Contents
- Introduction to the May 2017 Knowledge Letter
- The Knowledge Café as a Research Technique
- Zoom virtual Knowledge Café update
- Yet another myth: 70% of organizational change initiatives fail
- Henley Forum: Join in June
- Worcestershire Innovation Knowledge Café
- Gurteen Knowledge Tweets: May 2017
- Upcoming Knowledge Events
- Subscribing and Unsubscribing
- The Gurteen Knowledge Letter
Introduction to the May 2017 Knowledge Letter
If you have not taken a look at my "blook" on Conversational Leadership yet - then I invite you to make a visit.
It is developing far more slowly than I would like but I add to it almost every day, and slowly but surely, it is taking shape.
What I like about it, more than anything, is that it is a thinking and collation tool - a KM tool in other words. I capture thoughts and ideas and clip and email interesting material into Evernote where I categorize and tag it and draw things together before copying it over to my blook (a Wordpress site).
And then when people ask me questions or make interesting comments about "conversation" or my Knowledge Café or I learn somthing from experence I can go to my blook and update the relevant post(s) or maybe just capture in Evernote for later processing.
For example, I have a post in my blook on how to form and facilitate the Knowledge Café Circle, and so recently, when I had a couple of minor glitches with the Circle I visited that post to update it and include my "lessons learned." I find it a very effective way of working.
The Knowledge Café as a Research Technique
I have come to learn over the last 15 years that the Knowledge Café is more a state of mind than it is a fixed process. It is a way of viewing the world through a conversational lens. It is about looking at any organizational process or activity and asking:
How can I apply the Knowledge Café philosophy and principles to make this task more effective by making it more conversational and engaging?You can adapt the Knowledge Café for a variety of purposes.
I particularly like this application by Shawren Singh at the University of South Africa that describes how the Knowledge Café can be adapted to refine a theoretical conjecture..
It has also been used in Academia as an innovative teaching strategy.
How do you think you might adapt it?
Zoom virtual Knowledge Café update
I have talked in the past about Zoom and it's potential to host virtual Knowledge Cafés.
Having run a few small experiments, I run a fully fledged virtual Café at the end of April with 20 participants from 6 different countries.
There is no doubt in my mind now just how effective a platform Zoom is and I'll be running many more virtual Cafés and events in the future.
If you would like to be kept informed about them, please sign-up to my Virtual Café mailing list.
Yet another myth: 70% of organizational change initiatives fail
I recently pointed out that although the Hawthorne Effect was real - the research that it was based on was flawed - yet we still call it the Hawthorne Effect. So in some ways it is a bit of a myth.
And then there was the Mehrabian Myth that 55% of the message is conveyed by our body language, 38% is conveyed by the tone of our voice and only 7% is conveyed by our actual words.
But I have now tripped over yet another widespread myth that 70% of organizational change initiatives fail.
I am as guilty as the next in "falling" for all three of these myths in past. It makes me wonder how many more common management concepts and practices we take for granted. Jack Martin Leith lists some more on his Debunking Unit website.
A resolution to myself "Question everything!"
Henley Forum: Join in June
I have been a friend of the Henley Forum for Organisational Learning and Knowledge Strategies (known as the Henley Forum) ever since its inception back in 2000 and frequently take part in its events.
It is an exceptionally good forum and I would highly recommend it. The events are mainly for members-only but some are open to the public. Take a look -- you may be interested in becoming a member or attending some of the public events.
Here are a few of the activities coming up later in the year:
- Building connections -- a members-only event on 27th June.
- Advanced Knowledge Management -- a 2-day course on 12-13 July open to both members and non-members.
- Research projects (members only)
- Engaging with and working through complexity – a practical take on a tricky problem, starts 26th June
- Overcoming myopia, seeing and believing in the virtues of difference – Research Summit, 20th July
- Energising new ways of working – Research Summit, 2nd November
You can find a list of all upcoming events here.
Worcestershire Innovation Knowledge Café
I facilitated a Knowledge Café a month or so ago in my home town of Worcester for WINN (Worcestershire Innovation) on the topic "What are life's big questions that require innovation as an answer?"
It was an excellent evening and they captured its essence quite nicely in this little video.
If you are concerned with what the future may hold - why not run a Future Café to explore the trends and issues that are shaping, influencing and distrupting our world and your organization. One of the great things about the Knowledge Café method is that it is so easy to adapt and to run to fulfil a wide variety purposes.
Gurteen Knowledge Tweets: May 2017
Here are some of my more popular recent tweets. Take a look, if you are not a Tweeter, you will get a good idea of how I use it by browsing the list of micro-posts.
- Let's get rid of the report out http://buff.ly/2rf8LMm
- The Traditional Lecture Is Dead. I Would Know -- I'm a Professor http://buff.ly/2rqKAXL
- 20 Big Questions about the Future of Humanity http://buff.ly/2qgkCXE
- We need to elevate speaking to same level as reading and writing #Oracy http://buff.ly/2qiKrbD
- Village Magically Transformed After Resident Refused To Live In A Slum http://buff.ly/2rqCWN5
- Talking to Yourself (Out Loud) Can Help You Learn http://buff.ly/2qRN564
- The Reflective Mindset: Keynote Listening | Henry Mintzberg http://buff.ly/2pM6UNq
- John Lloyd on Knowledge: Being nice to people matters http://buff.ly/2qBLb9y
- Imagine a conference with a keynote listener instead of a keynote speaker http://buff.ly/2pblLOJ
- Conversations that Improve Organizational Culture http://buff.ly/2qqsXYp
If you like the Tweets then subscribe to my Tweet stream.
Upcoming Knowledge Events
Here are 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.
12th International Conference on e-Learning
01 - 02 Jun 2017, Orlando, United States
KM UK 2017
14 - 15 Jun 2017, London, United Kingdom
ISPIM Innovation Conference
18 - 21 Jun 2017, Vienna, Austria
KM Conference 2017
21 - 24 Jun 2017, Novo Mesto, Slovenia
4th European Conference on Social Media
03 - 04 Jul 2017, Vilnius, Lithuania
Theory and Applications in the Knowledge Economy
12 Jul 2017 - 14 Jul 2016, Zagreb, Croatia
Advanced Course in KM
12 - 13 Jul 2017, Henley on Thames, United Kingdom
KM Australia 2017
01 - 03 Aug 2017, Sydney, Australia
KMO 2017: the Twelfth International Conference on Knowledge Management in Organizations
21 - 24 Aug 2017, Beijing, China
Reflections 2017 Global Conference
06 - 09 Sep 2017, Montreal, Canada
18th European Conference on Knowledge Management
07 - 08 Sep 2017, Barcelona, Spain
12th European Conference On Innovation and Entrepreneurship 2017
21 - 22 Sep 2017, Paris, France
Subscribing and Unsubscribing
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
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 Henley 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
