I3 UPDATE / ENTOVATION International News
No. 26: December 1998
Contents
Global Knowledge Innovation Infrastructure (GKII) - Debra M. Amidon
- The Vision Takes Shape
- From Vision To Reality
- How To Participate
Knowledge Trading: But at What Price? - David J. Skyrme
MIT Alumni Knowledge: A New Source of University Wealth - Debra M. Amidon
Building the Knowledge Driven Economy: The UK Gets "On Message"
Events
Snippet - Y2K Problems Continue to Unfold
Seasons Greetings - without the predictions!
Editorial
Welcome to the last 1998 edition of I3 UPDATE / ENTOVATION International News, a free briefing analysing developments and key issues in the
networked knowledge economy. This issue tells of the launch of a new
initiative - the GKII (Global Knowledge Innovation Infrastructure), in which we look forward to your participation in 1999. In the meantime we wish you Seasons Greetings and a Happy New Year.
I3 UPDATE is also available by email. See the administrative information page.
David J. Skyrme
Managing Editor
Debra M. Amidon
Everyone knows that it is easy to craft a lofty goal. Putting it into
action is another story! Years ago, we established a vision of 'the world
trade of ideas'. Over the past few years, we have tested the concept and
are ready to put plans in motion.
"There is a world-wide recognition that intellectual capital is the most
valuable resource we have to manage as enterprises, nations and society as
a whole. There is also agreement that the flow of knowledge will enhance
the standard of living in every country around the world. The Global
Knowledge Innovation Infrastructure (GKII) serves as the underpinning for
the internetwork for the creation and application of new ideas."
'Innovation for the Knowledge Economy: The Ken Awakening' (1997)
Several have reviewed the ENTOVATION Timelines which provide one view of
the roots and vision of the movement. Now, thanks to the technical
assistance of Margaret Logan, Gutenberg Internet Services
(http://www.gutenberg.com) and sponsorship by Charles Armstrong of Know Inc. (http://www.knowinc.com), an updated version of the entire timeline - Hindsight, Insight and Foresight - is available -
http://www.entovation.com/timeline/timeline.htm (it's 300K but loads in sections).
That vision is now on the way to becoming reality. In November, The Banff
Management Centre in Alberta, Canada (http://www.banffmanagement.com), in collaboration with ENTOVATION International held the launch event for the Global Knowledge Innovation Infrastructure (GKII).
What is the GKII?
GKII is an exciting initiative to build the foundation for innovation and
prosperity in the 21st century knowledge economy. It draws together people
and organizations from different industries, different functions and
different geographies in a collaborative programme of learning, research
and practical action.
At Banff, representatives from different industries, from North America and
Europe started to build these foundations through an 'Enterprise Innovation
and Knowledge Leadership' Practicum, which involved a hands-on approach to
the dimensions of the new economy and its implications. Fred Belair and
Blaine Kennedy from Ken-Bel-Tek Innovations provided the site selection as
well as assistance in the overall program design.
Participating in the discussions were three ENTOVATION Fellows - Eunika Mercier-Laurent (the Fellow for Market Intelligence), Larry Todd Wilson
(founder of LearnerFirst who shortly will release the software version of
ENTOVATION's Knowledge Innovation assessment and Fellow for Knowledge
Products and Services) and David Skyrme (Fellow for Information and
Communications Technology).
Five Practical Steps
1. The Practicum at Banff represented the start of a series of practical
actions that will eventually build the GKII. The Practicum, which will be
repeated at intervals in 1999 as more participants join the initiative,
took place over three days:
Day 1: The Knowledge Value Proposition: the fundamentals of the knowledge
economy; 5th generation management; the 'Community of Knowledge Practice'.
Day 2: Knowledge Innovation Strategy: participating enterprises calibrated
their position based on the ten dimensions of knowledge innovation strategy.
Day 3: A Future Based on Innovation: Shaping of the GKII Research Agenda.
