Comment by beyarkay
(author here) I absolutely agree that knowledge transfer shouldn't be left to chance, and that there should be more consistent processes in place to make sure this happens. But I still think there's something to be gained from experts and novices having a more casual conversation about various topics.
When I was getting started in software, some of the most valuable conversations I had were after a technical meeting, when I could pick a seniors brain on the way out of the room, asking them why XYZ solution was dismissed immediately.
Encouraging frequent and casual conversation between experts & novices is key.
> after a technical meeting .. I could
To be fair, almost any form of one-on-one exchange looks really effective when you contrast it with the average badly-moderated, way-too-many-peoples-time-wasted-if-you-ask-questions, no-prepared-agenda, in-person meeting.
One contrast I find more impressive is the valuable advice I received from people.. already dead for years. Skipping possibly helping 2 or 3 additional novices, by instead spending that time on refining a quick reply to one person into a reusable misconception-untangling guide. Useful to 100 more, for years to come.
IMNSHO, if a company is not even encouraging such soft-skills via the easy pickings (like turning their buzzword-infested PR slopstream back into a proper technical weblog), they are not missing a key - they got too many locks confining available expert knowledge.