I am surprised. I am actually very surprised that not many people have been linking, nor commenting, thus far to what I feel is one of the best articles or weblog posts around the subject of Knowledge Management ever shared on the Internet. Of course, it had to come from the one and only: Dave Snowden. Get a cup of coffee (or tea), sit back and enjoy reading Whence goeth KM?. As I said, once of the best pieces ever written about the state of things with Knowledge Management. A trip down the memory lane, both for those of us who have been doing KM for a while but also very helpful for those who are just getting acquainted with it, on how Knowledge Management originated, where it went, why it failed, where we are now and what the future holds for us with it. Highly recommended, to say the least.

I know I could say a whole lot of stuff on what Dave has just put together, but I am not going to do that. I would encourage you to go and read the article and digest some of the stuff that he has put together for us. However, what I do want to do with this weblog post is actually share a couple of quotes that did sound very close home when I was actually going through the article. A couple of quotes that you would also resonate with you if you have been reading of this weblog for some time now, as they touch base on some of the stuff that I have been weblogging about all along. So here you go with them:

On What is special about KM?

"Then of course KM is people focused. Most of the previous movements were very mechanical. BPR (and now six stigma) were the exemplar of the mechanical approach. However all the other movements were top down and directional. A significant amount of KM activity was bottom up. Most of the early experiments in community were people just taking up and using the tools to make things happen. As the tools have got easier to use that bottom up approach has persisted and developed into social computing. KM also, gradually made people realise that Librarians know stuff about knowledge. A neglected profession started to gain some respect as KM grew and contributed hugely to its development and intellectual rigor. Also the diversity of the subject brought a lot more people into play. Most of the other movements attract followers, KM attracted original and often controversial thinkers." (Emphasis mine)

On So what went wrong?

"We got a little bit too obsessed with the technology. People read about Bob Buckman’s use of the technology and forgot all the work he did on getting people engaged across the company. Technology was an aspect of Buckman Labs, not the cause. The big consultancies entered the field and built KM systems for people who spent their entire life writing reports, and then tried to move those systems sideways into very different organisations. We then got into semantic technologies and a second wave of belief that AI could interpret and create knowledge. Those of us who made that mistake with Prologue back in the 80’s saw our mistakes repeated in the failed attempt to replace the pattern basis of human intelligence with rule based systems, or false assumptions about the nature of deep structures in language. KM became the domain of the technology companies - they funded its events after all." (Emphasis mine)

I guess that, after going through those quotes there would be very little that I would be adding. Dave has said it all and I am glad he has. A good reminder for us all to keep us focused on what we need to focus:

"1. Support effective decision making
2. Create the conditions for innovation"

Whether we now want to continue calling it Knowledge Management or not, that would be irrelevant. The important thing for us all, KMers and KM advocates alike, is to stick to those objectives and make things happen the way they were always meant to. That is just our job, folks, our passion!

Thanks ever so much, Dave, for re-igniting that passion once again !

Tags: Knowledge Management, KM, Social Computing, Social Networking, Dave Snowden, Cognitive Edge, Technology, Passion, Sense-making

Well, well, well. If yesterday I was actually commenting on a really interesting and enlightening presentation on Web 2.0 by Andy Budd, here I am today coming up with a topic that relates to something quite the opposite. Yes, indeed, if yesterday I was mentioning how quite a lot of folks out there seem to be very familiar with the topic of Web 2.0 or social software here you have got a weblog post that John Cook, over at John Cook’s Venture Blog, shared a couple of weeks back where he gets to detail that we may be still far off in the massive adoption of Social Networking by ordinary people (Aren’t we all ordinary, by the way?). Check out Heard on the Street: What is Web 2.0?

In that particular weblog entry he actually gets to detail some of the interesting and relevant quotes he has managed to gather from interviewing ordinary people on the streets by asking them to define something so popular?!? as Web 2.0 / Social Networking. Or so we thought, because the results, and quotes, from some of those interviews are actually quite revealing. It looks like we still have got a whole lot more to do in order to keep spreading the message about social software and how people can benefit from it. Here you have got a couple of examples so that you can see for yourself what some people are saying about that "idealized version of the Web":

"Web 2.0? Web 2.0? I have heard that before. I think I have heard that somewhere. I think it costs money. I am not interested if it costs."

