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Each month's Knowledge Digest is published as part of I3 UPDATE / ENTOVATION International News.
Other Digests: Jan 2003 - Sept 2003
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DECEMBER 2001
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BP Wins 2nd European MAKE Award
The winners of the 2nd European Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises
(MAKE) study, conducted by Teleos in association with The KNOW Network,
are:
- British Petroleum (United Kingdom)
- Skandia (Sweden)
- Royal Dutch/Shell (Netherlands/UK)
- Nokia (Finland)
- Siemens (Germany)
An executive summary of the 2001 European MAKE report is available
by contacting The KNOW Network (E-mail: info@knowledgebusiness.com),
or by visiting its website:
http://www.knowledgebusiness.com
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New ENTOVATION Publications
Some of the key themes covered in Debra Amidon's presentation at
KM Europe 2001 (see earlier article) including the evolution of
Knowledge Societies, the architecture for the knowledge value proposition
and the rationale for the new Innovation SuperHighway - http://www.entovation.com/whatsnew/superhighway.htm
- are to be featured in her new book of that title scheduled for
2002 release. Also announced is the new French edition of Innovation
Strategy for the Knowledge Economy - http://www.entovation.com/backgrnd/art.htm
- translated by ENTOVATION Fellow, Dr. Eunika Mercier Laurent.
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Enron: An Innovation Too Far?
I was not alone in featuring Enron as an innovative knowledge-based
company. Gary Hamel profiled Enron in a recent book and Fortune
magazine article. In 'Capitalizing on Knowledge' I praised Enron's
innovative environment for enabling the creation of knowledge-based
products and services such as weather risk management. However,
from its recent demise, it does look as though its financial innovations
were an innovation to far - so complex and obscure that not even
highly skilled market analysts could unravel them. Heed my warning
in my earlier book - Knowledge Networking - about the need for some
kind of regulation of knowledge markets. In that I talked also of
the need for governance arrangements to tame 'wild agents', though
at the time I was thinking of software 'intelligent ones' - not
humans!
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NOVEMBER 2001
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WEF: Caution Amidst the Optimism
ENTOVATION Colleague Frank-Jurgen Richter Director, Asia (see recent
article on his new book - Competition and Cooperation - http://www.entovation.com/whatsnew/intangibles-
competition.htm) World Economic Forum (WEF) and Pamela Mar,
Senior regional manager, WEF, published an article "Desperate need
to turn words into actions." They suggest that the continent of
Asia is on the edge of a precipice, and its future is at risk. Asia
will either seize this opportunity to push forward with a solid
core, or be swept under as the ill economic winds from the United
States and Europe blow stronger. The current situation requires
concerted action by government and business to secure global geopolitical
trust, deal with the negative fallout from restive populations,
and re-establish confidence in Asia's corporate sector. Part of
their prescription: "We have to develop trust on a regional and
global scale between the business world, government and the rest
of society. Asia needs a marketplace where ideas can be traded and
agreements reached with all players - business, government and civic
organisations - present at the table." For the full article and
hotlinks to other Asia stories produced by the World Economic Forum
visit:
http://special.scmp.com/wef01/opinion/ZZZ6C8532TC.html
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New Intellectual Capital Guidelines
from Denmark
The Danish Agency for Trade and Industry has just released its
new publication "A Guideline for Intellectual Capital Statements:
A Key to Knowledge Management". As described previously in featured
IC measurement articles, ENTOVATION colleague Mr. Lars Kolind has
been leading a national initiative gaining insights from some 17
companies producing IC reports. According to Ole Stavad, Minister
of Trade and Industry, this effort is part of the government's attempts
"to improve the framework of conditions for business in the new
(Knowledge Economy) circumstances." The intent is to have organizations
working 'systematically' and 'strategically' with their knowledge
resources. The Guidelines and other related materials are available
at:
http://www.efs.dk/icaccounts
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Significant (Free) Resource
in the Expanding Global Economy
"Everything is different today, it's 100% changed...We had so many
problems before, but now we are free and we are waiting for our
new government." (Quote of a 35-year-old Afghan living in Kabul,
commenting on the Taliban's retreat from Kabul. This is the introduction
to the Global Development weekly briefing (15th Nov) provided by
DevelopmentEx.com - an independent marketplace bringing efficiency
and transparency to the $100+ billion global development industry.
Read articles, archives and subscribe for your own copy at:
http://www.developmentex.com/industry_news/newsletter.asp
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Want to Share your Knowledge?
We are currently revamping the Knowledge Connections website (http://www.skyrme.com)
and will be extending our range of online publications. If you are
a practitioner, research or MBA student who has developed knowledge
of specific KM issues and techniques, then why not capitalize on
your knowledge by writing or contributing to guides and briefings
in our KM Tools, Guides and Briefings series? These publications
are aimed at executives and practitioners, and must follow our quality
and format guidelines. We are interested in hearing from you. We
can't promise we can make you rich, but you'll get visibility and
a share of revenues. We will also consider spnorship for various
sections of the website. Please contact David Skyrme (david@skyrme.com)
with your ideas and suggestions.
