Lauren Gibbons Paul writes in CIO magazine that it’s increasingly important for companies to encourage employees to share the knowledge they otherwise keep in their heads. She explains that when grocery retailer Giant Eagle tried to encourage employees to share knowledge, they faced significant challenges:

…most employees at the chain’s 215 stores had never used computers in their jobs before…In addition, a competitive culture had grown among Giant Eagle’s managers chainwide, with workers competing on a daily basis to have the best sales, the least amount of shoplifting, the happiest employees. This competitive spirit seemed incompatible with the very idea of employees working collaboratively, sharing the information nuggets that might give them an edge over each other.

But the company has seen success, and it is a direct result of grassroots participation – from a Giant Eagle deli manager. That manager posted his idea for a seafood display that brought in an extra $200 in sales in one week. A few managers in other stores tried the idea, and their combined success brought in an additional $20,000 for the company. Had it applied the display idea in all its stores, the company estimated it might have brought in as much as $350,000 in additional revenue.

Seeing the bottom-line benefits of sharing knowledge propelled the employees over their initial misgivings, spurring them to try and out-hustle each other on having the best suggestions, rather than the usual metrics. “Now they’re competing in the marketplace of ideas,” says Russ Ross, senior vice president of IS and CIO at Giant Eagle.