Knowledge Mining from Retirees
What would the company lose when someone retires or leaves the company? I have been saddled with this proposition many a time during the time when I used to look after the operations of our company. Now that I am retired, I look back at some of the challenges faced during my working career.
Data Vs Information Vs Knowledge: The modern concept of Relational Data Base (RDB) is deeply concerned about the vast amount of Data existing everywhere and how to convert them into Information. We try to develop algorithms that could connect up various data available as numbers, documents, pictures, videos etc., and try to get some meaning out of the same. With the advancement of IT, fresh data is gathered on Real Time Basis and linked with the information that exists already and convert them into something which is very valuable for Decision Making and for Strategy Development. Are we missing anything in the link?
Traditional Knowledge Transfer: Human beings, since ages, have been blessed by transfer of knowledge through word of mouth from one generation to another. Some of the knowledge was then passed on in the form of written scriptures that transcend into Books. The Books were stored in libraries for many people to imbibe the knowledge through them. However, books were not enough to transfer the knowledge and you needed a Teacher who explains the contents in a manner that you could understand. Hence printed medium by itself is not adequate in transfer of knowledge and it requires an additional input by way of explanation.
What You Gain As Employee: While some of the HR personnel emphasize on Pay for the Work, there are many who consider the employees as something much more valuable than that. Many organizations have people who are fully interchangeable as far as work is concerned. However, there are some key positions that are not interchangeable. You need the right man for these jobs. These employees have special value in the organization for what they are capable of doing than just the what the job specifies as Minimum Qualification for the job. These capabilities have been gained by them during their working tenure and converted them from experience to knowledge. This reminds me of many cases where people who throw away their jobs since they do not have much to learn in their positions. Hence, Knowledge seems to be more critical than just the salary in quite a few cases.
Knowledge Loss When Employees Leave: It is a matter of common knowledge that when the employees leave the organization, the knowledge goes along with him. While in many organizations, there are systems and procedures to create enough documentation so that the incumbent officer has adequate information for continuing the work. The organization can stipulate which documents to be passed on during the Handing Over. Can they ensure which knowledge needs to be passed on? I know of cases where people did the Handing Over in a matter of seconds by passing on Files. In some cases, the incumbent officer is asked to work along with the outgoing officer to get knowledge of the job and just not the information by way of files. Still, when the employee leaves, he carries with him a tremendous amount of knowledge that can never be passed on to the incoming person.
Significance of Knowledge Loss: Every organization has systemsand proceduresthat take care of such eventualities when an employee leaves the organization. Of course, there would be some disruptions, but it is the way of the world and everyone understands. The systems should however ensure that the client does not suffer due to these disruptions. After all, the customer is God.
Manageability of Knowledge Loss: In olden days, when a person joins a company it is a lifetime job. He retires in the same company but may be at a different position. Over the years this phenomenon has changed drastically and it is rare to find anyone to have remained in the same company for the entire working life. When someone stays for a short period in a company and leaves, the situation is more manageable than when someone who has put in a decade of service leaves. The longer tenure gives one not only the experience but also the knowledge. If the person in charge of the operation gets enough prior information, he could explore, select and train the replacement effectively. The situation is not all that rosy when the employee leaves with short notice irrespective of binding clauses in his Appointment Order. It then becomes the responsibility of the person at one level higher to get into the roove and salvage the situation. Yes, he does manage well in most cases but is the loss repaired totally? Is the client getting the full equivalent of what he was getting?
Recovery of Knowledge from Employees Leaving: Having run an organization for decades, it was always a nightmare for me when I get the inkling that a senior person is likely to leave. In my industry it is not easy find a replacement quickly as Knowledge requirement plays a key role. Hence as a strategy I tried to ensure that the key persons are kept happy and continue in their positions. The familiar disruption used to come in the way of Jobs in the Middle East offering multiples in terms of salaries to my employees, which I could never match. The loss of knowledge from these people is unrecoverable. However, when employees get old and are unable to perform their functions fully, it was possible to retain them as Advisors on part-time basis. This helped in continuity of knowledge but not Knowledge Recovery.
Possible Solutions: The practice of maintaining the register of Knowledge Gained from each project in a few organizations is a good to archive for some of the knowledge gained. I am not aware how well it is utilized by the incoming employees as no two situations are identical. Looking at the development of Artificial Intelligence as a technology, I guess some solution for Knowledge Mining is round the corner. Of course, it needs to be developed further to harness individual’s knowledge and there would be issues related to the privacy of the individual. If and when it is done, it is going to be a boon to the industries where Knowledge plays a vital role.
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