tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371830422024-01-28T01:01:23.212-08:00Reflections on Knowledge Management and Organizational InnovationA personal diary of learning and reflection on knowledge management, information management and how they contribute to organizational innovation.Dale Arseneaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181569957717647347noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-24793024421365415292013-02-25T10:30:00.001-08:002013-02-25T10:30:20.818-08:00Future of Books is SocialI just stumbled across <a href="http://book.pressbooks.com/" target="_blank">Book: A Futurist's Manifesto</a> by O'Reilly Media readable completely on the web. In <a href="http://reflectionskmoi.blogspot.ca/2008/01/what-i-would-like-in-corporate-library.html" target="_blank">What I Would Like in a Corporate Library</a>, I talked about the library facilitating connections between people who share an interest in a book or topic. The way this book is published enables that, but most importantly there are a number of essays included that delve deeper into the idea.<br />
<br />
What I think is important in social reading is to always give the reader the option of being social or <u>easily</u> "going dark." Sometimes people just want a bit of privacy, whether because they are reading about a sensitive topic, or just for a bit of piece and quiet. Dale Arseneaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181569957717647347noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-91893926244599920582013-02-08T09:50:00.004-08:002013-02-08T09:51:03.612-08:00The Dangers of Objectifying CollaborationIn a recent <a href="http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Making_internal_collaboration_work_An_interview_with_Don_Tapscott_3052" target="_blank">McKinsey Interview, Don Tapscott </a>said: "Knowledge management has failed. We had this view that knowledge is a finite asset, it’s inside the
boundaries of companies, and you manage it by containerizing it."<br />
<br />
Well, not ALL knowledge management has failed - primarily those that focused on thinking of knowledge as an asset and over "engineered" efforts to manage it.<br />
<br />
A recent Harvard Business School blog post titled <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/06/collaboration_as_an_intangible.html" target="_blank">Collaboration as an Intangible Asset</a> written by Accenture's Robert J. Thomas references the very often spoken of challenge of measuring intangible assets, and positions collaboration as an intangible asset. Applying Tapscott's perspective, viewing collaboration as an asset will doom related initiatives to failure much like KM.<br />
<br />
I think we have to stop thinking of social process as assets or objects that should be weighed and measured. Some of the outcomes can and should be be captured and managed as assets, as they are often re-useable results of good work, or evidence of business activity.<br />
<br />
Let's spend more time trying to encourage, facilitate and remove cultural, structural, managerial barriers collaboration, knowledge sharing and learning, and less time trying to mange "assets," tangible or otherwise. Dale Arseneaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181569957717647347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-4051861822126451702013-02-07T08:02:00.001-08:002013-02-07T08:02:35.394-08:00Great Resource List on CognitionThe <a href="http://teachpsych.org/otrp/" target="_blank">Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology (OTRP)</a>, which develops and
distributes teaching and advising materials and provides services to teachers of
psychology at all levels on behalf of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/index.php">The Society for the
Teaching of Psychology</a>, has created a<a href="http://topix.teachpsych.org/w/page/19980979/Cognition%20Video" target="_blank"> GREAT list of resources and videos</a> on cognition - so important to learning and knowledge management.<br />
<br />
Of note, two video clips by <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0385676514" target="_blank">Daniel Kahneman, author of Thinking Fast and Slow</a>, on the concepts of thinking "fast versus slow," and how our "experiencing selves" and our "remembering selves" perceive happiness differently.<br />
<br />
You'll also find links to some great Ted talks by Barry Schwartz on the paradox of choice, Diane Halpern on how our government is broken, and Kathryn Schulz on embracing our fallibility.<br />
<br />
I'd have made it easy for you by putting in specific links to the above, but there are many more<a href="http://topix.teachpsych.org/w/page/19980979/Cognition%20Video" target="_blank"> great resources on the page</a>, so best to navigate directly there so you don't miss a thing. <br />
<br />
Happy viewing!Dale Arseneaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181569957717647347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-15648877785841972632013-02-07T05:40:00.004-08:002013-02-07T05:40:55.813-08:00Time to "Get Back At It'Thanks to a post on the <a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/sikmleaders/" target="_blank">SIKMLeaders </a>forum, I just noticed that Stan Garfield kindly posted a link to this blog on his <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stangarfield/kmblogs" target="_blank">KM Blog lis</a>t. Honored and humbled I am. Time to get back at it. Stay tuned.Dale Arseneaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181569957717647347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-46093628791422348522012-06-26T05:23:00.003-07:002012-06-26T05:23:22.052-07:00A "News" Opportunity for Knowledge Elicitation<a href="http://www.outsellinc.com/">Outsell</a>, in a recent Insight report, were discussing the rapid and significant changes underway in the print media business on all continents including layoffs, printing plant closures, modifications to news paper formats, sizes and publication frequencies.All in favour of moving more digital.<br />
<br />
Certainly a significant transformation for that industry (reminds me a bit of <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1994/10/31/79894/index.htm">Charles Handy's Sigmoid Curve</a>). But in the context of knowledge management, in particular knowledge elicitation - helping people make explicit the "deep smarts" gained over years of experience and practice - who better than people in media, particularly reporters to tease out the knowledge gems.<br />
<br />
Might the changes in the print media industry be an opportunity for organizations to improve the capture / sharing of knowledge? <br />
<br />
<span><o:p></o:p></span>Dale Arseneaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181569957717647347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-51780082902618438212012-05-15T13:24:00.003-07:002022-12-05T13:53:56.586-08:00Real Roots of Change ResistanceIn the Psychology Today blog post <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/brainsnacks/201203/the-only-5-fears-we-all-share#:~:text=These%20fears%20include%20extinction%2C%20mutilation,can%20think%20about%20them%20consciously">The (Only) Five Basic Fears We All Live By</a> Karl Albrecht very succinctly distills and outlines the root fears that drive all others. What I was struck by was how three of those core fears are directly related to change resistance.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><em>Loss of Autonomy</em> - fear of being immobilized, paralyzed,
restricted, enveloped, overwhelmed, entrapped, imprisoned, smothered,
or controlled by circumstances. In a physical form, it's sometimes
known as claustrophobia, but it also extends to social interactions and
relationships.</li>
<li><em>Separation</em> - fear of abandonment, rejection, and loss of connectedness - of <em>becoming a non-person - </em>not
wanted, respected, or valued by anyone else. The "silent treatment,"
when imposed by a group, can have a devastating psychological effect on
the targeted person.</li>
<li><em>Ego-death</em> - fear of <a class="pt-basics-link" href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/embarrassment" title="Psychology Today looks at Embarrassment">humiliation</a>, shame, or any other mechanism of profound self-disapproval that threatens the <em>loss of integrity of the Self</em>; fear of the shattering or disintegration of one's constructed sense of lovability, capability, and worthiness.</li>
</ul>
