As Baby Boomers begin to leave positions they’ve held for a long time, a new challenge is arising. That’s the issue of getting long timers to share the wealth of information and insights they have in their heads.
In any organization there are those individuals who possess the knowledge of how processes work that drive key aspects of the operation. Firms have been depending on these contributors for a long time and, in many cases, have taken for granted that they will always do their jobs.
Sure, the topic of knowledge transfer has come up in organizational strategy sessions for years, but in most cases has received nothing but well-meaning lip service. Well now things are changing, difficult economy or not.
As much as we lament the current nine percent unemployment rate, 91 percent of the workforce is still working. Some industries have not been materially affected by the downturn. This means that while their retirement funds may have taken a hit, many workers will still head for the golf course on time. So ask yourself the following questions:
Who in my organization possesses an understanding of certain process that few if any of us know as well?
How would we handle the sudden departure of one or more of these individuals?
What steps must be taken immediately to begin the knowledge transfer process with regard to these individuals?
What steps must be taken now to implement a transfer effort that will ensure continuity of knowledge as the generations in our workplace continue to transition?
Who will take charge of answering these questions?
What can we do to get our workforce, in general, to embrace the importance of preserving the corporate knowledge that is the basis for our success?