[ByteWelder]

> they are and were supported by a smaller group of people who do really good work

I think the only solution for this is when "support" includes education. In the simplest form, we can give support by helping that colleague to find the issue himself, rather than giving the solution directly. In a more advanced form, you're making structural changes to your company. Like in how you share knowledge with the team.

[datavirtue]

Reality check: they run off and nag someone else...very discreetly...until someone caves and fixes it for them. If they get enough pushback they will just quit.

[dsr_]

I think that education ought to be available to everyone, but spending effort trying to teach someone who doesn't want to learn is a waste of everyone's time.

We've all heard the stories where someone bright joins a new workplace, is assigned drudgework and after a bit automates it until they only work two hours a week? That's someone who is willing to learn, and everyone else in the office was willing to experience boredom in order to avoid learning.

For all I know, some of those people would have perked right up if the subject matter were milling, millinery or masonry moving millier-weights of stone. Not everyone is interested in the same things, and even when their job is all about it, sometimes people aren't invested in it.

If it works, everyone involved wins. Sometimes it doesn't work.

[_y5hn]

This is where leadership comes in, to make clear division of responsibilities.

You're doing everyone a disfavour giving out full answers or not demanding some homework first, and often, it's really an ego-issue.