A good changes strategy, therefore would deal not just with trying to change attitudes by throwing more information at people, but by truly understanding the fear that is driving the resistance and dealing effectively with it, whether proactively or after the fact. Change leaders should communicate clearly about when change does not affect autonomy, separation (or connectedness) and integrity of the individual. The change leader should also be clear and transparent about instances where there is impact so people can make informed decisions, and offer some help when appropriate.<br />Dale Arseneaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181569957717647347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-90120632944931488112012-04-27T10:15:00.000-07:002012-04-27T10:15:15.845-07:003 Questions That Kill CollaborationWhat does he/she <u>really </u>mean? What is she/he <u>not </u>saying? What are his/his <u>real </u>motives?<br />
<br />
What these questions all have in common; the presumption of
something hidden, the undercurrent of a lack of trust, and most importantly the time considering dealing with them take away from getting
work done.<br />
<br />
How many times have you been in conversations and got
the sense that the listener(s) were running you through a mental MRI
machine because they mis-trusted your words and/or body language, and were
not taking what you were communicating at "face value?" How often have
you been in conversations and did the same to another speaker? How often have you been involved in hallway conversation after a meeting where people were trying to "get to the bottom" of what was said in the meeting?<br />
<br />
<br />
There is no shortage of literature / evidence about the role of trusting relationships has on performance / productivity in work / team / group settings. Yet, as Larry Prusak, in <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/07/one_thing_that_makes_collaboration.html">The One Thing That Makes Collaboration Work</a> points out, trustworthiness is rarely explicitly rewarded in most organizations. <br />
<br />
Of course, if you are thinking appreciatively, you could see these questions, if asked explicitly, as an opportunity to improve collaboration. Provided you can ask them in a non-threatening way and provide some positive reinforcement, and that they they are answered honestly.<br />
<br />
Challenge yourself as well. If you find you are asking these questions of others, consider why, and if they are warranted. Perhaps a bit of time invested in relationship building prior to critical meetings could improve the value of the interaction in them. Dale Arseneaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181569957717647347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-52960135965675533012012-04-27T09:53:00.001-07:002012-04-27T09:56:40.793-07:00Anyone who has taken a presentation skills course, or any good presenter, will know that varying how your speak - changing tempo, tone, pitch - and using movement - expressions, hand gestures, walking - are good strategies for improving the listener's experience.
Ever wonder why?
In this video, Daniel Levitin talks about the early origins of music - alterations in pitch and time - for communication that pre-dates language, the primitive parts of the brain affected by music, and the links between language and movement.
So, increase the appeal of your presentations, and even your conversations, by incorporating some foundation elements of music.
<a href="http://daniellevitin.com/publicpage/about-dan-levitin/full-biography/">Daniel Levitin</a> is a James McGill Professor of Psychology, Behavioural Neuroscience, and Music at McGill University (Montreal, Quebec), and author of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Music-Obsession/dp/0452288525/ref=lp_B001IGQX56_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335545776&sr=1-1">This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of a Human Obsession</a>" and "T<a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Six-Songs-Musical-Created/dp/0525950737/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227301184&sr=8-1">he World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature</a>." and has some serious music production "creds" with some noteworthy bands.
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<div class="MsoPlainText">
I hopped on a local city bus this morning and overheard two people talking about the weather and March heat wave that has
blessed (or assaulted, depending on your winter pass-time) much of the northern
US and southern Canada.</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Like many of us do, the people talking about the weather
were offering their own forecast. And like many of us do as well, they were
expressing their opinions as definitive statements of certain fact as though
they could foresee the future. They didn't preface any of their comments with
"I guess," "I think or suspect," "I'm gambling,"
or even the venerable IMHO.</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Yes, in context, we all acknowledge that personal weather
prognostication is not based on scientific fact or professional judgment -
"It is what it is."</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
It does make me wonder, though, how much confusion we
create by stating option, judgments, or "best guesses" as fact in
business (or even personal) contexts that are less clear, and having those words taken literally and acted
upon by others.</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Clarity on what we're expressing (and opinion vs. fact, or
even a preliminary thought vs. a fully formed idea call to action) can go a long way towards ensuring that listeners have the right expectations, reducing
confusion, making productive change, and building good relationships.</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-23911883295107138202012-03-16T05:23:00.001-07:002012-03-23T05:32:54.617-07:00Psychological neoteny - Insights for Organizational Change?Bruce Charlton, Professor of Theoretical Medicine, University of Buckingham, UK, hypothesizes that psychological neoteny, “retention of youthful attitudes and behaviors into later adulthood” - thanks to the impact of higher education and more time spent in school - equips people to deal more effectively with our ever changing world. Psychological neoteny would seem to put youthful characteristics of learning readiness and thinking flexibility at our disposal. According to Charlton, "A child-like flexibility of attitudes, behaviours and knowledge is probably
adaptive in modern society because people need repeatedly to change jobs, learn
new skills, move to new places and make new friends."<br />
<br />
So, that perhaps points to value in nurturing youthful attitudes and behaviors in the context of organizational change to help those who are less change-adaptable to become a bit more so. <br />
<br />
But, as we all know, youthfulness is a double edged sword, and Charlton points to an associated delay in maturation, particularly among academics, professionals and other groups with long educational cycles. Do you remember being young, unpredictable, quickly shifting priorities, being attached to the next "shiny new thing," maybe being overly superficial, fascinated with short lived fashion? (I do - though I'll never admit it in public.) <br />
<br />
Perhaps then, communications and marketing efforts that support organizational change need to adapt some techniques used to market products and services to youth - "<i>Red Bull gives you wings!"</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://charltonteaching.blogspot.com/">Bruce Charlton's Miscellany </a>(One of his many blogs)<i> </i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/magazine/10section3a.t-3.html">Psychological Neoteny, NY Times, By Clay Risen</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2006/06/23/immature_hum.html">Serious Study: Immaturity Levels Rising - Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.hedweb.com/bgcharlton/psychological-neoteny.html">Charlton BG. Psychological neoteny and higher education: Associations with delayed parenthood. Medical Hypotheses. 2007; 69: 237-40</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.hedweb.com/bgcharlton/ed-boygenius.html">Charlton BG. The rise of the boy-genius: psychological neoteny, science and modern life. Medical Hypotheses. 2006; 67: 679-81</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-45771238492953748272012-01-04T05:42:00.000-08:002012-01-04T09:52:35.954-08:00Library Closures - a Trend? Madness I say! Madness!<div>
<a href="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Human+Resources+library+closure+part+troubling+trend/5925281/story.html?cid=megadrop_story">Human Resources library closure part of troubling trend</a> - I'll say! For years, much has been written about information overload, challenges with personal information management, finding the "right" needle in the information haystack, the gradual transition information on the Internet from free to "for a fee." And now it appears that organizations are dismantling the very groups that are in the BEST position to have a significant, positive impact on knowledge worker productivity and quality of knowledge work.<br />