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OCTOBER 2001
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Global Valuation and Accounting
Morgan Stanley Dean Witter has released a monograph "Valuing
and Measuring the Technological Edge" co-authored by Trevor
S. Harris and Elmer H. Hub. They suggest not to throw out old theories
as more buzzwords are used to explain the 'new' economy - such as
core competencies, the value chain, knowledge management and intellectual
property - all leading to a 'sea of intangibles' to measure. The
document, available in a PDF file outline the characteristics of
the FASSTEST (sm) Companies in the new economy: Flexibility, Agility,
Scale, Scope, Talent, Education, Servicing Customers and Technological
Edge. The scale is not an algorithm or magic key, but a listing
of the attributes that create sustainable margins and operating
efficiency that justify high valuations. With a contrasting analysis
of Compaq and Dell, they are able to identify the specific drivers,
the financial impact of the drivers, and potential measures. For
a copy of the report, contact:
debra@entovation.com
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New Graduate Diploma in Knowledge Management
Royal Roads University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, has
announced a new eight-month degree program with a 3-week residency
followed by distance learning is a unique offering for mid-career
professionals. Courses include: Knowledge strategies for the Global
Business Environment, Knowledge Management Culture and Leadership,
Information Technology for Knowledge Management, Design and technology
for Management Information Systems, Standards and Knowledge Management,
Intellectual Capital and Property, Knowledge Management Research
Methods. Several ENTOVATION Canadian colleagues are involved on
the Advisory Board such as Hubert Saint-Onge and Nick Bontis. For
further information, visit the website:
http://www.royalroads.ca
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Global Learn Day V - Real-Time International
Learning
We all remember the 24-hour round the world experience provided
last year by John Hibbs, the Benjamin Franklin Institute for which
the ENTOVATION Stories were profiled - http://www.entovation.com/whatsnew/learn-day-entovation.htm.
Be sure to visit the archives - http://www.bfranklin.edu/
- and in particular the 'virtual dinner party' hosted by Xenia Stanford,
editor of KnowMap, and recent addition to our Global Knowledge Leadership
Map - http://www.knowmap.com/unlocked/stanford_virtual_dinner.html.
This year the event on October 6-7 took on a more penetrating mission
sharing many experiences and observations in the aftermath of 11
September. All participating realized the value of collaborative
learning that transcends the boundaries of functions, sectors, industries
and nations.
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Struggling With Strategy
For the next two weeks, the Association of KnowledgeWork (AOK)
is featuring a discussion on "Struggling with Strategy"
led by David Skyrme. One in the AOK STAR SERIES of guest moderated
discussions, this topic focuses on the day-to-day work of helping
KM enthusiasts make the business case for KM and then develop a
relevant action plan. For further information and to sign up to
AOK's various email distribution lists for knowledge professionals,
visit:
http://www.kwork.org/index.html
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SEPTEMBER 2001
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Anti-Terrorism KM Task Force
Extracts from a message by Ed Swanstrom of GKEC:
At the KM Standards meeting last week in Washington, D.C., a group
of participants came together in the aftermath of the terrorist
attacks in New York and Washington to ask, "We know what we can
do as individuals to help, but what can we do as KM professionals?".
The fight against terrorism is necessary, for any of us and our
loved ones can be the next target, but it will be extremely difficult
and costly. Knowledge management is critical. As one television
analyst put it, the fight against terrorism cannot be fought with
hardware and bodies, it must be fought with minds.
KM leverages the knowledge of a collective of minds, improves the
quality of information and knowledge, reduces decision-making mistakes,
reduces the cycle-time for transferring knowledge from one person
to another, improves pattern recognition and knowledge discovery,
increases the certainty and quality of decisions, and more.
Let us work together to support the fight against terrorism and
demonstrate the power of KM. Please email your support for this
cause.
We will hold a discussion group at http://www.metainnovation.com.
With deep commitment,
Edward C. Swanstrom, Secretary-General
Global Knowledge Economics Council
http://www.gkec.org
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Global Knowledge Partnership
(GKP)
Originally developed from several dozen organizations joining together
to sponsor the 1997 Global Knowledge Conference, "Knowledge for
Development in the Information Age". Today, GKP is an evolving,
global network of public, private and not-for-profit organizationswith
the mission "Working together to help people and communities access
knowledge to improve lives, reduce poverty, and empower people."
One of its disucssion lists is GKD (Global Knowledge Discussion).
This is described as "the oldest and one of the most successful
online discussion on knowledge for development issues". It began
as a "virtual pre-conference" to collect input from all parts of
the globe for the first Global Knowledge Conference held in Toronto
in 1997. Since 1997, more than 3,000 discussants from around the
globe continue to access the discussion as a source of sharing,
learning, and innovation.
http://www.globalknowledge.org
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Debra M. Amidon joins the Board
of KnowMap
KnowMap (The Knowledge Management, Mapping and Auditing Magazine)
of Calgary, Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Debra
M. Amidon to KnowMap's Board of Directors as Global View Director
effective immediately. Amidon is currently the Chair and Chief Executive
Officer of Entovation International, Ltd., a global innovation research
and consulting network linking 80 countries throughout the world.
