pass it on!
Copyright © Alan Kandel. July 4, 2012.
