Sharing the way forward
Protecting ‘what is yours’ linked to more worry and less belief
It turns out that sharing is more than just caring. In a recent study published in the Journal of Business and Psychology, researchers strengthened the link between workplace knowledge sharing and increased creativity (amongst many other benefits. But what does this mean in real terms?
Share vs Protect
In commercial and competitive business it is instinctual for individuals to protect their knowledge, experience, and relationships to avoid losing out. Like putting names on food in the fridge, we stamp our ownership on people, intellectual property, and competitive advantages. But, this is costly and simply stops teams from getting stuff done proactively. According to researchers, this environment lowers confidence and workplace satisfaction while increasing pessimism and even neuroticism (emotional stability) in staff members. It breeds a mentality where winning can only be achieved if my colleagues lose playing out is all sorts of ways depending on your business' context. Conversely, when a culture of sharing is embedded we see these friction points wash away.
The world of CSE opens up
When a sharing culture is prevalent in a team the levels of Core Self-Evaluation (CSE) rise. Individuals feel more empowered, confident, optimistic, and satisfied at their workplace. They are simply happier. But, what is the real impact? What do we see day-to-day when CSE is high? People believe they can solve problems autonomously and believe business goals can be achieved in the face of adversity. High CSE also means less moodiness, worry, and anxiety creating a steadiness and resilience in the team environment. Individuals also feel in control of their own destiny no matter what external catastrophes are occurring in the wider world. Traits any hard working professional wants more of!
Promote and Recognise
Leaders can consciously share knowledge and experience in meetings and individual conversations - this sets the ball rolling. Explicitly promoting and encouraging sharing can work for some too (ie. discuss openly as an expectation). In my experience it usually takes more than this to turn people from Protectionist to Share-a-holics. Removing the threats associated with sharing is critical to changing the thinking and habits of professionals. This will take many conversations, a lot of reassurance, and a good dose of determination when set backs happen (ie. people will share and perceive to lose out because of this, so be prepared for this eventuality). Being able to audit and assess recognition and incentive programs to align with sharing is also a large part of this discussion. Being able to recognise 'sharing performance' in Performance Incentives/Recognition Programs is not always easy, but it is the highest-impact signal a leader can send their team to embed a sharing culture. Backing this up with 'walking the talk' on a daily basis ensures practical application increases day-to-day.
It is a daunting task for any leader wanting to turn a team of non-sharers into pro-sharers. But the effects have proven to be astounding. Ultimately, what would high levels of commitment, confidence, and courage in your people do for your business? What would more experiment, belief, and inclusiveness do for your long term stability and robustness as a team, division, or organisation? I see a cascade of improvements from recruitment and retention through to customer experience and sheer productivity, as well as leaps forward for general innovation. I find this research compelling and feel it is a low-effort-high-return initiative a lot of us can improve for significant uplifts. Simply starting to share more yourself may be the only thing you need to do - at the very least it appears you'll be happier!