The other four activities currently envisaged are:
2. An 18-month GKII Research Program (early 1999 - May 2000). This will
involve leading theorists and practitioners from around the world, who will
analyse the implications the dimension of knowledge innovation by function
(profession), sector, industry and region of the world. Throughout the
emphasis will be on action research, with results that can be immediately
applied in participating organizations. An evolving knowledge base will be
developed using the best knowledge management techniques and technologies.
3. Roundtable of 'Innovators from Around the World' (June 2000). This
provides preparation for the Congress and will involve knowledge leaders
representing 40 nations across the globe. The Roundtable will discuss the
results of the research program, explore how various countries are adapting
to the new economy and highlight innovation opportunities to accelerate and
enhance the international innovation agenda.
4. Knowledge Innovation Awards Programme (June 2000). These Awards will
recognize excellence at human endeavors, particularly innovative endeavors
that are globally relevant.
5. First biennial Worldwide Knowledge Innovation Congress (June 2001). This
Congress, focused on innovation will have many different types of events
with leading theorists, practitioners, political, organizational and
business leaders in keynote, plenary and workshop sessions.
These are preliminary plans and will evolve as the initiative gets under
way. Precise details will be developed by a steering committee that
includes GKII organizers and Founding Member Sponsors.
The Banff Management Institute
"Make no small dreams; they hold no magic to stir men's blood"
(vision embraced by Don Cameron, of the Banff Centre for Management)
The kick-off for the GKII would not have taken place without the generous
support of The Banff Centre for Management, and its Director Doug
Macnamara. The Centre is Canada's leading body in the provision of
leadership and executive development. It is part of the Banff Centre, whose
world reputation is based on the creative bridging of the arts and
management in its mountain setting. This fusion of disciplines provides an
ideal locus for innovating global futures.
The stimulating atmosphere at Banff did indeed help the early participants
to dream big, and create a new vision. But many global initiatives start
from small beginnings. The dream of those who initiated the GKII is:
"What Davos has become to productivity and competition, Banff will become for innovation and collaboration".
You can help this dream come true and have a stimulating and rewarding journey while doing so.
Membership opportunities are offered at several levels:
- Bronze - participation at events, event publications
- Silver - adds participation in event marketing, research publications
- Gold - adds places on research committees, participates in research,
early access to results
- Platinum - and foundation Sponsorship, seat on advisory committee.
In addition to overall memberships levels there will be specific
sponsorship opportunities for specific activities - events, publications,
web pages etc. Sponsorship opportunities will initially be offered to
participating organizations holding higher levels of GKII membership.
The overall intent is to structure the dialogue on the implications of the
knowledge economy with a common language, rigorous methodology and shared
purpose. In the process, we will gain some systematic insight about best to
operationalize these knowledge concepts for shared prosperity.
For further information, please contact:
Debra M. Amidon, Chief Strategist at ENTOVATION International.
Tel +1 978 988 7995 Email: debra@entovation.com
or
Doug Macnamara, Vice President, The Banff Centre for Management.
Tel: +1 403 762 6231 Email: doug_macnamara@banffcentre.ab.ca
Web Pages (from Jan 1999): http://www.gkii.org
David J. Skyrme
In I3 UPDATE No. 20 I suggested ten trends in knowledge, several of which involved the development of online knowledge markets. What knowledge markets exist and how are they evolving?
The basic truth is that one or two ambitious ventures have slipped behind
original schedules, although knowledge shop (http://www.knowledgeshop.com)
is still expecting to come online "soon"! But there are many examples of
knowledge trading around us, that may give clues as to how knowledge
markets will develop. Consider:
- Recruitment Agencies. These deal with the trading of human capital. How
well individuals transfer their knowledge once 'ownership' has been
transferred is another matter. Some recruitment web sites (aiming to
automate links between companies and individuals) have folded, but others,
like http://www.careermosaic.com have moved towards a specialist portal
status, offering hints on writing CVs, giving links to recruitment fairs etc.
