I think "knowledge management" is a bullshit issue.
Let me tell you why. I can give you perfect information, I can give you perfect knowledge and it won't change your behavior one iota.
People choose not to change their behavior because the culture and the imperatives of the organization make it too difficult to act upon the knowledge.
Knowledge is not the power. Power is power. The ability to act on knowledge is power.
Most people in most organizations do not have the ability to act on the knowledge they possess.
David Gurteen's comments: I can't find the original source of this quote but it was said by Michael Schrage in a magazine interview about 2002.
It's an amusing statement and makes some very good points but what I think Michael failed to understand back then (he may have changed his view since) is that these issues are exactly what KM seeks to address.
KM is more than just getting perfect information and knowledge to people it is about ensuring they have the ability to act on it.
Quotations are extremely effective at capturing and concisely communicating thoughts and ideas. They can be inspirational but more importantly quotations can help us reveal and assess the assumptions, values and beliefs that underlie the ways in which we perceive the world.
I have compiled over 800 quotations and short excerpts on this website. It is an eclectic mix but most of them are inspirational or insightful in nature and relate to knowledge, learning or personal development in some form.
If you love quotations as much as I do then you may wish to register to have a quote e-mailed to you once a week or more frequently by clicking on the button below and completing the form.
I think "knowledge management" is a bullshit issue.
Let me tell you why. I can give you perfect information, I can give you perfect knowledge and it won't change your behavior one iota.
People choose not to change their behavior because the culture and the imperatives of the organization make it too difficult to act upon the knowledge.
Knowledge is not the power. Power is power. The ability to act on knowledge is power.
Most people in most organizations do not have the ability to act on the knowledge they possess.
You can't be a serious innovator unless and until you are ready, willing, and able to seriously play. 'Serious Play' is not an oxymoron; it is the essence of innovation.
If you are interested in Knowledge Management, the
Knowledge Café
or the role of conversation in organizational life then you my be interested in this online book I am writing on
Conversational Leadership
The Gurteen Knowledge Community is a global learning community
of over 21,000 people in 160 countries across the world.
The community is for people who are committed to making a difference:
people who wish to share and learn from each other and who strive to see
the world differently, think differently and act differently.
Membership of the Gurteen Knowledge Community is free.
I think "knowledge management" is a bullshit issue. 
I think "knowledge management" is a bullshit issue. 