"As far as I understand, it is for hospitals and universities. It is not for the public use."

Oh dear, it looks like we do have a lot of work to do still, in that promotion and evangelism of social software, although it looks like some folks may already be having a better grasp of what it actually means, after all, like this one:

"The next generation of Web technologies, whatever that means. I think it is more interactive."

Not bad, eh? Well, I just wanted to share this particular weblog post with you folks to show that some times we all may get too immersed into the whole thing of the hype around Web 2.0, but we still need to think that there is a whole world out there who also needs to understand and grasp some of the main concepts around social software. So if you are getting tired of hearing over and over and over again about it, think back about how many more millions of people out there don’t have a clue as to what social networking is all about. Let’s help them understand and move forward!

We would be much better off that way, I am sure.

Tags: Web 2.0, Social Networking, Social Software, Social Media, Knowledge Management, KM, Collaboration, John Cook

I am sure that by now you have probably been exposed to a good number of different presentations around the subject of Web 2.0 and Social Software and perhaps you may think that you have seen it all and everything. If that is the case I suggest then you stop reading now, and head somewhere else, because I am just going to point you, folks, to a presentation I have bumped into just recently, and which I have enjoyed quite a bit, around the subject of Social Networking.

So if you are one of those who cannot get enough of such presentations or if you happen to be one of the very few who may not know what Social Software is all about, I think that this particular slide deck, if you could call it like that, would actually be rather helpful for you. It was actually put together by Andy Budd and you can find it over here: What Is Web 2.0?

Even though the slide deck was put together some time ago it is still very much relevant and in it you would be able to read how Andy tries to, and succeeds big time, demystify most of the different topics related to such movement and goes beyond the hype in order to provide some concrete examples and concepts that could be applied in order to get the most out of social networking.

That is why over there you would find some really good tips on why it is good to consider Web 2.0 a buzzword (Who would have thought about that, right?), and how social software has always been a state of mind, regardless what some other people may have thought all along by indicating it is all about the tools. No, it is not. And Andy makes a really good point about that!

From there onwards you would be able to see how he manages to put together some very compelling slides that describe what makes Web 2.0, along with some concrete examples of Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0. And also one other key aspect that, to me, is just so spot on about what social networking is all about: Participation. Participation where end-users are encouraged to contribute into whatever the social space, partaking from the collective intelligence put together and with the ability of reusing and re-mixing to help communities come together into some sense of ownership of what they have been doing thus far. WOW! Doesn’t that sound like the ideal KM program put together?: Participation, use and reuse, mix and re-mix, be part of a large entity (A community, or multiple of them) and contribute into that collective intelligence and through that ownership become smarter at what people do on a daily basis.

From there onwards, you would be able to see how Andy gets to comment on a number of different Web 2.0 applications available out there (Some of them I have already talked about in the recent past), including as well some screen shots so that you see what they  look like.

From there onwards, you would be able to see in those slides how we are just witnessing another era of Internet revolution and, much more importantly, how you can make a difference within that revolution, instead of just figuring out if you are witnessing another Internet bubble or not. Just move on with the social software flow and keep innovating in that space. That is the whole point, indeed, and I couldn’t have agreed more with it!

Thus, as you would be able to see, a very down-to-earth presentation deck where Andy has done a really good job addressing some of the main fears that have surrounded Web 2.0 all along, how you can overcome them, and much more interestingly, how you can actually turn them all to your side and get out there to share your knowledge and collaborate with other knowledge workers. Brilliant!

Highly recommended!