- Management Consultancies. Their business is knowledge, but they are
increasingly packaging it, both for internal use (on their intranets and
Knowledge bases) and externally, such as Arthur Anderson's Global Best
Practices and Ernst & Young's ERNIE.
- Problem Solving Brokers such as Teltech Resources of Minneapolis. They
have a network of experts and a thesaurus of knowledge domains. As clients
call in with problems a knowledge analyst can help find experts who can
solve their problem.
There are in addition,
- Electronic communities, many of which have a trading element, such as
Geocities http://www.geocities.com
- Online events, either synchronous (such as in a Webcast) or asynchronous,
such as in the Knowledge Ecology Fair (see I3 UPDATE No. 16)
- Information providers offering 'knowledge' on a pay-per-view or
subscription basis, such as Dialog or FT Profile or
http://www.newsedge.com for general news
- Auction or brokerage sites that link buyer and seller, and allow online
bidding. http://www.autobytel.com and http://www.agriculture.com
- Markets in intangible products, such as financial futures, patent
licences, copyrights etc.
A particular example of a new market in a specific form of knowledge is
that of integrated circuit (IC) designing elements. In project Alba,
supported by the Scottish Development Agency, companies like IBM and
Cadence have built an online trading infrastructure, where IC designers can
find out if certain functional designs exists, and if so buy license rights
to use these "blocks of virtual intellectual property", rather than design
their own.
Key Characteristics
There are therefore many types of "knowledge trading" that already exists.
The main differences are in:
- what is being sold: information ('explicit' knowledge in large or small
blocks) or some other form of knowledge (people, access to expertise,
intellectual property, online consulting)
- the location of the marketplace (web site, private network, traditional
- how price is set (by seller, by auction, one off subscription, by item of
knowledge)
- how potential buyers identify and qualify what they need (via analyst,
search engine, catalogue)
- how payment takes place (offline vs. online)
With global connectivity thorough the Internet, it should be possible to
trade many different types of knowledge in a cost-effective way (for many
transactions the cost of an online transaction is a tenth of that of
traditional means). But for this to happen on a wide scale there needs to
be some well developed infrastructures, that are well understood (they may
be different to conventional trading, which is why metaphors are quite
common on the net). Today, finding what you need and having confidence that
it is value for money is rather a hit an miss affair.
I suggest that a good knowledge market needs the following features:
- A well organized knowledge schema - so you can quickly visualize the
context and find what you need. It can be backed up by search engines, but
these should allow search on field such as date, owner, subject.
- Good description of knowledge content - to quickly qualify whether what
is found is what you really want
- A sampler (try-before-you-buy) or validation mechanism. This can be
incremental pricing (starting with free samples) or some quality criteria
by an accreditation authority (this is especially needed where the
knowledge is more tacit), or credible testimonials.
- A fair and transparent pricing mechanism. At the moment you can find some
items on the net that cost tens of dollars at one URL and are free at
another! Perhaps there is a role here for consumer meta-guides.
- Simple and easy payment, including micro-payments for small value items
(e.g. for the $1 sampler)
- Mechanisms for tacit knowledge exchange between buyers and sellers AND
different buyers. This could be through Web conferencing, but also parallel
Internet phone channels (e.g. talk with a representative over the next
while viewing their page).
Of all of these, pricing will pose one of the trickiest challenges. The
value of knowledge depends on context - the same knowledge may have high
value to one person but little value to another. It also generally
increases with human value-added, but this is difficult to judge in
advance. Therefore we need price mechanisms that are context (market
segment and situation) sensitive (a bit like aircraft seats where two
passengers sitting next to each other have paid widely different prices).
There is also a trend to "information is free" (the UK has its first free
Internet service funded through advertising and phone charges) - so what
commands a positive price?
With mechanisms such as those listed above, knowledge flows will improve,
the buyer community will be more knowledgeable and the seller gets feedback
on products and develops closer relationships with their customers and
buying communities. Today, there are elements of each of each on many
online sites, but we still have a way to go before these elements are
integrated and before each of us can easily buy and sell our knowledge
online. However, according to one organization who is working on some of
these challenges, "The Future Looks BRIGHT" (http://www.bright-future.com).
