Contents
1 Introduction to the April 2009 Knowledge Letter
2 Have you seen my BLU videos?
3 ADVERTISEMENT: Online Master of Science in Knowledge Management program
4 Smart People Magazine launched!
5 What is the meaning of life?
6 KC UK, KM Asia and KM Australia
7 Knowledge Management Specialist Library
8 TEDx: Create and host your own TED event!
9 Sharing books via BookCrossing
10 The Curious Cat
11 Knowledge Management Conference Uganda
12 KM Event Highlights
13 Subscribing and Unsubscribing
14 The Gurteen Knowledge Letter
Introduction to the April 2009 Knowledge Letter (top | next | prev)
I mentioned recently that there are a number of KM groups on LinkedIn. and some interesting discussions are taking place on many of these forums. One recent question I responded to in the VNKMC - Vietnam Knowledge Management Community was this one "How do we justify a knowledge sharing initiative in our company or community?" but there have been several others in a similar vein. Its a common question.
This was my answer:
A knowledge sharing initiative is a "response" to a problem. It is not something you do for its own sake.The bottom line here is that to my mind "you don't do KM, you respond to business problems and opportunities with appropriate KM tools and techniques".
What business problem are you trying to solve? Do you want marketing to work better with R&D to develop new products? Do you want salespeople to understand more about your products to increase cross-selling? Do you want programmers working on a software product to communicate more to avoid design oversights and bugs?
Start with the problem(s). And then ask how can "knowledge sharing" help in responding to them? If you are responding to a business problem then you have your justification!
Oh by the way improved "knowledge sharing" is probably only part of the response to any business problem.
Also note I say "response" and not "solution" - in complex systems - there are no "solutions".
Have you seen my BLU videos? (top | next | prev)
In April 2005, BLU, the UK's Business Link University, which no longer exists, hired Fifty Lessons to produce a series of video stories for them and I was invited to contribute. They shot six short videos that you can view here on my website - little stories of mine relevant to KM.
I had loaded them to Google Video but Google is putting little effort into Google Video since they acquired YouTube - so much so they have actually lost many of my videos and I am having to upload them again to YouTube.
ADVERTISEMENT: Online Master of Science in Knowledge Management program (top | next | prev)
Interested in pursuing a formal qualification in Knowledge Management? The MSc in KM offered by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University may suit you. Entering its 5th year of operation, characteristics of this program are
- Balanced coverage of human and IT-oriented approach to managing knowledge at the personal, group and organisational levels
- Suitable for knowledge workers in all industries and learnt concepts are widely applicable
- True multi-media delivery with games, animation, peer-to-peer interactions supplementing online content and web seminars
To register, please send email to Miss Tiffany Ho
For more information, please visit http://www.ise.polyu.edu.hk/km/content/km_subject.htm
Smart People Magazine launched! (top | next | prev)
Jerry Ash has just gone live with his new magazine Smart People. You can view the first issue online or download it as a pdf.
The entire first issue of Smart People magazine is free, and all lead stories in subsequent magazines are unlocked for public access. The remainder is open to subscribers only.
Smart People Magazine turns corporate knowledge management inside out, brings the power of knowledge work to the mainstream and applies it to living, learning, choosing, creating and working. The power has always been there, and the Web has multiplied your knowledge a million times through the search, communication and social network capabilities of the Internet.Its a great new magazine and I'd like to congratulate Jerry and his team on all their hard work. I am also pleased to say I am on the editorial board representing KM.Credit: Smart People Magazine
What is the meaning of life? (top | next | prev)
I recently discovered TweetBrain - a complementary tool to Twitter. It allows you to post a question and receive answers from fellow tweeters. Others can vote on the answers given and finally you can choose what you consider to be the best answer.
To test the system out I posted the question Does anyone know the meaning of life, the universe and everything? I received 38 replies before closing the session. Not too surprisingly the answer 42 proved popular!
My choice? Well I went for an answer submitted by Marc Scrivener from Viktor Frankl from his book Mans Search for Meaning that has long been my favorite.
Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.But take a look ... which is your favorite? And oh yes and TweetBrain seems quite a useful little tool.
Credit: Mans Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
KC UK, KM Asia and KM Australia (top | next | prev)
I thought you would like to know that I will be chairing the knowledge sharing stream of KC UK 2009 8 - 9 June this year. This is the major UK KM event and the organizers - the Ark Group - have kindly offered all my readers a 25% discount. I attend this conference most years and have chaired it twice in the past. Its a great event and I look forward to seeing many of you there.
Later in the year, I will be speaking and running a workshop at KM Asia 2009 24 - 26 November in Singapore.
And you may wish to check out KM Australia 2009 4 -7 August if you live down-under. This must be the only major KM conference I have yet to participate in but one of the other David's Dave Snowden will be there giving a keynote.
All three conferences are from the Ark Group.
Knowledge Management Specialist Library (top | next | prev)
Many of you will be familiar with the Knowledge Management Specialist Library from the British National Health Service National Library for Health. This is one of the best KM resource sites on the web. (It's not just about KM in the NHS but a full blown KM resource.)
Well, it seems there is some doubt about its future and a survey is being carried out.
The reason for the survey is to gather people's views on the site, the resources, its relevance to their work and also how they would like to see the site developed.