Amidon says "KnowMap is a company dedicated to the explicit mapping
of competencies as a solid foundation for knowledge strategies.
For years, ENTOVATION has been dedicated to mapping knowledge leadership
around the world, including the recent addition of Xenia Stanford,
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of KnowMap. Our new affiliation is natural
and bodes well for future interaction with what I consider to be
one of the finest communication vehicles in the field".
http://www.knowmap.com
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JULY/AUGUST 2001
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4th Annual MAKE Award
The winners of the 4th Annual Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises
(MAKE) study, conducted by Teleos in association with The KNOW Network
(http://www.knowledgebusiness.com),
were announced on 11 June. The ten winners are:
- General Electric
- Hewlett-Packard
- Buckman Laboratories
- World Bank
- Microsoft
- BP
- Siemens
- Skandia
- McKinsey & Company
- Cisco Systems
The winners were selected from 102 nominations. GE's success included
top ranking in five categories including 'Success in Establishing
an Enterprise Knowledge Culture' and 'Success in Establishing a
Culture of Continuous Learning'. An executive summary of the 2001
MAKE report, including comparisons with previous MAKE studies, is
available by contacting Teleos at:
email: info@knowledgebusiness.com
website: http://www.knowledgebusiness.com
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Facilitating Knowledge Sharing in Collaborative
R&D
A booklet has been published that distils experiences of knowledge
sharing in collaborative EU (European Union) projects. These projects
face particular challenges since by their very nature they include
organizations from several EU member states with different cultures
and language, and whose participants may not have worked together
before. The booklet is available by clicking the KALiF icon at
http://www.lti-portal.org
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5th World Congress on Intellectual
Capital
The 5th World Congress on Intellectual Capital sponsored by the
Management of Innovation and New Technology Research Centre at McMaster
University has announced a call for abstracts for this conference
which will be held January 16-18, 2002 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Abstracts are due by 31 July and full papers by 31 Oct on topics
such as intellectual capital, knowledge management, knowledge assets.
Send abstracts to
worldcongress@mcmaster.ca
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What a Whopper?!
A headline in Knowledge Management (UK) says "Story Telling is
Worth $1.8 trillion in the US". It cites storyteller guru Stephen
Denning (former KM director at The World Bank) as saying that persuasion
is worth 28% of US Gross National Product and if narrative is two
thirds of that, then that's how much storytelling is worth. While
you may find this incredulous, it is clear from our trend analysis
that storytelling IS growing in popularity as a KM tool. There are
five key characteristics of good stories - endurance, salience,
sense making, comfort and authenticity.
http://www.kmmag.co.uk
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KM Forum Research Results
Henley Management College's KM Forum has been conducting some active
research, highlights published in this month's Knowledge Management
(UK) magazine. In one study, members of the forum identified 46
KM practices. They found four that distinguished organizations with
excellent KM practices from those that are merely average. The four
techniques are:
- prioritization of future knowledge needs with plans in place
- universal KM language to further communication of ideas
- knowledge content is regularly reviewed
- constant monitoring of user requirements to ensure technology
solutions meets user needs.
http://www.kmmag.co.uk
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Ethnography Mapping .. And More
The online magazine Knowledge Mapping usually has some interesting
articles and the latest issue (no. 4, April 2001) is no exception.
Arian Ward explores knowledge maps as outputs of an ethnographic
audit. One such example is a social network map. He contributes
a further two articles on ethnographic mapping. Mark W. McElroy
gives his views on the commonly asked question of where KM best
fits in an organization. Debra M. Amidon offers insights on Customer
Innovation in two parts: The Theory and The Practice. Editor Xenia
Stanford is to be congratulated on keeping up the high standard
in this specialist e-zine. Subscriptions range from US$10 for
access to a single issue to US$60 for 12 issues and access
to two years' archives.
http://www.knowmap.com
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Manufacturing Knowledge
An interesting website holding resources for global manufacturing
excellence is that of SUPERFACTORY. It describes its mission as
providing resources, communities, and tools to support manufacturing
excellence. The website has been completely updated recently. New
features and resources include a toolbox, a help desk (get answers
from experts around the world), links (some 3000 of them!), a learning
center (access to over 50 virtual courses), a library, commuinities
and news. A manufacturing knowledge portal if ever there was.
http://www.superfactory.com
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Innovation Climbs Up the Corporate
Radar Chart
A 'Trendsetter Barometer' survey commissioned by PricewaterhouseCoopers
shows that innovation features highly among fast growth companies.
The survey was conducted among over 400 companies identified as
the fastest growing US companies over the last five years. Three
quarters of CEOs in these companies say that innovation is a priority.
