Few things make me want to clean something like watching one of the hoarding shows on cable. The mounds of trash, dead rats and rotting food strewn about those houses makes me want to make my house sparkle, not just be clean.
After watching a few episodes I’m struck by the fact that hoarders hold on to things long after they have lost their importance. Things that once provided value, now steal from their owner.
There are some GP experts and administrators like this too. They hold on to their GP knowledge. They don't share. Everything has to go through them. If there is a problem, they will fix it. They own the integrations, the reporting and anything else that smells like GP … and then they leave… or they get fired … and what's left is a group of users who can barely spell GP not to mention use it. The effort to hold on to what they know stifles their ability to learn more.
I've cleaned up after some GP hoarders and it's not pretty. Dealing with users who have no idea how to do anything because of a hoarder is the digital equivalent of shoveling out dead rats. It's not pretty and everyone is a little angry. I can only assume that one of the reasons behind hoarding GP info is a perceived need for job security. Yet, all of the sharers I know have better job security and more opportunities than hoarders. Everyone knows who the sharers are and what they can do.
I'm not a fan of hoarders, especially when it comes to GP. I'd rather share. Heck, I probably over-share, but because of that, people share with me. Frankly, there are a lot of people out there who are smarter than I am and I benefit from their willingness to open up.
Don't be GP hoarder. Share what you know with others in your office. Share with others online. Let people learn and make some mistakes on their own. You don't have to do it all yourself and no one likes shoveling digital rats.