See Also Insight No. 6
By Debra M. Amidon, ENTOVATION International Ltd.
The Challenge
The 1980's provided an explosion of industrial education programs,
including institutes, distance learning, center for leadership and learning
and corporate universities. Most organizations have launched programs under
the Chief Learning Officer (CLO) or Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) or
reasonable facsimile. The 1990's represent evidence that the concept
expanded with learning theories, cross-functional teamwork, electronic
media and virtual organization structures.
Advancements in technology have revolutionized education delivery systems
enabling Intranets and the Internet to provide 'real-time' links to both
archived and newly created knowledge. With the dawn of the knowledge
economy comes the realization that learning occurs - must occur -
continuously with every interaction, both human and electronic. The
challenge is two-fold: How best to elicit the tacit knowledge which often
is dormant in individuals; and (2) how to catalyze the collective
organizational knowledge across functions, business units and stakeholders
outside the enterprise. And so, now the spotlight is on intellectual
capital, learning and prosperous innovation.
What, then, is the evolving role for the University in the knowledge
economy? It is only a node - albeit important node - in the learning
network. Faculty members are becoming mentors, coaches in the learning
process - not necessarily the content experts in a given field. Students
are gaining increased exposure through industrial placements and research
and are bringing insights back to the campus often before research findings
can be published in the traditional academic press. Even the action
research activities of major consulting firms, intelligence organizations
and professional societies resemble the framework and methodology of
academic research.
The knowledge movement has progressed significantly such that students -
both matriculated and on-the-job learners - have access to a plethora of
informative Web sites, electronic dialogue forums, topical seminars and
conferences, on-line training courses, and more.
The Knowledge Ecology Fair, the Open University) and the Knowledge Ecology University were inevitable outgrowths of the critical mass of theorists and practitioners represented in the 'community of knowledge practice.'
Innovate the Academic Community
In response to the opportunity, MIT administration and faculty have
developed a rigorous approach to bringing the experienced alumni back to
the campus and bringing the campus to the learners. In the 1998 Executive
Education Convocation, the Sloan School of Management reconvened graduates
from around the world in a 3-day event entitled "The Networked Society:
Implications for Management Practice." In the welcoming address, Richard L.
Schmalensee, the new Dean, that this meeting was to produce 'your return on
your investment - deepening a shared network and an endearing partnership.'
It is intended to help executives keep pace with a volatile environment,
to encourage connections across the time bonds and to solicit suggestions
as possible changes in what is taught, how it is taught and how we might
better use technology.
The Sloan population represents 16,000 graduates in 86 countries. Through a
variety of traditional alumni programs (e.g., clubs, directory, career
services, magazines et al), the Institute keeps alumni up-to-date. This
year, things were different. Through the launch of their Web site
producing free e-mail forwarding service for all MIT alumni, the Institute now seeks to learn from and link alumni and their organizations worldwide. The strength is in the exponential growth of the connections. It is not just a matter of doubling or even
tripling the numbers.
The innovation does not stop there, however. This year's program included
presentations from two CEO's and former Sloan Fellows who articulated the
concepts of the knowledge worker, the knowledge enterprise and the
knowledge economy.
Mr. Bruce Bond (SF '83), President and CEO of Boston-based PictureTel, Inc
used a series of classic books to illustrate his core messages. For
instance, he referenced 'A Wrinkle in Time' as he described the transition
period between one era to another in which the old rules do not apply and
the new ones have yet to be invented. He suggests that the change is
three-fold: evolutionary (taking time, revolutionary (happening swiftly)
and devolutionary (the compounding effect of people working together).
Using another book - The King's Chessboard - he described the 'power of the
double'- Moore's Law taken to 2015, we will have gigaburst computers.