Innovation is in the three big I's:
- Internet - innovators expect revenues from this source
to increase three-fold over the next 12 months
- Investments - in IT, new product development and R&D
- International - nearly twice as many innovators are doing
business abroad.
http://www.barometersurveys.com
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JUNE 2001
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Learning to Fly: A KM Fieldbook
Chris Collison and Geoff Parcell have recently authored a book
that describes the tools and processes that BP has been applying
over the past few years. After introducing BP's framework for knowledge
management, it explains the tools and learning processes in detail
(with full facilitator notes), then finishes with our most recent
efforts to embed KM into BP's core processes, and hence "learn to
fly" in a sustainable way. It's nice to see two experienced practitioners
take time out from their day job to share their practical knowledge.
Details: ISBN 184112124X. Capstone Publishing Limited. 288 pages
(January 2001).
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Knowledge Sharing 'WorldJam' at IBM
The International Herald Tribune reports a three day virtual knowledge
sharing event - the WorldJam - that recently took place within IBM.
All 320,000 employees were invited to this global brainstorming
session where participants contributed ideas towards 10 broad problem
areas, such as how to retain valuable employees. They used moderated
chat, electronic bulletin boards and online voting. Over 6,000 proposals
were generated. But was it all worthwhile? Read the article at....
http://www.iht.com/articles/21254.html
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Fast Talking on Innovation
The Fast Company's Fast Talk newsletter of 4th May featured a discussion
by 12 business leaders in San Francisco on the topic of innovation.
They addressed such issues as What role does innovation play in
companies today? What is the Role of Innovation? How should it be
organized? What are the Opportunities? Many of the answers are not
surprising: "it doesn't happen in ivory towers"; "its largely about
making unexpected connections between things"; "it happens at the
edges, between disciplines". But reading the conversations brings
it home from those who are at the sharp end, and they come out with
some memorable phrases like "the left-brain/right-brain tango",
"never turn up at a meeting without a prototype" and the "mercenary
managers", those who may never have an idea, but who take it, executes
it, and creates innovation out of it. Read the whole of The Innovation
Conversation starting at:
http://www.fastcompany.com/ftalk/sanfran/index.html
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Digital Governance - A Project of KnowNet
There has been a tremendous increase in the activities of Digital
Governance - an effort to enable emergence of E-governance models.
Digital Governance is a project of the KnowNet Initiative which
fosters innovative use of ICT in Development through the use of
Remote Volunteers. You'll find key website updates and some of the
feedforward received from over 65 countries. Please help spread
the word around about this initiative.
Warm Regards,
Vikas Nath
Inlaks Fellow 2000-1, London School of Economics, UK
http://www.vikasnath.org
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New Business Development Discussion Group
Walter Derzko of BrainSpace, Toronto (an ENTOVATION Colleague and
a "creative lateral thinker") has created this new discussion group.
It is a forum for business development professionals to share resources,
URLs, white papers, conference/ workshop announcements, proceedings
announcements, tips, rules of thumb, best practices, novel and classic
opportunity scenarios, identify the thinking /cognitive skills that
go into new business scenario development design and share the tacit/explicit
knowledge that will help identify, create and evaluate new business
opportunities.
http://www.egroups.com/group/NewBizDev
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New ENTOVATION Primers
Now available for purchase from ENTOVATION International are two
primers:
- 1) The Architectural Primer for Knowledge Innovation
A 50 page overview of the Why, What and How of creating value
from knowledge. Also includes the five generations of management
framework and quick Litmus test. Details, online ordering ($12.50)
and download at: http://www.entovation.com/architecture.htm
- 2) The Global Knowledge Primer.
This 600+ page Primer gives a window into the evolution of the
knowledge movement, a variety of facets of knowledge practice
and an insight into the core trends and future vision of the Knowledge
Economy. It comprises eight parts - each containing a glimpse
into activity and aspirations. The material includes some of the
most recent and timely work of those affiliated with the ENTOVATION
Network. It includes hard-to-find resources and some original
documents never before available online. Details, online ordering
($24.50) and download at:
http://www.entovation.com/global-knowledge-primer.htm
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10Ps of Internet Marketing
New knowledge assets from David Skyrme Associates. A new Management
Insight outlines the 10 factors (seven of which were covered in
I3 UPDATE starting with Portal Power in No. 31) that are the underlying
success factors in Internet Marketing. The 22-page Executive Guide
and Briefing provides a structured section for each factor with
checklists, pitfalls, URLs of examples and of additional resources.
It also includes a website evaluation template.
http://www.skyrme.com/insights/29int10p.htm - Management Insight
(free) http://www.skyrme.com/kshop/instantk.htm#int10ps
- Details and download of Executive Briefing ($10)
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APRIL 2001
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ENTOVATION Knowledge Innovation Assessment
Software
Through collaboration between Knowledge Harvester and Know Inc.,
the first release of the Knowledge Innovation Assessment is now
available. The software includes an introduction to the concepts,
inventory questions, definitions of terms and a case study example.
