I recently read something that stayed with me. Unfortunately, I can’t recall the source – which is ironic given the topic! - but the idea was that we’re moving from an era of knowledge recall to one of knowledge retrieval.
For a long time, we’ve placed enormous value on the ability to learn, retain and reproduce information. Through education and into our working lives, knowing the answer has often been a measure of competence.
But there’s a limit to what any of us can remember. With AI expanding our ability to access information, knowing where and how to find what we need is becoming an increasingly important skill.
I’d argue there’s a third element that deserves just as much attention: the judgement to assess what we’ve found.
Is it credible? Does it actually answer the question? And does it apply to the situation in front of us?
Unsurprisingly, I’m particularly interested in what this means for healthcare, where practitioners have long been expected to maintain a vast library of knowledge.
Being able to access relevant information quickly has enormous potential. But a convincing answer still needs scrutiny. Where did it come from? Is the evidence current? What might be missing? How does it relate to this particular patient?
You need foundational knowledge to ask those questions and recognise when something doesn’t make sense.
Experience matters too, although that comes with its own challenge. Sometimes the information we retrieve needs questioning. Sometimes it’s our existing understanding that needs updating.
That willingness to question both is where the real value lies.
The same thinking applies to leadership.
If we place too much value on the person who always has an immediate answer, what behaviour are we encouraging? Are we creating room for people to check their understanding, seek better evidence or acknowledge uncertainty?
As our businesses grow, we need people who can find information, assess it and turn it into sound decisions. We also need to model that behaviour ourselves.
Knowing your numbers, understanding your customers and setting strategy all require more than access to an answer. They require enough understanding to decide what that answer means and what to do next.
For me, this shift is positive, provided we keep developing the knowledge and judgement that make these tools useful.
As information becomes easier to access, how are you helping your team become better at questioning and applying it?
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