<br />
Like many of you I'm sure, my love affair with librarians began with my very first contact. Faced with what I thought the insurmountable challenge of writing my first essay in what was known then as "junior high school," I tentatively took my first steps into that sweet space of learning called the Library. There I met the most wonderful person. Welcoming, supportive, inquisitive, brilliant, empathetic, and soooo knowledgeable, my first librarian inquiried about my objective, my challenges, my existing thinking, and helped me navitage through the thousands and thousands of books, magazines, newspapers to the best few relevant to my quest. And she also helped pinpoint specific pages/paragraphs of greatest value, and helped frame up my thinking and approach to the essay. Heaven sent! My stress immediately shrank like a deflating baloon.</div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
Thus began the love affair that has lasted years and years through various educational institutions, public and corporate settings. Definitely a long term relationship that is even richer and deeper today.<br />
<div>
<br />
I find a lot of people get "juiced up" about how social media and associated technologies are changing how we work in amazing ways. No denying that. But we're still a long way from - a la Star Trek - saying "computer.. " and having magic happen. Sure, we can more easily build social networks that we can tap into. Sure we can have RSS feeds that send us gobs of content based on some general criteria from sources we choose. Sure there are lots of blogs and other content sources we can surf. And sure, we can share tags, ranks and comments about the content. OMG can you say "MEGA OVERLOAD!" Can you say "Information Armageddon!"<br />
<br />
Most of us are NOT in the information management business (unless it's your hobby on your personal time). Our job is to do our job, which we can't do if we're spending too much time rifling through / filtering, deciding exactly what to use and learn from - of all of the information from all of the information channels at our disposal - for a specific task. And do we not often lament that we don't actually have the time to find, and often don't have the access rights for, what we really need? And are the networks of people that we are ever more reliant on filled with people facing the same challenges with little time to help US out? <br />
<br />
Is there not very significant value in having highly trained professionals who can:<br />
<ul>
<li>continuously identify, qualify, broker, provide access / point to highly relevant information sources ranging from high-cost subscriptions to leading discussion forums / blogs and even internal information sources?</li>
<li>do some preliminary research and analysis to get you off on the right foot?</li>
<li>help you connect and dialog with people who share common interests?</li>
<li>anticipate what you need and make necessary provisions so there is no lag time between when you need something and when you can access it?</li>
<li>participate in and serve the immediate and emerging information / learning needs of the communities you belong to?</li>
<li> do the above with quality and timeliness and enthusiasm because it's their primary role? </li>
</ul>
At its most basic, we consume information and talk with others to learn. In the context of today's information challenges, let's shorten the learning curve, not lengthen it! Though the mechanics of the work is changing, we need MORE librarians, not less!<br />
<br />
And maybe, just maybe, we all need lessons on how to better leverage this valuable resource.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-29507111550726739702011-11-25T04:56:00.001-08:002011-11-25T05:28:47.584-08:0025-Page Social Media Rule Book. Really?<a href="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/told+social+media+face+page+rule+book/5762876/story.html">According to a recent Ottawa Citizen article. A 25-page rule book for social media that was years in the making</a>. Really? What are they thinking?!?!? With so much demand on everyone's time, and the amount of discretion that people can exercise in their day to day work, who has time to read, make sense of and apply this extensive a guideline set for one small aspect of their work? Granted, there are always some people who make bad decisions, as <a href="http://www.windsorstar.com/technology/profanity+laced+tweets+have+followers+atwitter/5725341/story.html">this story about an MP using profanity in his tweets exemplifies</a>, but 25 pages?!?!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8w0SNM0NO_A/Ts-WDf_JtSI/AAAAAAAAEVg/m8piC-icYh8/s1600/TBS+Web+20+Guidelines+TOC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8w0SNM0NO_A/Ts-WDf_JtSI/AAAAAAAAEVg/m8piC-icYh8/s320/TBS+Web+20+Guidelines+TOC.jpg" width="320" /></a>At least that was my first reaction. But of course, it's always a good idea to go to the source and check facts. <br />
The guidelines, first released on November 18th, and <a href="http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=24835&section=text">published on the Canadian Treasury Board web site</a>, are, in my opinion, not what you would first think, or perhaps what the media would imply.<br />
<br />
If you give the guidelines a quick read, or even look at the table of contents, they are not for individuals specifically, but for government departments to use as a framework for making strategic decisions and for contextualizing direction for departmental staff. Section 5, for example, offers consideration for creating guidelines for staff.<br />
<br />
The guidelines are not a difficult read, are not something that would be referred to on a frequent basis, but would be good input to a broader Internet strategy.<br />
<br />
Sure, there are always ways to refine, simplify language, make writing clearer, but at some point it has to be 'good enough.' Given what I believe to be the audience / purpose for these guidelines, I think they are more than good enough, and a pretty good job on the part of the authors.<br />
<br />
But, you be the judge.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-19202407166787090172011-09-09T09:44:00.000-07:002011-09-09T09:46:26.238-07:00"Smart" Meeting ParticipationChris Corrigan's blog post <a href="http://chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/?p=3372">Titled Helping Participants Learn</a> led me to <a href="http://www.johnniemoore.com/blog/archives/002902.php">Johnnie Moore’s Weblog: Facilitation for participants</a>, which led me to Steve Davis's post / book excerpt titled <a href="http://www.masterfacilitatorjournal.com/archives/skill499.html">12 Acts of Courage to Change Meetings for Good</a>.<br />
<br />
I love the notion that effective meetings are not solely the chair/facilitator's responsibility, and their are always more participants than meeting leaders. Meeting participants need to be accountable for their own action/inaction in meetings. I know in a lot of the meetings I attend, I wish more participants would:<br />
<ul>
<li>"Keep your group on target by avoiding tangents."</li>
<li>"Realize and express your truth in service to the group."</li>
<li>"Transform conflict into a spirit of collaboration." </li>
<li>"Be curious, observant, and patient."</li>
</ul>
I think perhaps Davis' book <a href="http://www.thismeetingsux.com/">This Meeting Sux, 12 Acts of Courage to Change Meetings for Good</a> might be a great employee handout. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-91571152181756552912011-09-08T09:54:00.000-07:002011-09-08T09:54:07.318-07:00Liberalism, Conservatism and Organizational Change ManagementI just stumbled upon a Psychology Today article titled <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200612/the-ideological-animal">The Ideological Animal</a> that made for a very interesting read. The author positions political stances as less of an intellectual exercises and more of a product of our childhood, education, and, quite surprisingly, fear of death.<br />
<br />
For the topic at hand, though, the above article contains some interesting comparisons between liberal and conservative personalities, as derived from a number of significant psychological studies. A few examples:<br />
<ul>
<li>Liberals are messier than conservatives, their rooms have more clutter
and more color, and they tend to have more travel documents, maps of
other countries, and flags from around the world.</li>
<li>Conservatives are
neater, and their rooms are cleaner, better organized, more brightly
lit, and more conventional.