This assessment methodology - http://www.entovation.com/SERVICES/tensteps.htm
- systematically analyzes your organization's ability to create
new ideas, and translates those ideas into viable products and services
that can be expeditiously moved into the marketplace. Three packages
are available - 1) Downloadable from the Internet (ุ); 2)
CD-ROM (โ); 3) CD-ROM plus the book on which the software
is based 'Innovation Strategy for the Knowledge Economy', Debra
M. Amidon (). Full details from the Knowledgeshop store at:
http://www.knowledgeshop.com/cgi-bin/
kshop.storefront/EN/Product/1265
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Creating a Knowledge Sharing Culture
Encouraging employees to share knowledge is one of the most difficult
challenges in knowledge management. A recent survey by McKinsey
concludes that a 'pull' approach which engenders "a grassroots desire
among employees to tap into their company's intellectual resources"
is the most likely to be successful. One interesting statistic -
100 per cent of companies surveyed that were successful at knowledge
sharing made use of cross-functional teams. The article 'Creating
a Knowledge Culture' by Susanne Hauschild, Thomas Licht, and Wolfram
Stein in The McKinsey Quarterly, 2000, No. 1 gives useful insights
and examples of good practice and can be found at:
http://mckinseyquarterly.com/
article_page.asp?articlenum=992
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What Do You Know?
After years of researching organizational learning and knowledge
management, we've learned one thing for sure: You can't manage knowledge.
These days you can't manage people either. You can lead them, coach
them, mentor them, and teach them, but you can't manage them. To
manage literally means to handle, and there's no time to handle
everything. Another thing you can't manage is change. Businesses
today need to innovate, to anticipate and adapt to change. What
you can do is create the right culture, find the right people, give
them the right tools and the right motivation, and get out of their
way.
It's not what you know.
It's knowing when you know that you don't know.
It's knowing who knows what. It's intuition, insight, and years
of making mistakes.
It's knowing when to approach a key customer and let him know you're
listening.
It's knowing whether he likes golf or fishing or building houses
for the poor.
It's knowing how to get the best price for a flight, a car, or a
mortgage on the Internet.
It's the knowledge of the hands-knowing how to keep that old lathe
running smoothly.
It's the ability to know what's wrong with something just by the
smell,
whether it's a gourmet dish or a car engine.
It's knowing how to work as a team.
It's knowing how to really listen.
It's knowing when not to say anything. To let others learn for themselves.
It's knowing that you don't need to know it all to have all the
answers.
It's knowing that the next best thing to knowing something is knowing
where to find it.
It's knowing that you can make mistakes and admit it.
It's knowing that innovation comes from making more mistakes faster
than your competition and learning from them.
As an individual, it's knowing why you work for a living. Is it
to pay the rent? Or do you have the luxury of looking for meaning?
As an organization, it's knowing why your firm exists and what,
if anything, you owe to society.
Contributed by Brian Hackett, from
Across The Board, The Conference Board:
http://www.conference-board.org
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MARCH 2001
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Tribute to Bob Muller
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Bob Muller
on Friday 9th March in Oxford. Bob, a former Digital colleague and
a champion of innovation and creativity, was also well known for
his contributions in the field of Artificial Intelligence. For those
who knew him, it was his enthusiasm for innovative projects, his
ideas, his considerable influence and networking skills, and his
infectious optimism that we will remember him by. One of his legacies
is The Success Group (TSG), a business network that originally connected
a group of people seeking collaborative ventures, many of them at
a critical juncture in their career (such as following redundancy).
One of his recent projects - an institute for creativity and innovation
- is continuing to take shape through the involvement of a team
of Bob's networkers. His contribution is best summed up by a TSG
colleague who described him "as a catalyst to many creative connections".
The journal, AI & Society, to which Bob was a frequent contributor,
is planning a special edition on 'Creativity and Innovation' later
in the year as a tribute to Bob. Friends who wish to contribute
an article should contact the editor, Professor Karamjit S Gill:
Email: k.s.gill@bton.ac.uk
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Knowledge Management in Manufacturing Companies
This recently published report (ISBN 84-607-1905-7) by the Federation
for Enterprise Knowledge Development in collaboration with Tecnun
gives the results of research into the perception and applications
of KM in leading manufacturing companies from the Basque Country
and Navarra region of Spain.
The report is in Spanish, but an executive summary in English can
be found at:
http://www.fend.es/kfactory.htm
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Canadian Managers upbeat about Knowledge
Management
An Ipsos-Reid study (sponsored by Microsoft Canada) shows that
91 per cent of Canadian business leaders believe knowledge management
practices directly impact organizational effectiveness. A few of
the findings: - 65 per cent of Canadian companies practicing knowledge
management believe it has given their organization a competitive
advantage. - 88 per cent agree knowledge management practices have
succeeded in delivering customer value - 89 per cent say that the
positive impact of KM practices also extends to employee satisfaction
- In those cases where measurement has been possible, the average
return to date is 41 per cent
The survey shows that top three knowledge management practices
are the development of an Intranet, conducting events for sharing
knowledge throughout an organization, and the use of software to
encourage sharing and collaboration.
http://www.microsoft.ca/business
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Architectural Primer for Knowledge Innovation
As a follow-up of the AOK discussion on Knowledge Architecture
(see I3 UPDATE number 48) ENTOVATION International Ltd. has produced
an Architectural Primer for Knowledge Innovation. This 50 page document
describes the Why (knowledge value proposition), What (elements
of architecture) and the How (knowledge innovation strategy) of
a knowledge innovation architecture, including some useful graphics.
