KM Blog October 2007

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

KM and links within links

I still find it simply amazing to be sitting in my home office overlooking the golden and green autumn vineyards in SW France, on the one hand, and replying to friends around the world who have given such feedback to my thoughts and insights, as I try to understand what is happening in the global knowledge space.

Blogging really is so powerful and I truly believe that we are still only able to see the tip of the iceberg. I look forward to what is coming.

When I first started to blog, I really wanted and hoped for lots of direct two way communication and feedback. I then quickly learned the nature and motivations of different bloggers, and how we are all trying to deal with so much more information of interest, but no more time. Probably even less time to absorb all that we wish we could.

So meaningful filtering of information is even more critical to effective knowledge working.

But what caused me to write this post was the simple realisation that there is something as important, even more important sometimes, than feedback.

The links that I get from people who read my blog, but do not directly feedback, tell me what information and what solutions people are looking for. The links contain the search requests. That is of course interesting. But when I examine and follow their searches further, I discover so many other interesting things that greatly add to my knowledge.

Most of them are so relevant to my interests in knowledge management.

This can be so revealing and sometimes, so inspiring. So I do get valuable feedback from every single searcher and reader of my blog too!

Of course, I love the feedback, as direct communication, and I am finding, more and more, that people find my blog through searching for information, not just from what I write, but the searches are finding results to comments that others write.

So there is an increasingly complex set of links, and links within links that are naturally emerging.

The web is naturally emerging as a complex global organism of thoughts, insights and ideas.

Now it's back to a cup of coffee and a walk in the vineyards to retain my sanity :-)

Ron Young

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Knowledge and a commitment to Openness

I am very interested in the growing debate that is developing concerning Open Knowledge on the Web.

I was drawn by a colleague to read a very interesting article in The New York Times 'Libraries shun deals to place books on Web' of 22nd October 2007

In particular, I agree with the following quote, especially too, from a KM Consulting context,

“There are two opposed pathways being mapped out,” said Paul Duguid, an adjunct professor at the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley. “One is shaped by commercial concerns, the other by a commitment to openness, and which one will win is not clear.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/technology/22library.html?adxnnl=1&ref=us&adxnnlx=1193134240-lxWxzSxfiLYf9AY68XuG/A

To a degree, I understand the arguments that have been put to date, that information and knowledge developed from public funds should be available for the common good, and "some libraries and researchers worry that if any one company comes to dominate the digital conversion of these works, it could exploit that dominance for commercial gain.", and I understand the need for commercial concerns to make a profit to live and grow, but I think there are several other issues that are emerging on the Web that are just as challenging and fundamental.

I believe that the greatest challenge to a KM Consultant is to take his/her own medicine too and 'think differently about knowledge'.

I fully accept that "many in the academic and nonprofit world are intent on pursuing a vision of the Web as a global repository of knowledge that is free of business interests or restrictions." and I would suggest that this will extend further into the profit world than we, perhaps, realise.

As a KM Consultant, I have realised that I will never be able to develop and compete on knowledge, personally, compared to developing knowledge through open collaborative knowledge communities. It's insane to keep thinking in competitive ownership terms.

Where I believe I can excel as a 21st Century KM Consultant, is in my experience gained, and in my competencies developed, around applying the best available knowledge.

I think that increasingly, the Web will certainly be a growing global repository of knowledge for all, that is free to use for both business interests and non-business interests.

Maybe it will be the case that people will continue to 'compete' on ideas and innovation, and 'collaborate', for the common good of creativity and innovation on knowledge development?

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

KM Singapore and KM Asia 2007

I have been asked to give a keynote address at KM Singapore on 1st November and the title is 'How to develop KM Competencies'.This is very close to my heart, as I feel that the biggest difference to achieving excellence in KM is made through KM competency development of individuals, teams, organisations, knowledge networks and communities of practice.

www.kmsingapore.com

I shall attend KM Asia on 29th - 31st October, in Singapore also, catch up with old friends and listen to all the keynote speakers. I am particularly interested to see if any new challenging thinking, trends, strategies, methods and tools are developing within the conference context of 'enhancing knowledge culture and discovering new possibilities'. I am pretty sure Dave Snowden will deliver some constructive and challenging thoughts. He always does!

www.kmasia.com

My aim, for this trip, is to observe, learn, blog and share any new insights and ideas that I gain. If you have a special interest in these conferences and speakers and are not planning to attend, and if you have a special question or challenge, please let me know and I will do my best to help, if I can.

Ron Young

Go to daily blog 'KM-Consulting'

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