Liberals are more optimistic.</li>
<li>Conservatives are more likely to be <a class="pt-basics-link" href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/religion" title="Psychology Today looks at Religion">religious</a>.</li>
<li>Conservatives have a greater desire to reach a decision quickly and stick to it, and are higher on <a class="pt-basics-link" href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/conscientiousness" title="Psychology Today looks at Conscientiousness">conscientiousness</a>,
which includes neatness, orderliness, duty, and rule-following.
Liberals are higher on openness, which includes intellectual curiosity,
<a class="pt-basics-link" href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/sensation-seeking" title="Psychology Today looks at Sensation-Seeking">excitement-seeking</a>, novelty, <a class="pt-basics-link" href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/creativity" title="Psychology Today looks at Creativity">creativity</a> for its own sake, and a craving for stimulation like travel, color, art, music, and literature. </li>
<li>Conservatives have less tolerance for ambiguity.Liberals, on the other hand, are more likely to see gray areas and reconcile seemingly conflicting information.</li>
</ul>
If an organization has a predominance of one personality type / political stance versus another, I can certainly see how the communications / change management strategy would differ, ranging from more conventional, methodological, structured, with no surprises, to more emergent, conversational, and creative. And, obviously, it is important to align expectations of the scope / pace of change with the conservative or liberal nature of the organization.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-7341263872423594042011-06-17T05:45:00.000-07:002011-06-17T05:45:12.898-07:00Typical Knowledge ProblemsI've been asked by colleagues recently - "What business problems does knowledge management solve?" Obviously a good question, but it also caused me to reflect on how much of what is written about knowledge management is from the solution perspective - knowledge management definitions, tools, techniques, methods and approaches - and less about how to recognize a business problem for which a knowledge management "solution" is appropriate.<br />
<br />
So, here is a business problem for which knowledge management is a solution.<br />
<br />
We all work in complex environments, where no one person knows the answer, in particular to a never before faced situation/problem or issue, or a completely new context for a known problem. Not only that, but as every situation and context is different, even the best of "best practices" (a misnomer in my opinion) need to be adapted if they are to be at all useful. The nature of the problem could be any business process, management challenge, technical hurdle etc. Imagine anything from "How can I best evolve my talent acquisition process?" "How do I adapt my financial management processes to align with new international reporting standards?" to "How can I stimulate the generation of more profitable ideas in our research and development group?"<br />
<br />
Seems logical, then, to tap into external thinking and learning to try determine the best course of action. The approach / process used to tap into this external thinking / learning is considered, in today's context, a knowledge management solution.<br />
<br />
McKinsey's article titled <a href="http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Using_knowledge_brokering_to_improve_business_processes_2512">Using Knowledge Brokering to Improve Business Process</a> positions seeking external thinking as "knowledge brokering," and uses process / open innovation as the broader business problem/context. But you may have heard this learning before doing process referred to as a <a href="http://www.ikmagazine.com/xq/asp/sid.0/articleid.C2D6132F-85AE-4F54-8DD3-A549AFFE5B46/eTitle.Learning_before_doing_BPs_peer_assist_process/qx/display.htm">peer assist </a>process as defined by Collison / Parcell in their book Learning to Fly. Regardless the name, using an explicit, disciplined process to identify knowledgeable people and tap into their insights and knowledge is a knowledge management solution. <br />
<br />
To maximize value from the knowledge brokering / peer assist process, the context must be the business problem. It is not enough to ask people about their experiences / lessons learned, then be saddled with the challenge of applying that learning to the problem. The problem itself should be the context for the conversation and drive the learning - the people who have experience and knowledge to offer should themselves apply it to collaboratively defining the problem and building solutions. That is the real power of knowledge brokering / peer assists.<br />
<br />
(If you're looking to identify your own knowledge problems, a great starting point is the <a href="http://store.straitsknowledge.com/">KM Diagnostic Cards available from Straights Knowledge</a>.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-33035808412277089662011-06-02T05:16:00.000-07:002011-06-02T05:16:52.292-07:00Key Collaborative BehavoursReflecting on a number of meetings I've been involved in the last few months, I'm realizing that three key behaviors are required for effective collaboration (and just plain old good teamwork):<br />
<br />
<b>Limit your airtime.</b><br />
There are many people who always monopolize the time available in meetings and consume the vast majority of airtime with their (on the positive side) ideas, enthusiasm and excitement, their (on the negative side) assertiveness, aggressiveness, and sometimes ego. If you want to be collaborative, and contribute to a collaborative environment, give others the time and opportunity to contribute to the conversation.<br />
<br />
<b>Invite contributions</b>. <br />
More than just allowing time/opportunity to contributions, an invitation is a very powerful device for encouraging participation. Questions like "What do you think?" "How do you feel about... ?" "What would you do about...?" when asked genuinely/sincerely, will draw out perspectives worth considering, even from the most reluctant of participants.<br />
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<b>Chose the right time and tone for critique/criticism</b>.<br />
One of the easiest ways for smart people to demonstrate they are smart is to look for, find and point out faults in logic, ideas or plans. At the wrong time, criticism, in particular if it's harsh, can completely stifle creativity/innovation, in particular in the early stages of idea generation and exploration. As I'm sure most of you have seen, withering criticism can also create a climate that discourages more introverted people from sharing their thinking. So, defer critique and criticism to later in the thinking process, once the ideas are generated and will articulated. Then, when it is time to analyze and think critically, do so in a positive tone and "on the same team" as others, exploring the thinking objectively for gaps within the context of the conversation.<br />
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<b>"Check-in" for common understanding.</b><br />
We all view what happens around us differently, thanks to our DNA and our experiences that create the mental models and filters we use every day. Just because something is written, illustrated, or presented on a PowerPoint slide, don't assume that everyone shares the same understanding. Do your self a favor - test for common understanding about key ideas and concepts before everyone walks out of the room. Ask people questions like "What does that mean for you?" "Explain in your own words.. " "How does this apply in your context.. ?" "If you had to explain this to someone else, how would you.. ?" If you are doing the presenting, use illustrative examples to ensure everyone is "on the same page." Simply asking people "Do you understand?" is not really a good test for common understanding.<br />