Each chapter also contains a paragraph on frequently asked questions.
For more information go to:
http://www.entovation.com/architecture.htm
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Realizing the value of Internet Content
This 'white paper' in the latest issue of Knowledge Management,
suggests ways in which organizations can exploit the knowledge assets
on their websites, and further more gain more traffic to their own
websites. Some of the approaches suggested are content exchange,
syndication, repackaging and redistribution. A useful introduction
to get you thinking about the opportunities.
http://www.destinationcrm.com/km/dcrm_km_article.asp?id=781
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T-Shaped Managers
A recent Harvard Business Review article in by Morten T. Hansen
and Bolko von Oetinger argues that companies rely too much on centralized
knowledge-management systems and technologies rather than exploiting
the implicit knowledge that lies across the organization. In what
the authors call T-shaped management, executives share knowledge
freely across their organization (the horizontal part of the T),
while remaining fiercely committed to their individual business
unit's performance (the vertical part). The article cites examples
from The notion of T-shaped management is not new, although in its
original use it referred to people who combined in-depth (vertical)
knowledge with broad-based (horizontal) knowledge i.e. hybrid managers
(see http://www.skyrme.com/insights/6hybrid.htm). The HBR article
cites examples of their T-shaped concept in action at BP. You can
read an abstract and order the article at:
http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/products/hbr/mar01/R0103G.html
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The Brain
Several times in these columns we have extolled the virtues of
visual mapping (e.g. see Mind Mapping and Knowledge Management in
No. 25 - http://www.skyrme.com/updates/u25.htm#mapping). Even earlier
we highlighted Natrificial Brain in 1998. It's come a long way since
then, and now offers a wide range of mapping products under its
new name The Brain. A recent addition is IntraNet Brain(tm) that
displays the relationships between pages, documents and people.
Look at The Brain's website which itself uses the software so that
you get a feel of how it works. There's also a free trial-period
download of PersonalBrain for your desktop:
http://www.thebrain.com
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Compass - My Favorite
If, like me, you have a growing collection of Internet 'favorites'
(bookmarks), from which it is increasingly difficult to find a particular
website, then you too have probably searched in vain for a tool
to help 'organize' them. I thought my requirements for such a tool
were straightforward: 1. Easy import/export from favorites and bookmarks;
2. Ease of adding a new URL (without swapping windows between Explorer
and the tool); 3. Ability to add comments or key words; 4. An effective
search; 5. Retention of the folder hierarchy; 6. A link checker.
Finding all these six features in one product proved more difficult
than imagined. Over a period of one month I installed (then uninstalled)
over 12 products for evaluation (from magazine CD-ROMs and download
areas like Tucows - http://www.tucows.com) including PowerMarks,
QuikLink, URL Manager, Net Viewer etc. Only a few stayed on my system
for more than a day, most failing in several respects or being very
unusable. In contrast, Compass is like a dream. You view the favorites
hierarchy, add URLs simply by pushing the Insert key while browsing,
searching brings up a list even while you are typing, and it has
symbols to indicate how recently you used the links and flag bad
links. Developed by Daniel Liu, its a good buy at ษ - and
you have a 60-day trial period to see if it suits you. Download
(or review features) at:
http://www.softgauge.com/compass/index.htm
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FEBRUARY 2001
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This article explores themes fundamental to the new infrastructure
that is needed to create prosperity in the new knowledge economy.
It proposes an architecture for the future that embrace knowledge
economics, knowledge structures, knowledge workers, knowledge processes
and knowledge technologies. Due consideration is given to the creation
of collaborative knowledge sharing cultures. The article can be
found at:
http://www.entovation.com/whatsnew/superhighway.htm.
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This instructive article by Verna Allee gives an interesting insight
into another group jumping on the KM bandwagon. Commenting that
she found only two exhibitors at a large training exhibition who
had read a book on KM, ENTOVATION Colleague Allee comments: "Most
elearning companies really offer training management, not knowledge
management."
http://www.linezine.com/2.1/features/vaenkm.htm.
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This organization headed by KM luminary Karl Wiig, has recently
launched its new website. Of particular interest to I3 UPDATE readers
will be the in-depth and insightful white papers and articles
http://www.krii.com/articles.htm.
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An interesting portal site developed by Information Technology
Toolbox, Inc. ITtoolbox is an online collaborative network supporting
information technology (IT) and business professionals. This new
portal provides news, research, peer interaction and support services
for Knowledge Management, "one of the hottest sectors in IT".
http://KM.ITtoolbox.com.
