*** THE GURTEEN KNOWLEDGE-LETTER (ISSUE 31, 16 JANUARY 2003) ***
Many of you will have received a book token for Christmas. Can I recommend
one book that you might like to redeem it on! Its a book I carry around
with me most of the time and read again and again. I've annotated almost
every page! The book is nothing to do with KM as such - its more about
personal development though if you look carefully behind the words there
is a link.
The book is "Awareness" by Anthony de Mello.
Anthony was a Jesuit Priest from India but this is not a religious book in
the sense of organized religion though it is a deeply spiritual/personal
book.
Visit the website dedicated to Anthony by his brother Bill and take a look
at the Amazon reviews of the book. And if you like it - buy it with that
book token.
Awareness:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0001BEEE?open&r=3&p=0
Anthony de Mello:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0000F1B2?open&r=3&p=0
*************************** CONTENTS ***************************
1 - Personal Networking
2 - Houses and Gardens
3 - The Knowledge Café
4 - The 4th European Conference on KM
5 - Knowledge-Raffle
6 - Float You Event
7 - Quote of the Day
8 - CD Masterclasses by Dave Snowden
9 - Advertizing in this newsletter
10 - Discussion Forums
11 - CoachMaster
12 - KnowledgeBoard Theme for January
********************** PERSONAL NETWORKING **********************
Mick Cope has recently published a book on "Personal Networking". The book
reminded me of the centrality of personal networking to KM and prompted me
to create a category on my website to cover the subject. In looking for a
good definition of networking I exchanged e-mail with Mick and this is how
is defines the topic:
"In my book I use a definition of networking as 'people who will help
amplify my personal capital in the market'.
Importantly - not a bunch of friends and colleagues who I try to sell to
under the guise of giving them a great opportunity. Active management of
these people is NOT networking; it is client relationship management, a
whole different ball game and one deliberately not covered in this book.
What I do try to cover is the idea of ethical networking. This is not
about people learning to put on a false front, cheesy grin or flash tie,
that isn’t networking that is plastic sales.
Natural networking is about being yourself and using the essence of who
you are and your personal capital to build long-term successful and
sustainable relationships with other people.
The trouble is that so many people see networking as an unethical and
unnatural process. They think that making use of personal contacts smacks
of Machiavellian abuse and is duplicitous and dishonorable.
I would argue that networking is a natural, ethical and enjoyable process,
one that we should be encouraged to use from the moment we are born.
The unethical part is when this is done in the shadows and for pure
selfish reason. Then networking is a dangerous corruptive practice that
will ultimately destroy the potential value embedded within a
relationship."
A copy of Mick's book is available as a prize in my raffle - see the link
below.
Mick Cope's book on Personal Networking:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0036FFFE?open&r=3&p=0
Knowledge-Raffle:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0028667E?open&p=0
Category Personal Networking:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X00370002?open&r=3&p=0
********************** HOUSES AND GARDENS **********************
In last month's knowledge-letter I talked about Verna Allee's view of
Knowledge Management:
"People generally take either an object view or process view of knowledge
management. From the object perspective comes a focus on databases or
other storage devices, mechanisms for sharing knowledge products such as
documents, and terms such as knowledge transfer. The process view focuses
on ways to facilitate collaborative processes, learning dynamics and
problem solving."
Frank Ryan commented on this in an e-mail to me as follows:
"Steve Denning talks about houses (object approach) and gardens (process
approach). You can organize a house, have rooms for various activities and
places where specific things will be found. For a garden, however, you can
only plant, nurture and hope. He stresses that you need both for a total
(KM) environment."
I like it!
Ron Young also sent me ane-mail to tell me about a new book that he has
coauthored "Knowledge Asset Networking" that fuses these two approaches to
KM. Take a look!
Verna Allee:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0020F076?open&r=3&p=0
Steve Denning:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X000441B2?open&r=3&p=0
Knowledge Asset Networking:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X003B528A?open&r=3&p=0
********************** THE KNOWLEDGE CAFÉ **********************
The next Knowledge Café will be held at TFPL's offices in London on
Tuesday 4th February 2003 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.
The theme is "How can Knowledge Management best help create, develop, and
apply intellectual capital of significant value?"
The meeting will explore participants experiences of and ideas for
innovating and generating new intellectual capital through the more
effective/efficient identification, management and development of
knowledge inside and outside organizations.
The session will be run by Niclas Ljungberg and Malcolm Allan who after
meeting at a previous Knowledge Cafe have recently set up iNERGY, a new
company focussed on the creation and development of intellectual capital
through creativity and innovation.
The meetings are free and if you would like to know more - see the links
below:
Knowledge Café home page:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0024749E?open&p=0
Knowledge Café - Tuesday 4th Feb 2003
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X003B8E6E?open&r=3&p=0
*************** THE 4TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON KM ***************
I will be co-chairing the 4th European Conference on Knowledge Management
(ECKM 2003) to be held in September 2003 at Oriel College Oxford.
The conference provides an opportunity for academics and practitioners
from Europe and elsewhere who are involved in the study; management,
development and implementation of knowledge management initiatives to come
together and exchange ideas.
Submissions of papers on both the theory and practice of all aspects of
knowledge management are invited. Abstracts of no more than 500 words to
be received no later than 31 May 2003.
Last years event at Trinity College, Dublin attracted over 70 papers - the
proceedings of which can be bought from the MCIL website.