The future of the library is uncertain. It has already been made a static site and there is a real possibility that it will be closed. On the other hand if there is sufficient support it may be provided with a proper budget. So in addition to the above the survey is being carried out to:
- Gather evidence on the value of the site, including case studies of how the library has impacted on people's work
- Identify people that it would be helpful to include in the lessons learned review
- Identify people that it would be useful to involve if the library needs to look for a new home
- Gather information that would be helpful to pitch the library to a new host or funder
- Generally stir up support for the library
TEDx: Create and host your own TED event! (top | next | prev)
If you think TED is amazing then you will love TEDx. And if you have not visited TED yet and found out what all the fuss is about - shame on you!
TEDTalks are the most provocative, inspirational and informative talks on the web from leading edge thinkers and innovators from around the globe.
Here is a mind-blowing talk from JoAnn Kuchera-Morin .
TEDx is a program that enables schools, businesses, libraries or just groups of friends to enjoy a TED-like experience through events they themselves organize, design and host. We're supporting approved organizers by offering a free toolset that includes detailed advice, the right to use recorded TEDTalks, promotion on our site, connection to other organizers, and a little piece of our brand in the form of the TEDx label.Let me know if are inspired to run your own TEDx event and I will help you promote it.
Credit: TED
Sharing books via BookCrossing (top | next | prev)
I'd like to give a big thanks to Marja Kingma (@Marjakingma) for introducing me to BookCrossing - a great way of sharing books you no longer need.
I can't remember who but someone also told me about BookMooch. But I think I prefer BookCrossing as it is less effort.
I have not started using BookCrossing yet - but I do have piles of old business magazines. Every time I go out, I take one with me and leave it somewhere such as a train or a cafe! Hopefully it gets read again before being binned and finally recycled!
The Curious Cat (top | next | prev)
Maybe not too surprisingly, I am still hugely enjoying my daughter Lauren's blog - The Curious Cat (Welcome to The Curious Cat, a blog about being curious, about all the little things in life that bring me pleasure and happiness: cooking, art, literature, friends and family, cats...).
Her piece on Classics: Twitter Style! is a hoot! And then there is the touching post about death and her cousin Emma.
Knowledge Management Conference Uganda (top | next | prev)
Each year there are more and more KM Conferences around the world. This one is The International Conference on Knowledge Architecting for the National Memory and will be held on 24th-26th June, 2009 in Kampala, Uganda.
This conference would be worth attending just to appreciate the wild-life in Uganda
I have a special interest in this conference, in that if they can find a sponsor, I have an invite!
KM Event Highlights (top | next | prev)
This section highlights some of the major KM events taking place around the world in the coming months and ones in which I am actively involved. You will find a full list on my website where you can also subscribe to both regional e-mail alerts and RSS feeds which will keep you informed of new and upcoming events.
Congres Sociale Netwerken
22 Apr 2009, Rotterdam, Netherlands
I am giving the keynote talk at this conference.
European Conference on Intellectual Capital
28 - 29 Apr 2009, Haarlem, Netherlands
Knowledge Management Africa 2009
04 - 07 May 2009, Dakar, Senegal
Community 2.0
11 - 13 May 2009, San Francisco, United States
APQC Knowledge Management Conference 2009
14 - 15 May 2009, Houston, United States
Implementing a Knowledge Cafe
19 May 2009, London, United Kingdom
I am looking forward to facilitating this Masterclass in May.
The Effective Knowledge Worker
02 Jun 2009, London, United Kingdom
This workshop is proving very popular.
Engaging the Customer: getting it right with social media
03 - 04 Jun 2009, London, United Kingdom
I will be chairing this conference
KC UK 2009
08 - 09 Jun 2009, London, United Kingdom
I will be chairing KC UK this year.
Library + Information Show 2009
10 - 11 Jun 2009, Birmingham, United Kingdom
International Conference on Knowledge Management
24 - 26 Jun 2009, Kampala, Uganda
I am hoping to speak at this conference if we can find a sponsor.
KM Australia 2009
04 - 07 Aug 2009, Sydney, Australia
10th European Conference on Knowledge Management
03 - 04 Sep 2009, Vincenza, Italy
I will be attending this conference.
KM Brasil 2009
16 - 18 Sep 2009, Salvador, Brazil
KM LatinAmerica 2009
26 - 30 Oct 2009, Buenos Aires, Argentina
KM Asia 2009
24 - 26 Nov 2009, Singapore City, Singapore
I will be giving a keynote talk and running two workshops at KM Asia this year.
Subscribing and Unsubscribing (top | next | prev)
You may subscribe to this newsletter on my website. Or if you no longer wish to receive this newsletter or if you wish to modify your e-mail address or make other changes to your membership profile then please go to this page on my website.
The Gurteen Knowledge Letter (top | next | prev)
The Gurteen Knowledge-Letter is a free monthly e-mail based KM newsletter for Knowledge Workers. Its purpose is to help you better manage your knowledge and to stimulate thought and interest in such subjects as Knowledge Management, Learning, Creativity and the effective use of Internet technology. Archive copies are held on-line where you can register to receive the newsletter.
It is sponsored by the Knowledge Management Forum of the Henley Business School, Oxfordshire, England.
You may copy, reprint or forward all or part of this newsletter to friends, colleagues or customers, so long as any use is not for resale or profit and I am attributed. And if you have any queries please contact me.
David GURTEEN
Gurteen Knowledge
Fleet, United Kingdom