<br />
<b>Limiting. Inviting. Timing. Checking-in.</b>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-5553812414851175852011-05-12T04:25:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:48:33.256-07:00A Pithy Article on Leadership for the Future<div style="font-family: inherit;">I came across a Knowledge@Wharton article today titled <a href="http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2771">Deloitte CEO Barry Salzberg on Leadership as 'the Norm, Not the Exception</a>.' Like most of you I'm sure, pressed for time, I always appreciate a short, pithy, relevant article with substance. If you have a minute, it's well worth the read - it does a nice job of capturing what I think are many of today's key leadership issues and recommendations including:</div><ul><li> "Gone is the day of the old command-and-control environment, the climb-the-ladder model, in which the employee kept quiet and didn't say too much, certainly not much beyond what was asked and tasked..."</li><li> "Gone, too, is the densely layered organizational hierarchy [and] dinosaur-like structures that are too slow and lumbering for today's environment."</li><li> “...leadership needs to be "flat" today. It needs to be transparent.”</li><li> "No longer is leadership about a few exceptional leaders at the top of the organization. Rather, the future is about exceptional teams and the leaders within those teams who can out-maneuver, out-manage and out-innovate their competition."</li><li>“...you never know where the best ideas will come from.”</li><li> “If you build a supportive environment where everyone is expected to contribute, you'll get synergies and creative ideas you never imagined were possible."</li><li> “In a global world, leaders are required at all levels of the organization, not just at the top.”</li><li>"The corporate lattice metaphor signals a shift in mindset. It's better reflective of today's employees, who want variety and flexibility and reject a one-size-fits-all approach."</li><li> "Another leadership relic, according to Salzberg: the idea of a "ruling elite in the clouds of some bureaucratic Mount Olympus."</li><li> Leaders today must also be transparent, especially in today's socially networked world, said Salzberg. "In today's social media environment, it's fascinating to see how in 10 seconds what you say is spread throughout the organization. There are few hiding places."</li><li>The best leaders are ... generous with their experience, time and understanding that leadership is a life-long journey that is best made with trusted companions...”</li></ul> Overall, well worth the read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-74011815801159423032011-04-26T04:43:00.000-07:002011-04-26T04:43:20.742-07:00Looking for a New Edge in Knowledge Management?Have you picked up your copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Edge-Knowledge-Management-Changing/dp/0470917393">The New Edge in Knowledge: How Knowledge Management Is Changing the Way We Do Business</a> yet? If you've had interest in knowledge management over the last "x" years, you know that knowledge management is challenging subject area / management practice to understand, and within which to develop and implement practical, impactful initiatives that provide individual and organizational benefit. It is also often a difficult subject to have management conversations about, in particular when some managers don't understand that part of their responsibility is managing social processes for learning and knowledge sharing inside their organizations. <br />
<br />
What I really liked about The New Edge in Knowledge, and why I think it should should occupy first place on your book shelf or e-shelf, is that it brings significant clarity and resolution to all the key KM challenges and questions such as: What is knowledge management? What is its relationship to information management and corporate culture? What type of initiatives comprise knowledge management? Where do social / collaboration technologies fit in? How do I measure success? How do I enable change? What should we do next?<br />
<br />
Most importantly, this is not a practitioner's bible. It is a business oriented, practical view, based on solid research and best practices, that will inform effective strategic thinking and decision making about how to best improve the processes and practices people to create, share, and learn from information and from each other in a business context. That this is an excellent resource is not a surprise given the authors (Carla O'Dell and Cindy Hubert) and the organization (APQC).<br />
<br />
I think this book fills an important void. There is lots of very valuable academic research and practitioner information about knowledge management, but a notable absence of business oriented, jargon-free material for managers/decision makers. "Edge," like it's predecessor by the same authors, is an excellent business read.<br />
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Buy it. Learn from it. Use it. Then consider leveraging other APQC KM resources. You won't be disappointed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-79038508143001080202011-03-11T10:23:00.000-08:002011-03-11T10:29:21.978-08:00ECM Critical Success factors Part 2In a previous post titled, <a href="http://reflectionskmoi.blogspot.com/2010/09/ecm-critical-success-factors.html">ECM Critical Success Factors</a>, I reflected on a number of factors that I believe contribute to ECM success; strategically oriented leadership, learning orientation, experienced based subject matter expertise, communicating realistic expectations, and focusing on organizational readiness. I also touched on<a href="http://reflectionskmoi.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-ten-characteristics-of-really-good.html"><b> </b>Top Ten Characteristics of a Really Good Business Transformation / ECM Project Manager. </a><br /><br />There are a couple of other ECM critical success factors I'd like to explore in this post.<br /><br /><b><i>Think Enterprise Architecture</i></b><br />Even in the context of implementing <a href="http://www.aiim.org/infonomics/ArticleView.aspx?ID=32977">Basic Content Services</a>, it is very easy to succumb to a focus on technological views, opportunities, and challenges, in particular given the growing technical complexity of organizational technology infrastructures. One of the failures of many ECM projects is an insufficient focus on business processes / requirements and the needs for managing information created in those contexts, resulting in unusable solutions, significant resistance to change, and perpetuating of the status quo of managing, nor not managing, information.<br /><br />This is where an Enterprise Architecture view, and even a partnership with an Enterprise Architecture group, is essential. Regardless of the <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb466232.aspx">approach</a>, Enterprise Architecture / Architects focus first on business architecture, then information/data/applications to enable the business, then the enabling technology.<br /><br />Not respecting this order of analysis / design, or attempting to do all three simultaneously during an ECM implementation, creates unnecessary complexity, anxiety and cost/schedule over-runs.