In a time when technology and artificial intelligence are reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, the workplace is increasingly driven by a “faster is better” mindset. While speed and innovation are essential, organizations must be careful not to overlook the full range of skills that drive sustainable success. Among the most undervalued assets today is crystallized intelligence, the accumulated knowledge, judgment, and expertise that only time and experience can cultivate.

Career Strategist Lynden L Kidd, JD, raised this critical conversation, reminding us that leveraging crystallized intelligence means embracing technological change while valuing the contributions of all generations, backgrounds, and ways of thinking to drive the best business results at every stage of our careers. It highlights that diversity is an essential strategic asset directly impacting business growth, adaptability, and success.

What Is Crystallized Intelligence

Crystallized intelligence is the sum of an individual’s lifetime of learning. It includes professional expertise, problem-solving experience, historical context, communication skills, and cultural knowledge. Crystallized intelligence strengthens with age and is fueled by real-world application. No technology, however advanced, can yet replicate it. These concepts are not new. Raymond Cattell introduced them in the 1940s.

To bring this distinction to life, consider the art of cooking as a metaphor for how fluid and crystallized intelligence work together. Fluid intelligence reflects the ability to create an entirely new recipe, identifying unique combinations of ingredients and patterns without relying on prior precedent. It is the source of innovation and fresh perspectives. Crystallized intelligence draws upon a deep reservoir of accumulated experience, technical skill, and intuitive understanding to refine and perfect that recipe, applying proven techniques to achieve consistently exceptional results.

In a multigenerational workplace, crystallized intelligence is often found in employees who bring deep industry knowledge, pattern recognition, and sound decision-making to complex challenges. However, organizations frequently underestimate or overlook this critical asset, risking the loss of hard-earned expertise that cannot be quickly replaced and diminishing their ability to navigate complexity with seasoned judgment.

The Risk of Overvaluing Speed and Technology

As a huge advocate for technology and someone who has dedicated my career to supporting and implementing technology-driven solutions, I firmly believe in the power of innovation to drive progress. However, the rush to adopt AI and digital innovation has led many organizations to prioritize quick solutions, technology-first skills, and full automation at the expense of more profound expertise and broader human capabilities.

Faster is important, but not always better. Without the WISDOM OF EXPERIENCE, companies risk:

• Making avoidable mistakes that seasoned professionals would recognize.
• Missing strategic opportunities hidden beneath surface-level data.
• Reinventing solutions to problems already solved in the past.
• Failing to understand customers, markets, and cultures fully.

To truly compete, organizations need both the agility of new technology and the seasoned judgment that comes from experience.

How to Leverage Crystallized Intelligence Across Generations

1. Elevate Experience as a Strategic Asset

Promote a culture where institutional knowledge and historical perspective are essential to success, particularly when integrated with emerging technologies.

2. Facilitate Cross-Generational Collaboration

Design teams that intentionally leverage the diverse strengths across all generations. Employees at every career stage bring unique perspectives, skills, and problem-solving approaches. Encouraging collaboration between individuals with different experiences and viewpoints leads to richer ideas, stronger solutions, and more resilient business outcomes.

3. Integrate Mentorship and Reverse Mentorship Programs

Encourage mentorship relationships that flow both ways. Experienced employees can share expertise and judgment, while newer employees can offer insights into new technologies and evolving workplace trends.

4. Capture and Apply Institutional Knowledge

Develop systems to document and share best practices, lessons learned, and critical expertise to preserve and transfer organizational knowledge.

5. Invest in Lifelong Learning and Skills Evolution

Provide continuous development opportunities that help employees expand their capabilities, adapt to evolving business needs, and deepen their professional impact. Focus on building future-ready skills while honoring the experience and expertise that contribute to organizational success.

Diversity in Thinking: A Business Essential

Crystallized intelligence demonstrates that diversity strengthens organizations in meaningful ways. By integrating a wide range of experiences and insights, companies become more agile, wiser in their strategies, faster in execution, more thoughtful in decision-making, more innovative in their solutions, and more resilient in facing challenges.