Indeed the technology is enabling the network, thus equal to the square of
the number of people who are connected. Imagine the power of the Sloan
alumni network if properly harnessed and leveraged.
Bond closed by celebrating the individual, as did Ayn Rand in 'Atlas
Shrugged'. In previous economies, land, capital and people were valued as
commodities. In the Knowledge Age, the 80/20 rule applies and must be
factored into the new value proposition. The knowledge worker does not work
for you, is an individual entrepreneurial entity, knows more than the boss,
owns the means of mass production and is not motivated by money alone. How,
then, does an organization value and reward in ways that create economic
results? In the end, it is the ability of people to interact with others.
"The future is not foreseeable. It is unknown - you forge it - putting in
place paradigms and metrics to move the world forward."
Gerhard Schulmeyer (SF '74), President and CEO, Siemens Nixdorf AG,
outlined the operational challenge in a session entitled "Organizing for
the Knowledge Business." All participants received copies of The Roadmap to
Success - the corporation's guidepost for the transformation. He scoped on
the factors forcing a new balance between institutions: Liberalization,
Velocity, Globalization leading to Rising Complexity.
He suggested a 6-Step Process:
- Starting with customers - working outside in.
- Changing the way we work together - through culture change.
- Laying the foundation - baselining the units.
- The matrix organization - the new structure.
- The SNI vision - sets the strategic framework.
- Paradigm shift in HR - individual initiative is what counts.
The knowledge Age is one of managing uncertainty - not managing certainty.
He detailed the changing needs of a knowledge-based business transitioning
from a focus on normative and routine to connectivity and competence. The
economic value of knowledge is not based in ownership, but in transaction
(i.e., how the knowledge is applied or put to use). He described the shift
toward a more 'relational' organization structure as opposed to
patriarchal, hierarchical, or even entrepreneurial. He did not
underestimate the importance of - or the difficulty in - establishing a
shared vision across the enterprise.
Dr. Rudi Dornbusch, MIT Professor of Economics and International
Management, provided a timely economic analysis commenting on the Japanese
recession, the backlash of economic reform in Russia, the budget deficits
of Brazil and the current success in the US. He forecasts that Europe - in
spite of their current problems and because of their rigorous programs to
address the issues (e.g., the Euro currency) - will rise to world
leadership in the next 10-15 years. They are asking the right questions and
dealing with the right issues positioning themselves as a formidable region
in the global economy. He also projects the rise in China's leadership
thereafter in the next 20-30 years. Although he is an economist by trade,
his projections are based largely upon what might be considered 'intangible
value' by today's knowledge practitioners - such as the ability to
integrate in a world economy, the changing political systems, revamped
organization structures and more.
Several other academic professors and Sloan Fellow graduates provided
seminars on various facets of the knowledge innovation community. Examples
include: "Visualizing Opportunity in the Knowledge Economy (Debra M.
Amidon, SF '89, "Adaptive Management" (Arnoldo Hax), "Innovation in an
Increasingly Dynamic World (Rebecca M. Henderson), "Entrepreneurship at
MIT" (Kenneth P. Morse), "Using Strategic Alliances and Corporate venture
capital" (Edward B. Roberts, "So You Want to Change Your Corporate
Culture?" (Edgar H. Schein), "Rethinking Leadership" (Peter Senge),
"Strategies for a New economic Game in the 21st Century" (Lester C.
Thurow), "Survival Strategies in Fast Changing Industries" (James M.
Utterback), "Emotional labor and Identity" (John Van Maanen) and "Methods
for Developing Breakthrough Products and Services" (Eric von Hippel).
Audiotapes are available through Cambridge Technologies in the United
States (617.547.5690).
In fact, Jay Forrester in his presentation - "System Dynamics: Present and
Future" announced that there is Web site at MIT (http://sysdyn.mit.edu)
where one can find a Road Map Series, including a self-study guide to
systems dynamics, designed by the Creative Learning Exchange. They have
discovered that although designed for K-12 age group, 2/3 of the 7,000
visitors each week is using it for corporate education!