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The conference theme for 2001, Knowledge Drivers of the E-Enterprise,
will again encompass programs on the theories, practices, processes,
tools, and solutions for enterprise knowledge networks. The event,
that takes place in Santa Clara 29 Oct - 2 Nov 2001, is looking
for speakers on a wide range of topics (inputs needed by 2 March):
http://www.kmworld.com/i.cfm?SPID=kmw01
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JANUARY 2001
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Ireland-based Internet house NUA ceased publication of NUA Knowledge
News on 12 December 2000. Its message to readers stated that it
remains firmly committed to the knowledge management space. In addition
to adding knowledge management coverage to its highly praised NUA
Internet Surveys, it has also launched a new weekly newsletter called
Net Style, written by former FORTUNE magazine executive editor,
Rob Norton. Published every Wednesday Net Style gives "an insight
into the broad space of web publishing". NUA sees this "as a natural
progression from focusing on knowledge management in general to
the specific area of managing web content". The first issues have
been thought provoking and criticize many of today's widely used
website practices.
http://www.nua.ie.
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Keeping up its tradition of short but practical publications, APQC
(American Productivity and Quality Center) have launched Stages
of Implementation: A Guide for Your Journey to Knowledge Management
Best Practices. The book outlines five stages - getting started;
explore and experiment; pilots and KM initiatives; expand and support;
and institutionalize KM. It can bought for US$19.95 ($17.95
for members) from the AQPC online store at
http://www.apqc.org
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This is the title of a fascinating article by Steve Barth on personal
knowledge management. He argues he case for individual rather than
organizational knowledge initiatives. "It seems obvious, but it
is not often said that knowledge management works best when knowledge
workers take the initiative and responsibility for what they know,
don't know and need to know. Doing so not only makes the individual
more valuable to the corporation, it also enhances the value of
intellectual capital for the corporation." Examples and sidebars
on Skills and Tips for A Personal Information Strategy by David
Skyrme.
http://www.destinationcrm.com/km/dcrm_km_article.asp?id=477
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An article by Victoria Murphy in Forbes Magazine (5 Feb).
It describes how a growing number of organization are mining emails
(using products such as Tacit Knowledge) to extract knowledge. It
highlights some of the problems, such as when the prefix 'new' is
applied to over 50 concepts ranging from new economy to New York!
One interesting statistic is cited: According to Gartner the average
business manager spends 90 minutes a day 'organizing' (filing, deleting
etc.) their email. All I can say, is thank goodness I am not average!
A fascinating article none the less. Although the article does not
say it - organizations need to be aware of European privacy laws
where such activities MAY require the express permission of employees
before accessing such knowledge. Best check with your legal department
first.
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2001/0205/132.html
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DECEMBER 2000
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This European and international event, organized by Ark Group and
the European Commission, brought together above 2000 people from
20-22 November in Brussels. The opening day's keynote presentations
of Larry Prusak (IBM) and Stephen Denning (The World Bank) attracted
800 and 600 people respectively, probably a record for any knowledge
presentation. ENTOVATION Colleague Eunika Mercier-Laurent has written
a full report of this event (conference and exhibition).
http://www.skyrme.com/updates/u46_f3.htm.
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The course 'Creating Value from Knowledge and Membership' was held
at the Banff Center for Management in Alberta in November. Part
of the Governance and Executive Leadership Program, this four day
course introduced different aspects of knowledge strategy, introduced
to storytelling as a technique, and explored three case studies
using ENTOVATION's Knowledge Innovation® assessment. The course
also examined the '7Cs of Knowledge Leadership' (see the summary
at http://www.entovation.com/whatsnew/leadership-7cs.htm).
For details of the Banff programme contact Program Manager Andre
Mamprin at Banff (Email: Andre_
Mamprini@BanffCentre.ab.ca). Read Yvonne Buma's fuller report
at
http://www.skyrme.com/updates/u46_f4.htm
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An EU supported project that has developed a toolkit (NIMsoft)
for balancing the re-use of existing knowledge and the use of innovative
knowledge in R&D. New use and Innovation Management and Measurement
Methdology for R&D.
http://www.nimcube.com.
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The Knowledge Management Consortium International (KMCI) has announced
the formal debut of its educational arm, the KMCI Institute. Its
2000 courses - e.g. Concepts. Tools and methods - continue while
new courses on knowledge portals and sustainable innovation are
added.
http://www.kmci.org/Institute/institutecourseschedule2001.htm
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Prompted by his observation of the diffusion of knowledge between
ENTOVATION Colleagues at Global Learn Day IV (see http://www.entovation.com/whatsnew/learn-day-entovation.htm)
David Hughes, President of Decision Labs Ltd, has written a short
paper that asks (among other things) why decision makers do not
make full use of the information that is available to them. He draws
on some research in the 1960s and 1970s on cognitive information
processing in the context of consumer decisions e.g. automobile
purchases. He suggests that knowledge systems designers need to
study individual information processing styles before designing
their solutions. The full paper will be found at:
http://www.skyrme.com/guests/hughes1.doc
(Word document).
