Knowledge silos
When employees possess knowledge that is not accessible to the wider team, that’s a knowledge silo and leads to inefficiencies within a company.
To help minimise any silos at my workplace, I’ve started organising regular group calls involving my team and adjacent teams working on the same systems. Everyone is welcome to ask questions about the specific technical work we do day-to-day. The discussions that follow are not only valuable for our own learning but also ensure that our knowledge doesn’t become isolated.
During these group calls, I aim to build and maintain an environment where everyone feels free to ask questions without fear of judgement. After all, even the most senior engineers can learn and improve. Having been in academia up to completing a PhD, I know that such an environment can make a world of difference.
“There is no such thing as a dumb question.” — Carl Sagan