By Hans Guldentops,

Indeed knowledge is power. But only if you allow the knowledge to be free.

People who share their knowledge willingly and purposefully are indeed powerful.
Powerful as individuals and in a group they share their knowledge with.

They truly can become indispensable. Sitting on your knowledge and not sharing it, over time will make you dispensable. Why, because I can simply remove you by someone with the power of sharing his knowledge.

But then again, in an Information society, you need to keep your knowledge up to date. Therefore, the best motivation a “knowledge worker” can have is the opportunity to learn new things, meet other knowledgeable people and share and teach new things to each other. An employer valuing the knowledge of his workers will encourage their staff to develop new skills and share them with colleagues, suppliers and clients.

What is a “career plan” or a “review” worth when all it does is “pat you on the back and say carry on” ? Good work needs to be rewarded, not on a yearly basis but continuous. The best way to reward a knowledge worker is to allow him to deepen and widen his skills and such increase his market value. This builds trust, mutual respect and – believe me – less risk that a happy employee is likely to “jump ship”. Of course, besides the opportunity to increase knowledge, apply it and grow, a fair salary in line with experience and the market is of course essential.

We all know permanent education and training costs money, but an employer who plays for the “long term” is investing in his staff, gives them a career plan, but also sees long term ROI (Return On Investment). The staff in return will be loyal, albeit sometimes critical, but when priorities are properly communicated and fair, the majority will be satisfied with their working environment – at least that is my belief -

So anyone willing to share and given the opportunity to acquire knowledge is a very powerful individual with great value for the teams he works in.

Foto : Alicia Ruiz Quesada

Model: Fermín de Rojas

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