The Power of the Tribe

Never underestimate the wisdom that can come only from experience.

Spoiler alert: Some younger people may not like what I am about to say.

“Tribal knowledge” seems to be a concept hated in the world of manufacturing. Regardless of industry, it seems that leadership – and especially auditors – hate any aspect of a task based on an employee’s “experience.” Rather, the prevailing thought is that all production tasks should explicitly be the result strict adherence to detailed, well-written procedure(s) or “work instruction(s).”

The invariable question raised by those who detest relying on “knowledge,” such as certification (ISO/AS, etc.), corporate supply chain and quality auditors, is: “How do you know” the employee knows what they are doing? I find this thinking intriguing. Paradoxically, the same could be asked of the auditor.

Over the preceding millennia, civilization after civilization has depended on tribal knowledge to advance, if not survive. Historically, it has gone something like this: One generation would teach the next how to farm, hunt, cook and build. That generation would in turn teach the subsequent one the lessons they were handed down embellished with what they learned on their own. As this learning and sharing process continues, each generation gains more knowledge, skill and ability. As the adage goes, “with age comes wisdom” – which is another way of saying with age comes experience, and the knowledge gained from those experiences resulted in wisdom that could be passed on to future tribes.

The same is true today. People go to school, learn and listen to the teachings of those who preceded them. People get jobs and again learn from older, more experienced staff, and in time, that combination of education and real world experience gained from successes and failures becomes the foundation for the value that person offers in life and in their career. Over the span of a career, a person’s knowledge is the arbiter of their ultimate success.

Just as those corporate leaders and auditors are looking to foolproof work instructions by dummying them down so no knowledge or experience is needed, however, many younger workers discount the importance of knowledge gained by experience and rely on taking shortcuts. Yes, you can Google almost anything, and Wikipedia has tons of information just a click away, but “how do you know” the information is correct, let alone applicable to your specific situation?

Verification can come from someone more experienced, usually older, more knowledgeable coworkers, to discuss the task at hand, the situation and then the specific and targeted information needed for the situation to be accomplished. This means at times reaching out and engaging in vigorous conversation with others over how to accomplish the desired outcome with the most appropriate tools and supplies.

Some may counter that individual knowledge is becoming less important as AI begins to permeate devices we use on a day-to-day basis. But the notion that AI is going to replace the experience and knowledge gained by individuals over a lifetime is an interesting position to take. After all, isn’t a basic premise of AI to mass replicate tribal knowledge so everyone has access to it?

Experience, and the knowledge it brings, is possibly the most valuable resource a person can contribute in life, and happens no matter what path you follow. One need not think for experience and knowledge to take place. If you appreciate the value of the knowledge that life’s experiences will bring, however, then focus on gaining as much experience from all sources to gain true knowledge. Put another way, don’t rely on shortcuts to gain knowledge. Commitment and dedication will, over the long haul, make everyone far more valuable, especially in their career.

And give forward, if not back. As has been the norm for generations, be open with what you know and share it with those around you who are seeking knowledge that you possess.  Helping a coworker – a friend – helps someone complete a task or solve a problem, but also demonstrates the value of what you know. What goes around will come around and when it’s your time to be in need of information or knowledge to move a project forward, be open to those who offer to share their knowledge with you.

And those who seem to detest tribal knowledge may want to recalibrate their thinking. Instead of working to dumb down procedures and instructions, maybe focus on how to get those knowledgeable people to share that expertise with colleagues. Allow the entire organization to benefit.

Peter Bigelow is president of FTG Circuits Haverhill; (imipcb.com); pbigelow@imipcb.com. His column appears monthly.