Finally, the MIT Sloan Management Review provided copies of the recent
issue featuring articles on transforming IT, product platforms, virtual
office, IT outsourcing, a leveraged learning network and managing
information as a product. Several classic reprints were available (e.g.
Senge's "The Leaders New Work: Building Learning Organizations") in
addition to articles from other publications and working papers - all in
the interest of knowledge sharing. In fact, alumni were encouraged to make
submissions to the Review for publication.
There are a variety of ways that alumni can be reconnected to the
Institute - electronically, through multiple conversations, involvement in
research projects and through the print media. Perhaps this is one way for
academic leaders to learn real-time about learning innovations that will
service their constituency.
The academic environment of tomorrow is certain not to look like today. In
fact, it may not even resemble today. But where might collaborative
learning take us all?
David J. Skyrme
It was less than two years ago that Debra and myself visited the UK's
Innovation Unit (part of the DTI - Deptartment of Trade and Industry) to
discuss knowledge and innovation. They listened politely, but left us with
the impression that it was not relevant to their mission and we were "off
message" (certainly they never called us back!). What a difference year (or
so) makes! A new government and the publication last week (17th December) of
a UK Competitiveness White Paper called "Towards the Knowledge-Driven
economy" (downloadable from http://www.dti.gov.uk/comp/competitive/summary.htm
Knowledge - "The Big Idea"
Newspaper reports that Trade and Industry Minister Peter Mandelson* has been heavily influenced by Peter Drucker and a visit to Silicon Valley. The White Paper clearly identifies the need "to create an economy that is
genuinely knowledge-driven", and that the UK's distinctive capabilities
"are not raw materials, land or cheap labour" but "knowledge, skills and
creativity". Examples of Britain's leading position in media, entertainment
and financial services as knowledge-driven industries. It stresses the
importance of innovation.
It identifies a key role of business as the "need to identify, capture and
market the knowledge base that drives all products and services" and
government's role as:
- investing in CAPABILITIES - to promote enterprise and stimulate innovation
- catalyse COLLABORATION - to help business win competitive advantage
- to promote COMPETITION by opening and modernizing markets.
75 Commitments
The report is well structured, well written and contains good analysis. It
even has ENTOVATION style radar charts to plot Britain's position along
various competitive benchmark indicators! To back up the analysis the
government makes 75 specific policy and action commitments. These include:
To Build Capabilities:
- a £1.4bn ($2bn) investment in the science and engineering research base through the Wellcome Trust.
- reward universities for interaction with business
- develop entrepreneurial skills starting with schools, students and university researchers
- creation of an Enterprise Fund
To Catalyse Collaboration:
- fund 'Fit for the Future', a campaign on sharing best practice
- support for regional competitiveness activities
- create an environment for creation of business clusters
To promote Competition:
- reduce burdensome regulation
- crack down on uncompetitive behaviours
- press for removal of international trade barriers
- make the UK a global hub for electronic commerce.
It also lists ten actions that government will do to improve its own
innovation. One of these is the setting up of an Enterprise and Knowledge
Management Unit in the DTI (hooray!). In addition there will be a strong
move to government services on line and the Future Unit will "champion the
knowledge-driven economy".
It sees the transfer of best practice as perhaps the single most important
action. Britain must "learn from the best in the world". If we did this
could boost the economy by over £60bn.
Achieving Change?
As with many enterprise programmes, the White Paper recognizes that
changing the culture is key but difficult. The UK needs to create and
entrepreneurial culture; there is a need to "shift the business mind-set",
and that business failure should not attract the stigma it currently odes.
This is how I, as a participant in the global knowledge economy, judge its
impact - by actions (of UK government department and UK institutions) - not
words.
Generally the White Paper is "on message". Occasionally a few phrases or
actions listed in the White Paper "jarred". It talks of financially
supporting high technology industry but does not specifically say
"know-how" industries. It dismisses in two paragraphs the vital needs for
creating and converting ideas into commercial products and services. It
talks of building capabilities in science and engineering, but not
management.