Tags: Web 2.0, Social Software, Social Networking, Knowledge Management, KM, Collaboration, Andy Budd, Participation, Conversations, Internet Revolution, Collective Intelligence, Reuse, Communities, Ownership

As I have already mentioned yesterday, I am now done with the massive catch up with my RSS feeds from the time I have been on vacation and I must say that there have been some really good conversations going on in multiple subjects regarding KM, Collaboration and Communities, amongst others. So I thought that, as I go along, I will share some of the ones that I have found more interesting and worth while commenting further on. Like, for instance, a recent weblog post that Shawn Callahan shared over at Anecdote around the topic of time management: 4 Ways to Use Your Time More Effectively, and which I felt very identified with when I first read it, by the way.

Yes, indeed, time management in the current business environment is perhaps one of the main items that people need to master in order to get the most out of the whole thing. I can certainly agree that there are plenty, perhaps, too many, interruptions and lots of distractions out there and, whether we like it or not, we keep getting bombarded with information that we need to process as soon as possible in order to move on further. That is how things are. Shawn actually puts it quite nicely detailing the top 7 reasons why there is such a lack of time and instead of just quoting them over here I am just going to mention the four different suggestions he put together as well to help fight those 7 reasons:

"1. Learn a task management method like Getting Things Done. I’d recommend getting David Allen’s book of the same name and put it into practice. Better still, get your organisation to invest in a GTD training program (addresses issues 1 and 3).
2. Understand your priorities and work out how your work fits in to the big picture. If it doesn’t fit in to either the big picture or your priorities then say ‘no’ (issue 2)
3. Get into a community of practice and learn how to work smarter from your peers and with your peers that already do it. Rather than try and keep up with all the changes in your discipline, share the workload. Social book-marking is one possible tool (issues 4 & 7)
4. Periodically close down the communication channels. Turn off the mobile, Skype, email and then find a cafe where you can work anonymously. You’ll be amazed at how much work you’ll get done (issues 5 & 6)."

Apart from using a task management tool that integrates quite nicely with my workflow, using GTD for Lotus Notes developed by one of my fellow IBM colleagues Brett Philp; apart from belonging to a number of different communities of practice covering a wide range of topics related to KM, Collaboration, Community Building and Social Software, etc. so that I can become smarter at what I do, without not necessarily having to work harder; and apart from switching temporarily some of the noise out there (One of the main items that has helped me do a full catch up with my RSS feeds over the last couple of days) I think that the main suggestion I could provide that has worked really well with me to help manage my time better is the ability to say "No!" and feel good about it ! Yes, you read it right: the ability to say "No!" and not feel guilty that I may have let down some of my colleagues and friends in the process.

I must confess that this is something that, to me, requires a whole lot of effort and training, because initially, I found out, through the course of a number of years, that it is not always easy to turn around, say "No!" and walk away. Just like that! It takes a bit of guts to do that and feel all right about it at the same time. But in the end perseverance is what would get you there, I am sure. That, or rather having to suffer from that stressful situation of not finding the time to do all of those different tasks that people have gently dumped on to yourself. Yes, I know, a tough call.

Over time this is something that you get to learn some more about. You get to learn that it is all right not to be involved in every single thing, trying to grasp everything, getting engaged in every single activity that you feel would be nice to be part of. One way or another, I have learned, over time, that if there is something out there that would really interest me and should get my attention I would eventually be bumping into it repeatedly and giving in to it in the end, not because it is coming to me from a single front, but from several of them. So although my initial reaction may be that one of saying "No!" sooner rather later I always get to find out if I would need to reconsider and do it: other people talking to me about it, me finding that task would apply quite nicely to something I am doing at that moment, me being able to establish some new and meaningful relationships and so forth. Yes, understanding those priorities that Shawn mentioned in the original weblog entry.

Yes, I am sure that has happened to you as well in the past. Those tasks will eventually come back to you, if there would be a need for it. Believe me, they will come back. So my best suggestion regarding the time management that Shawn just got started is to basically learn (And learn quick!) to say "No!" and feel good about it, because there is a great chance that if it was really worth while for you to engage further in that task you would eventually be coming around to it. It happens all the time, as I have already mentioned here in the past a couple of times, because after all, "We create our own distractions and just need to learn to manage them". Effectively.