<br /><br />Having Enterprise Architecture as a key partner in the early planning / analysis and design stages can be of significant value.<br /><br /><b><i>Use Knowledge Management for Successful ECM</i></b><br />If you can stipulate that, differentiated from Information Management, Knowledge Management focuses on the processes / practices that enable people to share what they know, learn from each other, and work effectively towards a common goal, then knowledge management is a significant enabler of an ECM project or program.<br /><br />ECM brings together a number of often competing perspectives - external supplier, client, service provider, project management, internal partner - and a number of disciplines - communications, IT, IM, security/privacy, legal/audit - with divergent interests, understanding, and language.<br /><br />Combine this with the propensity to assume that "magic" happens when all the "right" people are in the room, and you've got the proverbial recipe for disaster.<br />Applying a knowledge management mind-set to shifting how people work together will ensure that:<br /><br /><ul><li>learning before, while and after doing is embedded in the way the ECM project is scoped, managed and delivered and communicated</li><li>people effectively work together towards common goals, and personal / hidden agendas are subordinate to the common ones</li><li>problems / issues are properly identified and dealt with quickly productively / transparently</li><li>positive attitudes and a sense of team accomplishment is pervasive, rather than negativism / defeatism, and individualism</li></ul><b><i>Seriously Consider an "Agile" Approach</i></b><br />Traditional "waterfall" project management, as often applied even today, has an underlying presumption of predictability. Project managers, project sponsors and key stakeholders presume a high degree of certainty / accuracy about the breakdown/ scope of work, schedules, resource use and costs, even when the project is large, complex and spans a year or more.<br /><br />Unfortunately, given the complexity of organizations, and the pace of change everyone experiences, little works out as planned.<br />For most ECM implementations I strongly suggest an approach that explicitly embeds experiential learning and re-planning / iteration at FREQUENT key points in the project – and most importantly, sets and manages stakeholder expectations accordingly.<br /><br />Some recommended reading/references:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pmforum.org/library/tips/2007/PDFs/Hass-5-07.pdf">The Blending of Traditional and Agile Project Management</a> (PM World Today - May 2007 (Vol. IX, Issue V)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.stage-gate.com/knowledge_pipwhat.php">Stage Gate Process</a> – divides project work into phases related to key management decisions.<br /><br /><a href="http://mike2.openmethodology.org/wiki/What_is_MIKE2.0">Mike 2.0</a> – links agile project management ideas with ECM/IM implementations.<o:p></o:p>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-81788141337106192172011-01-13T05:19:00.000-08:002011-01-13T05:19:01.399-08:00Rejection Stimulates Brain Pain CentreFascinating! In her recent blog post titled <a href="http://www.nonverbaladvantage.com/blog/?p=145">Ouch! You Excluded Me</a>, Carol Kinsey Goman references a UCLA study that uncovered that feelings of rejection stimulate the dorsal portion of the anterior cingulate cortex, much as physical pain does. <br />
<br />
Perhaps those leaders who strive for results at all costs with no consideration of their impact on others, or change leaders implementing strategies that have a small team making decisions for everyone else, should reconsider their approach. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-69184229368564541382010-09-29T05:28:00.000-07:002010-09-29T05:28:02.730-07:00Top Ten Characteristics of a Really Good Business Transformation / ECM Project ManagerIn many respects, an ECM project is a business transformation project. Depending on the specifics, it changes how information is captured and managed, it changes how end-users interact with information in terms of process and practice, and it changes the nature of information services offered to clients. Project managers are challenged with planning and managing work that impacts all three of these groups in different ways. Not an easy task.<br />
<br />
In this type of environment, I think project managers must be able to:<br />
<ol><li>manage cross-discipline project team culture and build common language and understanding</li>
<li>manage the social systems within which the project team, clients, partners and key decision makers interact, share information and make decisions</li>
<li>effectively use project management processes and tools in ways that provide for the necessary agility and experiential learning,and enables the resulting timely course corrections to happen</li>
<li>ensure consistent information is provided in a timely fashion across multiple stakeholder groups/perspectives - right information, right time, right way, fit for purpose</li>
<li>work effectively with the solution business owner to navigate the political climate across the organization / business area</li>
<li>keep the team focused on business outcomes/ objectives, and prevent the focus /attention from being overtaken by technology discussions, challenges and outcomes</li>
<li>facilitate clarity of roles, responsibilities, accountabilities, and a future focus, and steer the team away way from blame-setting and finger pointing when inevitable project challenges arise</li>
<li>equip key decision makers with the information / knowledge they need to make timely decisions</li>
<li>constantly strip away complexity / confusion in conversations and help everyone focus on the key vital ideas / information</li>
<li>demonstrate and encourage authentic conversations based on transparency, honesty, and a focus on corporate good/business value</li>
</ol>(Below is a short video from the authors of the book <a href="http://www.bkconnection.com/ProdDetails.asp?ID=9781576755952">Authentic Conv</a>ersations - definitely worth the read!)<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kTMupXYIB40?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kTMupXYIB40?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-18511391718803964922010-09-10T05:38:00.000-07:002010-09-10T05:38:51.596-07:00ECM Critical Success FactorsOf late, I've been thinking of some of the challenges related to implementing large-scale ECM programs and projects, and would like to extend some of the thinking in this <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/norwiz/how-to-implement-ecm-presentation">very useful presentation created by AIIM</a>, and host of other contributions on the 'net.<br />
<br />
I suggest that for ECM to be successful: <br />
<br />
<strong><em>Senior decision makers must be able to think strategically.</em></strong> <br />
In knowledge-based organizations, it is very difficult to quantify the benefits of ECM projects that are broad / enterprise wide in scope (v.s targeted to a specific work group/isolated, well scoped problem). Highly improvisational/collaborative knowledge work, unlike production work, is hard to monitor / measure objectively for changes in efficiency and effectiveness. Given the complexity of organizations and the environments they operate in, cause and effect relationships are almost impossible to draw concretely in advance. Senior managers need to <a href="http://www.hainescentre.com/systems-thinking/pdfs/abst.pdf">think with the end in mind</a>, make investment and corrective action decisions based on <a href="http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/articles/2009/spring/50317/how-to-make-sense-of-weak-signals/">weak signals</a> (information, often anecdotal, that emerges from local intelligence and extended social networks often disconnected from the organization's structure), less than complete quantitative information, and a mix of abstract thinking and common sense.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Strong, strategic subject matter expertise leadership must be available start to finish. </em></strong><br />
