Been scrolling through some workplace discussions lately and stumbled across something that really struck a nerve. Someone was asking about knowledge hoarding at work - you know, those colleagues who seem friendly enough on the surface but somehow never quite share the information you need to actually do your job. The responses that followed painted a picture that’s unfortunately all too familiar in the tech world.

The original poster described starting at a new company where there’s a suspicious lack of documentation and sharing. People appear friendly but won’t provide the actual know-how needed to get things done. Sound familiar? If you’ve worked in tech for more than five minutes, you’ve probably encountered this phenomenon.

The other day, I stumbled across an online discussion about management that really resonated with me. Someone shared their experience of receiving high engagement scores from their team, and their “secret” was refreshingly simple: treat people well and give them autonomy. It brought back memories of my early days in tech leadership, where I encountered both brilliant mentors and, well, absolute dropkicks.

The discussion took a humorous turn when they suggested writing a straightforward management book with a rather colorful Australian title that basically amounted to “don’t be a terrible person.” While the language might have been a bit crude, the sentiment hit the nail on the head.