5 Ways you can get Knowledge Transfer (KT) from someone when they’re not interested
This is the most common problem faced by new joiners. The manager asks you to learn your work from the outgoing employee or your senior. The reason nobody wants to give you proper Knowledge Transfer (KT) is the “What’s in it for me” mentality. So here’s how you can fix it
1. Try becoming a friend:
Don’t make KT the sole focus of your conversations. Take genuine interest in their experience and stories. Tell them your own interesting stories. Make it an informal discussion. Nobody likes it if you’re just looking to get something from them.
2. Show genuine appreciation:
Most people feel under appreciated at work. So your senior would usually love to share his knowledge with someone who makes them feel valuable. Of course, don’t fake it. But there could be instances during your conversations where you feel “Oh that was good work”. Whenever you feel this, say it. Some may call it buttering, but that’s an important part of relationship building
3. Offer incentives:
This is where you try to directly address “What’s in it for me”. So think deeply “What can I give this person in return”. And give that. This could be anything from offering to help them with a task or project, providing resources or information that they might find valuable, or connecting then with people you know
4. Respect their boundaries:
One golden rule of KT (and of life in general) is “Don’t go overboard”. If someone is answering your questions patiently, don’t test their patience. Give them a break and try again tomorrow
5. Seek alternative sources:
There are multiple sources for getting the same information. Never be too dependent on any one person for your organisational knowledge. Build relationships with others and follow the above steps with them. Try Google/ChatGPT – you’ll be amazed how easily you can get a lot of relevant information online
6. Bring in the bosses (This is a bonus point if everything else fails):
If you go with an open ended complaint saying that you’re not being given proper KT, your senior will just respond “I explained everything properly, if he can’t understand it, that’s not my fault”
So, make a note of the specific tasks you need to do. Then make a list of the knowledge gaps. Go with these specific points and tell your manager that your senior isn’t cooperating. Forcing cooperation through authority will mean that you’ll lose out on some deeper insights, but that’s still better than the pathetic KT most people usually get.
Original post : https://www.linkedin.com/
Yugantar Gupta