There is no "cookbook" for ECM. Every organization is different, and what worked in one situation will not automatically work in another. Technologies vary, organizational culture varies, degree of existing internal experience and capabilities vary. What is essential is to have a strong, experienced subject matter expert leading the initiative who has the ability to help the project team access and adapt proven practices to the situation / context of the project, to translate abstract concepts into practical reality, and who can develop / promote common understanding about the overall solution design across client groups, business and technology team members.<br />
<br />
<em><strong>Learning must be explicitly built into the project plan.</strong></em><br />
Given the complex nature of both broad based ECM implementation and the organizations within which implementation takes place, any confidence in the accuracy of detail long range plans that cover the entire project / program from start to finish is misplaced. It could be argued that rigorous detailed planning for later / final project phases is misplaced as well. ECM is best managed as a learning oriented project, with explicit learning / after action review meetings scheduled in the plan after key project phases / milestones, and a "re-planning" step identified immediately afterward. This step can also be synchronized with funding requests to continue progressing with the project / program. Add explicit activities to ensure that delivery partners (e.g. IM/IT/Communications) and program/project governance groups (e.g steering committee / working groups) learn what is required to fulfill their responsibilities and make critical, timely decisions as the project progresses. ECM projects/programs are social systems that constantly change as time progresses, and planning and management of the project must accommodate.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Promote realistic expectations about plan accuracy and project outcomes and benefits.</em></strong><br />
In keeping with the above point, it is essential to resist the urge to tell "good news stories," to set unrealistic expectations about the degree of certainty of plan and outcome scope, and to tell decision makers, and staff in general, what the project team thinks these two important audiences want to hear. It is always difficult for people who are well paid project management or subject matter "experts" to admit they are unsure. With the stage well set for a learning project, the personal/reputational risk is minimized, but the old adage "it is what it is" really must apply.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Gear the project to organizational readiness / capacity for change for both the project and the outcome.</em></strong><br />
If a documented or implicit planning assumption is that "people will be available when required," challenge it strenuously. Challenge equally any plans that assume that some form of homogeneous common understanding (or even interest) about ECM/IM exists across project governance and target audience, because it's rarely the case. If the plan is based on an assumption of 100% availability for full-time staff, challenge that as well. One of the scarcest resources in any organization is <a href="http://books.google.ca/books?id=j6z-MiUKgosC&dq=attention+economy&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=mRWJTOasCdOfnwfc3YTYDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false">attention</a>. There are so many competitors for attention all the time, and no one can ever be sustainably 100% focused/available for a project. ECM initiatives constantly compete with other strategic and operational priorities for attention. Employees still have an interest related to their operational roles and responsibilities, and are often drawn into related conversations or meetings. Even external consultants have responsibilities associated with their home organizations, and are rarely truly 100% focused/dedicated. Lead ECM with organizational change management and communications, and embed these activities throughout the project plan. The very first step should be to ensure that a proper knowledge and awareness foundation is laid for key decision makers and stakeholders before proceeding.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-26273815033456287742010-07-26T19:46:00.000-07:002010-07-26T19:46:54.309-07:00Relationship Between Information and Knowledge ServicesI've been involved in quite a few conversations recently about the relationship between information and knowledge, and the resulting relationship, if any, between <em>information services</em> and <em>knowledge services</em>. These are very difficult discussions to engage in without finding yourself in a 'definitional rat hole' in attempting to create common language or frames of reference, or relying on a set of philosophical underpinnings that invariably differ from those of the people on the other side of the table. <br /><br />I'm beginning to think that the differentiation between information and knowledge is a practitioner perspective and not a common, business-oriented one. Business people simply want to get things done as quickly and effectively as possible and can always use some form of help. And most importantly, they want to access the help quickly and effectively as well.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kgk5bLmhbwY/TEirF4niQ1I/AAAAAAAAD7I/9SdfburM2RE/s1600/IPR.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" hw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kgk5bLmhbwY/TEirF4niQ1I/AAAAAAAAD7I/9SdfburM2RE/s320/IPR.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>In most basic form, from my perspective, we are processing machines, taking input (e.g past experiences, environmental context, what we read, what we hear from others) learning from and making sense of the input, and ultimately take action, no action, or shifting to a different state (e.g. more knowledgeable, more confused, more capable, more frustrated). The results of action are also for input into the next process cycle. (Think of the experiential learning cycle.)<br /><br />We all have a job to do, we leverage and learn from everything and everyone we can, if we're smart, to do that job so that we can achieve the results we want. And if you think about the highly flexible, improvisational nature of knowledge work, the leveraging and learning takes place before, while and after taking action (as so eloquently explored in <a href="http://www.chriscollison.com/l2f/">Learning to Fly</a>. And most importantly, how we use information and how we engage with the people around us is highly integrated. <br /><br />But we all try to be successful in a challenging work environment. We all hear and read about (and experience) the information explosion, organizations being complex adaptive systems, the almost fluid comings and goings of people in and out of organizations or moving between roles and responsibilities inside organizations.