Share what you know

We should always try to mentor people around us who know less than us. They don’t have to know that much less and you don’t need to know that much more. But if you share what you know with others, that can only be a good thing.

You will come across the occasional manager who sees this kind of contribution in the office as a threat, but they are the foolish ones. Other managers feel awkward about sharing, often because they think they don’t know enough, but you should never be afraid to give someone behind you a helping hand when you are able to.

Sharing with colleagues is important, and the more you give, the more you get back. If you give one piece of helpful information to 30 managers and only 50% of them are generous and decent enough to return the favour at some point in the future, it means that you benefit from 15 pieces of new information. Each one of those managers gained by one, but you gained by 15. Quite clever really, isn’t it. There’s a lot to be said about being goodhearted and kind – even in business!

It’s always been in my nature to share what I know with others, whether it’s in sport, business, social or otherwise. Having been a consultant moving from one client to the next, I’ve had the opportunity to share what I know with an awful lot of people. Most of the managers and other staff involved have welcomed my approach and some were clearly intimidated by it. But I know that that I did the right thing and shared and I’m continuing to do just that via this blog.