Framework

Utilizing Grandmothers

TL;DR

A framework for capturing knowledge value from post-peak-productivity employees, based on the biological grandmother hypothesis and Hermès master craftspeople model.

When to Use Utilizing Grandmothers

When senior employees have rare event knowledge, when tacit knowledge is critical to quality, when you need to decide whether to transition experienced people to teaching roles.

How to Apply

Identify individuals with rare event knowledge

Find who has experienced events current employees haven't

Questions to Ask

Who remembers the last time X happened?
Who has 30+ years of pattern recognition?

Outputs

List of rare event knowledge holders
Knowledge domain mapping

Shift roles from doing to teaching

Transition senior people to spend 30-50% time teaching vs. 100% producing

Questions to Ask

Are most experienced people spending time mentoring?
What's the teaching vs. producing ratio?

Outputs

Role transition plan
Teaching time allocation

Maintain access to retirees

Keep retired experts available for consultation on rare/complex situations

Questions to Ask

Can you access knowledge from people who retired 5-10 years ago?
What consulting arrangements exist?

Outputs

Retiree consulting program
Contact maintenance system

Document what grandmothers know

Use hybrid approach - document what's documentable, preserve access for tacit knowledge

Questions to Ask

What knowledge exists only in long-tenure employees' heads?
What can be written vs. must be taught?

Outputs

Knowledge documentation
Tacit knowledge inventory

Calculate knowledge value vs. productivity value

Determine whether knowledge transfer creates more value than direct production

Questions to Ask

Is knowledge transfer creating more value than direct production?
What's the multiplier effect of teaching?

Outputs

Value calculation model
ROI on teaching investment