<br /><br />It seems to me, given the above reality we all work in, having on internal service group that a business person could contact for a full range of help / services similar to the <u>partial </u>list below would be a <b><i>significant </i></b>benefit:<br /><ul><li>self-serve or assisted "single search" of pre-qualified /selected / quality information originating from inside and outside the organization, with integrated results</li><li>unsolicited or subscription based provision of focused internal and external information in context based on user-completed profile information and monitored activity</li><li>facilitated networking with others with similar interests to validate information, information sources, and bridge information silos</li><li>facilitated group conversations with others to make sense of / contextualize and learn from information and from each other </li><li>on-demand serendipitous discovery of all of the above</li><li>all of the above in both provided via in-person and on-line environments</li></ul>(And, for those of you who don't believe that facilitation of networking and group conversations is a need, from what I hear, even basic meetings haven't evolved much since John Cleese first released <a href="http://www.videoarts.com/productDetails.do?no=MBM1&ver=&ext=">Meetings Bloody Meetings</a> in 1976! We all need HELP! Lots of it!)<br /><br /><b>Interesting related reading:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://innotecture.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/learningandknowledge1.pdf">Learning + Knowledge = ?</a> by Matt Moore, Training Australia Magazine Vol. 8 (4) 2009<br /><br />Moore also has recently published <a href="http://innotecture.wordpress.com/ebook/">Performance Enhancing</a> - an e-book that builds on his Training Australia Magazine article and further examines the links between training & development, knowledge management, organizational learning and performance improvement from a practical perspective.<br /><br />A brilliant graphic poster on <a href="http://www.scribd.com/full/2243876?access_key=key-1n90h9ng80uz3fvqrnlt">Informal Learning</a> developed by XPLANE.<br /><em>(Special thanks to Peter Stoyko at </em><a href="http://www.stoyko.net/"><em>http://www.stoyko.net</em></a><em> for the above two references.)</em><br /><br /><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/feb2010/ca2010025_358633.htm">Smashing Silos</a>, a Businessweek article by Evan Rosen, author of <a href="http://www.thecultureofcollaboration.com/">The Culture of Collaboration</a><br /><br />Stenmark, D. (2001) <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.21.965&rep=rep1&type=pdf">The Relationship between Information and Knowledge</a> in Proceedings of IRIS 24, Ulvik, Norway, August 11-14.<br /><br />Stenmark also explores a number of these ideas in more detail at <a href="http://www.viktoria.se/~dixi/publ/ddoml02.pdf">http://www.viktoria.se/~dixi/publ/ddoml02.pdf</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-4104943263659205462010-07-09T05:43:00.000-07:002010-07-09T05:43:28.595-07:00"Who Will Care When I'm Gone?"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kgk5bLmhbwY/TDcPQIYAf5I/AAAAAAAAD60/UYZ4CkZJzAU/s1600/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FVG9tYiBVbmtub3duIFNvbGRpZXIgT3R0YXdhIENhbmFkYSBXYXIgTWVtb3JpYWwuanBnLmpwZw%3D%3D%3F%3D-700326" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491875040402112402" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kgk5bLmhbwY/TDcPQIYAf5I/AAAAAAAAD60/UYZ4CkZJzAU/s320/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FVG9tYiBVbmtub3duIFNvbGRpZXIgT3R0YXdhIENhbmFkYSBXYXIgTWVtb3JpYWwuanBnLmpwZw%3D%3D%3F%3D-700326" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Ottawa Canada, War Memorial</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was reflecting on a series of conversations I had a while back with a work colleague (let's call him "Lloyd") who was soon to retire. He had agreed to be the focal point of a proof of concept "knowledge transfer" approach.<br />
<br />
Lloyd was a long serving employee, and was involved in a number of the organization's key functions and major corporate initiatives. He was a very good communicator, very well respected, and was able to think objectively enough to contribute to the design of how he was going to share his knowledge.<br />
<br />
First, he and I had a series of conversations reviewing his career, experiences, accomplishments and some interesting key <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">learnings</span>. Within the context of the organization we identified 5 key "knowledge domains." We then identified 2-3 thought leaders in each domain, and I sent these people a number of probing questions intended to uncover what they thought they would like to learn from Lloyd in their respective knowledge domains. Using the responses to these questions I began to design a series of "talk show" like events, one for each domain, which would feature a host, Lloyd, and guests, all of whom would have a conversation in the knowledge domain, seeded by the preliminary questions received from the thought leaders. Anyone in the organization could attend in the audience. After the conversation was well started on the stage, anyone in the audience would have the opportunity to ask questions and get involved in the conversation. (Dare I say Johnny Carson meets Jerry Springer?)<br />
<br />
I was also planning on recording these events, segmenting them, and making them available via our intranet at some point on the future (I was also working on promoting the creation of a section on our intranet for "legacy pages" - profiles, histories, interviews (videos / transcripts), projects, documents etc. for retirees.<br />
<br />
Part way through the design of the talk show events, Lloyd came to me and said that he had changed his mind, and no longer wanted to participate. I was stunned, given how active he was in the conversations / process to that point. Of course, I asked him why. <br />
<br />
He told me he was reflecting, in large part because of my probing, on his experiences in the organization and concluded that no one would care about what he had learned or had to say. Despite my best efforts, I could not convince him otherwise. <br />
<br />
Clearly, there is a direct relationship between the degree to which people choose to volunteer what they know, and the recognition / appreciation they will received for their effort.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37183042.post-17063580726644759702010-05-10T05:19:00.000-07:002010-05-10T05:34:11.601-07:00Management Innovation OpportunityI was exchanging a few emails with <a href="http://www.wowgreatidea.com/">Ed <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="BACKGROUND: yellow">Bernacki</span></a> this morning, and he mentioned that he was going to be attending the Corpus <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="BACKGROUND: yellow">Operis</span> Forum in Germany May 12-14. This event is billed as a "Global Forum on Innovation, Sustainability, and Workforce." The video for the forum certainly points to an innovative approach to bringing a diversity of ideas together to look beyond the constraints of today's work environment to what could be in the future. Wish I was going!<br /><br /><br /><object height="225" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7437858&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7437858&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/7437858">Corpus <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="BACKGROUND: yellow">Operis</span> Forum</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/genesismedia">Genesis Media</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="BACKGROUND: yellow">Vimeo</span></a>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0