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Ford's knowledge management programme is often hailed as one of
the best. Yet Tom Stewart in this Fortune article cites poor knowledge
sharing as one of the causes of the expensive fiasco to deal with
Firestone tyre problems. The knowledge was too dispersed and there
we no natural communities for the social sharing of knowledge to
take place. Read this insightful article at:
http://www.fortune.com/fortune/careers/edge/2000/11/27/index.html
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NOVEMBER 2000
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KM staff at Siemens, including ENTOVATION Colleague Christian Kurtzke,
have created a new venture to exploit the intellectual capital behind
Siemen's highly acclaimed ShareNet. Siemen's retains a minority
stake. Their small website announces that "The Agilience Group is
an innovator in process-based knowledge networking and e-learning,
leveraging ten years of field experience. With a network of international
partners, Agilience develops, implements and operates customer solutions
as an integrated consulting firm and application-service provider."
Agilience will be at Knowledge Management Europe in Brussels next
week.
http://www.agilience.com
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MacroInnovationTM Associates of Windsor, Vermont, has
announced it MacroInnovationTM business method that is
aimed at importing the innovation process, by including ideas from
all stakeholders. It has applied for a business methods patent.
http://www.macroinnovation.com.
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Followers of the Knowledge Management scene will have read about
the knowledge networking and problem solving expertise of Teltech
Resources of Minneapolis. It has recently been acquired by Sopheon,
a UK software provider. Al Michuda, formerly of Teltech, has been
appointed Sopheon's CEO. Powersize, who within 5 years build up
an excellent business based around daily briefings, is now part
of Hoovers. KM consulting pioneer Ernst & Young is becoming part
of CAP-Gemini (though they retain their name for the moment). Next
in line may be PwC (if HP can pull it off). BP became BP Amoco but
has now reverted to BP as its brand name (though the company name
is still BP Amoco) - confused? My own former employer, Digital,
is now part of Compaq. Whatever these companies may call themselves
now, we will remember the pioneers by the name of the company at
the time of their prominence - as we do Avro, Hawker, Mercedes-Benz,
Morris, Orgasmic Wines (see who has it now by clicking on http://www.orgasmicwines.com).
No wonder one of the tasks of knowledge management is to maintain
the company dictionary!
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Latest - HP pulls out of
talks with PwC |
On 13th November, the formation of a new knowledge management company,
KSolutions, Inc., was announced. Founded by Stephen Cranford, KPMG's
former partner in charge of its Knowledge Management Solutions practice,
it has already gained a $ million equity commitment from private
equity firm Great Hill Partners. The company focuses on "appropriate
combinations of technology, people and strategy instead of the widely-held
belief that KM challenges are addressed exclusively by technology."
http://www.ksolutionsinc.com
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Editors Note - Whose widely
held belief? |
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OCTOBER 2000
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For those interested in exploring or even selling your knowledge
in knowledge markets (a topic covered in several I3 UPDATEs including
No. 26), you will find
a list of over 50 websites listed at the Knowledge
Markets Meta Portal. Prepared by ENTOVATION Colleague Bryan
David of The Kaieteur Institute For Knowledge Management, the sites
have been grouped into ten categories, such as answernets and knowledge
exchanges.
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A (relatively) new knowledge management, auditing and mapping magazine
can be found online at http://www.knowmap.com.
The bi-monthly magazine promises to provide "practical tools for
today's knowledge-oriented workplace". The first edition looks interesting,
but only time will tell if it can sustain this quality in the competitive
KM journal market - although it addresses and important and well
chosen niche.
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See
our list of recommended journals. |
Following our feature article in last month's edition (Knowledge
Associations: Networks or Notworks) Joel Muzard informs us of
two non-English associations:
- in French: KM-GC-MONTREAL
- in Spanish: Red
de Capital Intelectual
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"Know Your Value? Value what you know" by Mick Cope uses a framework
called the K-Profile to help an individual, team or organisation
to harness and exploit their personal knowledge. The model is designed
to help people understand how they acquire, store, share and market
their knowledge.
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You can order this book
from
Amazon.com or
Amazon.co.uk |
This service at http://www.10minutos.com.co
is a virtual news service of national and international general
news but has a specialized section for knowledge management. A service
of the Columbian Knowledge Management Center.
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SEPTEMBER 2000
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An initiative to facilitate knowledge networking in developing
countries for overall human development through the amalgamation
of information and communications technology.
http://www.knownet.org
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- A report and CD-ROM outlining the future. Six in-depth scenarios
plus bibliography to 400 more. Over 1000 pages (CD) including charts
and diagrams. American Council for the United Nations Univeristy.
http://acunu.org
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I3 UPDATE No. 43: Contents
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I3 Update / Entovation International News: Current Issue - Archive
- Knowledge Digest - Events
- Subscribe
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