How interesting is it when young and experienced employees come together on projects or day-to-day business? Similar to a family, the colleagues have a common spirit, a large age difference (from grandchildren to grandparents) and professional and private interests. We like to say that young employees can learn something from the “old ones”, but the young people also pass on what they have learned to the older ones.
But what makes an experienced employee?
By definition, experience has two meanings. On the one hand, it is a specific experience of a person that he experienced himself and thus perceived himself. On the other hand, one speaks of life experience, i.e. the totality of all events that a person has collected.
Life experience can be divided into professional and personal experiences. The professional experience refers to professional development, methodological competence and procedures, such as an experience at a workshop or the first moderation. Personal experience includes events that shape, shape, mature or influence us as human beings. This includes the hot stovetop in childhood, experiences with friends or even the first broken-down car that, according to the dealer, still drives at least 100,000 km.
We often speak of a wealth of experience. So is the “possession” of experience something valuable? I think so! After all, what makes us so unique as human beings? It’s the upbringing, the training, and the experience. In general, however, it is not judged whether experiences are positive or negative, it is more important how we convey them. Negative things can also be passed on positively.
So how do we manage that experienced employees pass on their experience to others?
We are often not alone in our projects, but in a team of project managers (experienced consultants), experts (relevantly experienced consultants) and project members from different departments and with different professional experience. The experienced consultant takes on the role of teacher and trainer. By showing a procedure, delegating tasks or communicating with the customer, he transfers his wealth of experience to the other team members. The focus is on the technical level.
On the other hand, we exchange experiences in the office, at meals or in our free time together. The exchange goes beyond the professional into the private sphere. Even with dinner abroad, experience and previous knowledge can be helpful.
Would you like an example? A project team was invited to dinner by a customer as part of a project in the Czech Republic. A young employee of the client from Germany was there. After looking at the menu, he asked several employees which dish would be recommended, since he didn’t really know any of the dishes. They advise him to order the goulash, because experience has shown that everyone likes to eat it and nobody has left it until now. Shortly before ordering, he asked a Czech colleague what he would recommend and he replied that the tartare was excellent here. So said, so done! When the food came, he wondered about the still raw meat and when the hot stone would come to prepare it. A nice evening for all of us with a hungry team member who didn’t touch the raw meat. Conclusion: If an experienced employee makes his recommendation and thus his experience known, accept it.
But how do we best transport the experience?
The easiest way to pass on experiences is to report about them – true to the motto “Do good and talk about it”. However, the knowledge not only benefits the company’s own employees, but also the customer. Small anecdotes from everyday life and reports on experiences not only loosen up the situation, they also make it clear that you know what you are talking about. However, a story is only as good as the way it is told. That means we have to be good storytellers and captivate the people to whom we want to pass something on with the subject, so that the story sticks with them.
What makes a good storyteller?
The narrator must engage and excite the audience with the topic. The story must be told in such a way that the listener understands it without getting bogged down in details. Furthermore, one must be aware of who the listeners are and what their background is. It could be challenging to convey the fascination of tunnel boring machines to opponents of the Stuttgart 21 project.
The story may be embellished, but only so much that the truth is preserved. When reporting on a person, the name should remain anonymous. It can be very embarrassing if one of the listeners knows the person. The story shouldn’t be too long either. Good stories last about a minute or two. A private experience may also provide access to a more personal relationship. This makes it easier to work together and creates a better relationship for each other.
I myself enjoy bringing an experience from my professional life here and there to a workshop. I notice that it relaxes the mood and the customers register that I’m not just talking about a consultant’s theory, but that I’m passing on my experiences. When I am asked what Tatar is, I tell the worthwhile and instructive story of the Tatar without a hot stone.
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