Tags: Anecdote, Time Management, Getting Things Done, GTD, Interruptions, Knowledge Management, Information Management, KM, IM, Collaboration, Communities

During the course of this week, and due to vacation and the usual catchup with things, I actually didn’t get much of a chance to share the weekly weblog post of the most popular weblog entries from my other Internet weblog over at ITtoolbox: elsua - The Knowledge Management Blog. So I thought I may as well do it today, since we are at the end of another week. I must say that while looking into those stats I actually had some very interesting surprises, specially because apparently two of the most popular weblog entries have been from two of my favourite knowledge tools available out there: Vyew and Newzie. You may want to take a look into them if you are looking for that killer e-meeting tool and RSS / Atom feed client, respectively.

Thus without any further delay here you have got a quick summary of the most popular weblog posts over at elsua - The Knowledge Management Blog from last week. As usual, feel free to chime in and share your thoughts rather over here in this weblog post or at the original weblog entries, if you would want to add your two cents worth of commentary

1.Vyew 2.0 - Free Web Collaboration: Here is a quick weblog post that shows you my favourite top three features from the recently upgraded Vyew 2.0. Perhaps one of the most powerful online and real-time collaboration tools out there for us all to make use of it free of charge. Yes, that is right, free of charge for everyone! Find out why Vyew 2.0 is just so much more than just an e-meeting tool.

2. Social Sites Becoming Too Much of a Good Thing - Part Deux: Here is a follow up from last Friday’s weblog post on social networking fatigue that comes to discuss some of the different results coming through from a Lifehacker Reader Poll where they has been some interesting outcome that comes to agree pretty closely with what I have mentioned last Friday. It is all about focus and balance and here are some more thoughts around the whole discussion.

3. What Are Online RSS Feeds? By Seth Sutel: In this particular weblog post I have tried to capture the essence from a recent news article by Seth Sutel that tries to uncover, and very successfully, in my opinion, most of the main myths behind the social software concept of RSS feeds and how they are not as difficult to digest as what most people think. Because, after all, RSS feeds are all about this motto: "You’ll just be subscribing to what you want, where you want, and when you want it".

4. Newzie - Finding Your Near-Perfect RSS Feed Client: In the following weblog post I have tried to detail what are two of the most powerful RSS feed reader clients I have been exposed in the last few months as a way to actually introduce the latest release made a few days ago about one of them, which has now become one of my two favourites and for a number of reasons. That RSS feed client is Newzie and here is a small review of why you may want to look into it yourself. Yes, not to worry, it is also freeware.

5. How Is Your Email Etiquette?: For the third week on a row, this particular weblog post seems to have been rather popular, once more. This time around, perhaps with not so many reads, but definitely still one of the most read and it is actually funny because all along I have been advocating for how e-mail may not well be one of the best collaborative tools out there, despite what some other folks may be saying, and still it looks like it keeps coming up ! Go figure

And that was it. Next week I shall be sharing again another weblog post along these same lines but for week 46, and now that I am all done up with my RSS feeds catchup my regular weblogging in both Internet weblogs would resume as usual and, like always, touching base on some really good conversations that have been going on while I was away. Thus stay tuned for some more to come !

Tags: Vyew, Newzie, ITtoolbox, Social Software, Social Networking, Web 2.0, RSS, Atom, Feeds, E-Mail

Don’t you think so ? Just when you thought you had a hard week of catching up with everything else, when you thought you had a busy, busy, incredibly busy, week at work with lots of stuff to get done, lots of different conversations, some of them more fruitful than others, lots of cool stuff to weblog about, you bump into the following video clip on YouTube that clearly shows that sometimes it is just the precious little things that do matter:

So next time you are upset about something, or with someone, for whatever the reason, just fire up that video clip and let it work its magic on you. You would be grateful afterwards, I am sure. Have a good one !

(Time now to get started with the weekend !!)

Tags: Life, Fun, Laughs, YouTube