The 4th European Conference on Knowledge Management
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X000CB6D2?open&r=3&p=0
*********************** KNOWLEDGE-RAFFLE ***********************
I was pleased to see that 112 people entered my Knowledge-Raffle for a
copy of Steve Denning's book - The Springboard. It was won by Jana Eggers
of Intuit Inc. Congratulations Jana!
I've since added two more books to the raffle - "How to become a
successful IT consultant" by Professor Dan Remenyi which has been donated
by Dan. And "Personal Networking" by Mick Cope. I also have several more
books that I will raffling over coming months.
Take a look and enter - its free!
Knowledge-Raffle:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0028667E?open&p=0
************************ FLOAT YOU EVENT ************************
I recently received this e-mail from Mick Cope and Carmel McConnell and
Mick agreed I could publish it:
Just over a year ago we released a book called 'Float You'. The book
argues that in the same way that companies often undertake a float process
as part of their development and growth - humans also need to periodically
take steps to make a significant change in what they do or who they are.
The Float You book offers a structured framework that can help people make
such a change.
Since the publication we have been promising to run an event around the
book - well - we have finally pulled our finger out and set a date - April
1st 2003.
If you (or someone you might know) would like to spend a day thinking
about (and preparing for) the next big change - then please come along.
The event will be held on the 1st April 2003 in central London. We will
not be charging for this event - but will pass on the cost of hiring the
room and refreshments (£60).
More details of the event can be found at:
http://www.wizoz.co.uk/floatation_chamber.html
All the best, Mick and Carmel
Note: The key thing about this event is that it is not a course. It is a
chance to use the power of social capital to work with other people who
also want to make a key life change and to do this using a common
platform.
Float You:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0038DA16?open&r=3&p=0
Mick Cope:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X000020F6?open&r=3&p=0
Soloing:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0001131E?open&r=3&p=0
*********************** QUOTE OF THE DAY ***********************
As I'm sitting here writing this newsletter my mobile phone just beeped to
tell me I have a message. Its that time of day - every day I get a message
at midday! An agent has sent it to me from my website. It has selected a
quotation from my site and sent to me as an SMS text message. This is
quote I received a few minutes ago:
"It is the function of creative man to perceive and to connect the
seemingly unconnected." William Plommer.
It reminds me that this is what KM should all be about!
Its a fun feature! Members of my knowledge-cafe and klog community have
the option of receiving similar quotes by e-mail on one or more days of
the week. I plan to make this more widely available in 2003.
Sending SMS text messages by e-mail:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0018BADE?open&r=3&p=0
*************** CD MASTERCLASSES BY DAVE SNOWDEN ***************
Many of you will be aware of Dave Snowden and his work on Narrative and
Storytelling. Dave is director of IBM’s Cynefin Centre for Organisational
Complexity and a recognised knowledge management expert. On a late night
Australian radio program some time ago I heard him introduced as a radical
Welsh intellectual which I am sure amused him.
I've seen Dave present on a number of occasions and have always been spell
bound by has relaxed and humorous style but more so by his dismissal of so
many of the myths that surround KM.
Take a look at his profile on my website and you will see that over the
last few years he seems to have crisscrossed the world running
masterclasses on Storytelling - many of them for the Ark Group
Well the Ark Group have now released two interactive masterclasses on
CD-ROM. I have had review copies for a while but have only just got around
to watching them and now wish I had sooner.
The first, ‘Using narrative in organisational change’, examines how
narrative and storytelling can be used as a means to share knowledge in an
articulate and understandable manner, outlining the value of these
disciplines in a modern business setting.
In ‘Emergent knowledge management’, the second of the CD-ROMs, Dave
positions the latest thinking on the evolution of knowledge management,
describing ecological rather than mechanistic approaches and offering
practical guidance on how to diagnose problems, formulate strategy and
select projects to undertake.
The CDs are excellent. The quality of the production is good and the
ability to navigate around them is excellent. But more than anything else
its been a delight to be entertained and educated by Dave in my own home!
I'd highly recommend the CDs. Follow the link below and you will find more
information and a 10 minute demo of the video classes.
CD Masterclasses by David Snowden:
http://www.kmmagazine.com/snowdencbt.asp
David Snowden:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X00025886?open&r=3&p=0
**************** ADVERTIZING IN THIS NEWSLETTER ****************
I recently started to provide the ability to advertize on my website and
in this newsletter. For more information see:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/x0030d226?open&p=0
*********************** DISCUSSION FORUMS ***********************
Thanks to those of you who have visited my KM discussion forum this last
month. There are several new items of discussion - for those of you
interested - please take a look.
You will also find a list of other KM Forums in a small panel in the right
hand columns of my k-log home page.
Forums:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0003AE02?open&p=0
Knowledge-Log
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X00141D06?open&p=0
************************** COACHMASTER **************************
Bob Griffiths is a personal coach and for several years he has been
developing an interesting piece of software which combines connectivity
with a built-in problem solving process. It is called CoachMaster and it
enables a person to 'coach' or facilitate an individual or team using
standard internet components. It is the first software I have seen which
provides the interpersonal skills for problem solving in a program. You
can find more details at:
http://www.coachmaster.co.uk/coachmaster/coachmaster.htm
*************** KNOWLEDGEBOARD THEME FOR JANUARY ***************
The European KM Community KnowledgeBoard website runs a different KM theme
each month with online and offline workshops, discussion forums, surveys
and interviews.
The Theme for January 2003 is hosted by the KM & SMEs SIG on Do I need KM
in my SME? This does not seem to have changed since December but I note
they do have a schedule of themes for 2003 posted on their website.
The Theme:
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/themes/
KnowledgeBoard:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0003CC12/
