The Paul Martin Commentary

Here’s a way to get ahead in the work place – hide crucial information.

Apparently this issue has grown to the point where it’s worthy of research by those who study workplace interaction.

The work of four Canadian academics was recently written up in an American on-line publication where the issue of ‘Knowledge Hiding” was singled out as a growing problem in the workplace.

The research – which looked at workers at companies in Canada around the world – said knowledge sharing is increasingly turning into knowledge hiding for a variety of reasons. But chief among them are distrust and retaliation.

In some cases the proponents hide information from colleagues to protect either themselves of the company simply because they don’t trust their co-workers. At other times it is to undermine or retaliate against a co-worker.

The end result is that companies don’t see the kind of innovation or performance they expect because collaboration, one of the keys to creativity, is sharply reduced as knowledge is not transferred among team members or business units.

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It is the newest benefit employers are offering their workers.

There are three distinct generations in the workplace these days and each has a different idea on what the ideal benefit package might be.

That’s an important issue for employers looking to acquire new talent, especially since the leading edge of the baby boom generation has now hit retirement age.

One offering that seems to appeal to the most recent arrivals in the workplace – Generation Y – is time off without pay.

That’s a concept identified by American psychologist Dr. Gustavo Grodnitzki. In a recent Saskatchewan tour he told business leaders – a group made up primarily of boomers – that the next wave of workers has a completely different view of the workplace.

They see it as a place to make friends – so being on Facebook during working hours seems OK to them.

They also see work and the rest of their life as one thing so they work their own schedules. And they like time off so employers who add time off without pay or penalty to their benefit packages will find themselves a magnet for this next generation.

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There is, by definition, no replacement for a first impression.

Just about all of us, at some point or another, are faced with that daunting assignment of making a presentation in public.

Whether its performing for a job interview or delivering a speech to hundreds of conference delegates, the basic principles of making a powerful impression are the same.

Mikki Williams, a Chicago-based professional speaker who was short-listed as a potential personality for the new Oprah TV network, offers any presenter a few tips on how to improve.

First of all, she explains, don’t let the butterflies roost. All of us get nervous before a presentation and brooding over the situation or going over the material one more time will just make it worse. She suggests mingling with the audience as an alternative.

And here’s another basic rule that seems to apply to a lot of things in life. Keep it simple. Most speakers try to cram too much into a presentation.

Three primary themes are more than enough and the best way to deliver your message is by telling personal stories to explain your messages.