The phrase "on message" comes from the government practice of giving all
Labour Members of Parliament pagers, which display the party line on key
policies and news developments to keep their followers "on message". So
perhaps these pagers will in future keep displaying "tell them about
knowledge innovation"!
Since first writing this piece, Peter Mandelson has resigned from office.
See A Reader Replies
8-9 January. Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning, San
Francisco. The Conference Board and IBM.
http://www.conference-board.org/
20-22 January. 20th Annual McMaster Business Conference, "The 3rd World
Congress on the Management of Intellectual Capital".
http://mint.business.mcmaster.ca/nbc/
8-12 February. - Knowledge Management Series, London, including Knowledge
'99 & E-Business '99 Exhibition. Unicom.
http://www.unicom.co.uk/
24-25 March 1999. Knowledge Management: The Information Management Event,
London. Learned Information.
http://www.knowledge-management.co.uk/
Y2K. Problems Unfolding as Predicted
Trend Monitor's monthly bulletins continue to highlight unresolved
problems. November 1998 - "As companies and organisations begin tackling
the computer bomb, they find the situation worse, more complicated and more
expensive than they expected." Geoff Unwin, VP, Cap Gemini. December's
bulletins mentioned problems in the nuclear industry.
The bulletin concludes: "The main implication of this analysis for
European, East Asian and "Third World" countries is that the time frame for
creating both public awareness of the significance of the trouble and for
taking remediation action will be even shorter than in the US and the UK.
Contingency planning is a much more immediate priority. As the deadline
date approaches, the policy of spurious re-assurance will inevitably become
increasingly untenable. Since in many cases, it is simply too late to
guarantee that the problems will be fixed, businesses and communities will
have to start preparing immediately for anticipated consequences. The Y2K
community sustainability movement in the US is already acting to make
people aware of means of ensuring their most basic needs, such as food and
water."
The full bulletin and regular updates are at http://www.trendmonitor.com
We sometimes do predictions for the future, but as has been evident from
the strong developments this year:
- The future is increasingly unpredictable. Therefore, think about:
- broad trends, such as the Momentum of Knowledge (our New Year edition
will contain an update to the most popular page on the ENTOVATION web site http://www.entovation.com/momentum/momentum.htm
- alternative scenarios e.g. suppose that the Gartner Group and other
analysts are wrong in their Internet commerce forecasts.
- how we ever got into the Y2K mess, and what is next such 'mess' we will
create for ourselves! But so as not to be too gloomy...
- what from our past and recent past we can celebrate and build upon to
make a prosperous future?
- You will be ever more dependent on mobile phones, portable computers and
the Internet, and for 95 per cent of us - Microsoft software (if you're
not, tell us about it!),
- There will be more knowledge around in 1999 - how useful it is, and how
you find it and use it effectively will be one of your personal challenges.
- Interactions between different systems will continue to increase
interdependencies around the globe.
But perhaps the most certain prediction is that your future is largely in
your own hands (or should I say minds).
Therefore over this holiday season - think, reflect, and plan yourself a
prosperous 1999. May the knowledge be with you.
Seasons Greetings from David and Debra.
© Copyright, 1998 David Skyrme Associates Limited and Authors - All rights reserved.
This newsletter is copyright material. In the interests of dissemination of
information, forward circulation is permitted provided it is distributed in
its entirety including these notices, that it is not posted to newsgroups
or distribution lists and that it is not done for commercial gain or part
of a commercial transaction. For other uses please contact the publisher.
I3 UPDATE / ENTOVATION International News is a joint publication of David Skyrme Associates Limited and ENTOVATION International Limited - providers of trends analysis, strategic advice and workshops on knowledge management
and knowledge innovation®
Email: info@skyrme.com debra@entovation.com
Web: http://www.skyrme.com http://www.entovation.com
® Knowledge Innovation is a registered trade mark of ENTOVATION International.
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