Curse of Knowledge
The Curse of Knowledge is a communication problem when someone has vast experience and knowledge on a particular subject. They unknowingly assume everyone around them understands what they are referencing. They expect people to read their minds because the subject matter and ideas are so obvious to them.
This curse is most evident in the workplace with new hires. It is easy for their immediate supervisors (often with years of experience) to overlook “simple” concepts during the training process.
Years ago, while conducting an orientation with a new front-line employee in our conference room, I offered the employee a cup of coffee, to which he obliged. The next day during his morning break, he came to the meeting room and got a cup of coffee, and sat down at the conference table with the entire management team. This room is where the management team met each morning for their morning break to discuss any issues related to the farm. After a short awkward silence and some confused glances from the managers, I had to politely escort him out of the room and direct him to the relevant break area. It was my fault. The “Curse of Knowledge” had set in, as I had assumed he would find the break room. Up to this point, it was not part of our orientation to show new hires the break area. I promptly added this to our orientation procedure.
How do you break the curse?
In a boiling cauldron, add two frog eyes, a tongue of a newt, and wild boar urine. In the previous example, there was confusion on such a simple issue. Imagine the most severe consequences that could occur if you cannot break the curse—for instance, overlooking a critical safety measure that could lead to an injury. Here are a few ideas that I have used or encouraged with my team to help with breaking the curse.
- Over-communication – You can never get into trouble with over-communicating. There is a paradox to over-communicating; because you are so familiar with the subject, it feels like you are over-communicating, while the recipient is simply getting “new” information.
- Checklists – Using a list is a great way to make sure you train on all relevant topics and that no stone gets left unturned. I recently read an excellent book about this concept, The Checklist Manifesto. I highly recommend reading this for more ideas.
- Repetition – Repeat training programs at least annually or more frequently, depending on the nature of the work. For example, during a monthly safety meeting to review significant safety concerns, it may be a good time to refresh your employees on an HR policy. This process helps increase understanding and clarifies policies and procedures with staff.
Each of these ideas is a tool for more efficient communication. A corollary that applies to each of these tools is to answer the “why” for those you are communicating with, even if they don’t ask. Answering the “why” gives clarity and purpose to the knowledge you’re trying to convey. As a leader, I’ve learned that I must consistently and continuously improve my communication skills, but I assumed you already knew that?!