Knowledge vs Wisdom & what to keep

In a recent HR seminar I entered into a discussion about layoffs and making the decision between the senior employee who gets paid more, and the two interns who get paid little or nothing.

The decision usually comes down to dollars, and that with letting go of one person, the company saves a larger percentage of their labor budget, and keeps several more "flexible" employees.

This is an all too common situation and I understand some of the mentality. It looks good on paper, and the younger employees are also usually more adaptable to schedule changes, overtime, and being told what to do. So they cut the more experienced employee.

And in turn they cut out their knowledge base. Yes, I know that the college graduates have the "new" knowledge. And perhaps they work a bit faster and with less complaint but they also lack the ability to adapt to unknown situation by pulling from years of experience and resources.

I went to the hardware store to figure out how to reattach my daughter's door. It was falling off the hinges and the wood around the screw was so stripped that I could pull out the screws with my fingers. The first person I ran into at the store was no more than 28, maybe. The advice given to me was sound, get some wood filler, a bonding agent that will fill the hole and act like wood one it cures. Very good, so off I go down the aisles looking for wood filler.

In my journey I come across an old man. I am not saying this to be ageist, he was a classic old man with glasses on the end of his nose, a slow saunter to his step and very gray hair. He asked me what i was looking for and I sighed and re-explained my situation. He smiled and said, "Have you tried using a matchstick?"
Me - "Huh?"
"Wood filler might work, but most likely when you try to drive a screw through it, the filler will crack loose and just turn with the screw. Just jam a matchstick or two in the hole and when you put the screw in, the wood will expand and fill the hole."

I went home, jammed a matchstick in each hole and the door is as good as new. Saved me material, sticky mess, and curing time.

So when you are thinking about getting rid of that more senior employee in exchange for your two less expensive kids... Think about the holes you need filled that just need a matchstick.

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