the human intranet

Andy Gibson, sociability.org.uk

The Human IntranetAn Asset-Based Approach to Organisational Knowledge Management

(oooh)

NCVO Information Management Conference, London, 24 November 2008

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What’s the story here?♦ On knowledge

• A word on voluntary organisations• The basics: data, information and knowledge

♦ On assets• Know your ABCDs• Know your assets

♦ On networks• Ceci n’est pas une organisation• The network theory trap• Nurturing connectivity and ‘coincidensity’

♦ On technology• Technology comes in many shapes and sizes• The old approach, and what’s missing?• The Human Intranet• <sales pitch />• Be thankful for what you’ve got• A word on ‘control’

♦ Zappa’s final thoughts

Andy Gibson, sociability.org.uk

On Knowledge

Or, why are we here?

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A word on Voluntary Organisations

All organisations are voluntary organisations

Otherwise they would be ‘involuntary’ organisations

People bring the whole of themselves to work

And knowledge exchange is a voluntary activity

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The Basics: Data, Information and Knowledge

KnowledgeThe human level

Emotional and intellectualShared through stories

Need to know the personCore of decision-making

InformationMore useful than data

Supports decision-makingMeant to be reinterpreted

Can inform activityUsually too much of it

DataFound everywhere

Too much of itMake it searchable, but…

Leave it to the researchers

DATARaw, unprocessed facts,

eg. survey data, statistics, e-mail addresses

INFORMATIONInterpreted data, factual, impartial, designed to be

used and reinterpreted

KNOWLEDGEJudgements, feelings, hunches, theories and

lessons learned

“Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all”

– John F Kennedy

“Karl Marx was right…

Workers control the principal means of production…

It is the human brain.”

- Funky Business

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Stop trying to put knowledge into computers!

(It won’t fit.)

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Because knowledge is…

Stories, conversations, demonstrations, teaching – y’know, the human stuff

Andy Gibson, sociability.org.uk

On Assets

Or the ABCD of “be thankful for what you’ve got”

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Know your ABCDs

♦ Asset-Based Community Development is (according to Wikipedia)• “a methodology that seeks to uncover and highlight the strengths within

communities as a means for sustainable development”• “a capacities-focused approach is more likely to empower the community and

therefore mobilize citizens to create positive and meaningful change from within • “cheap, effective and empowering… avoids paternalism and dependence”

♦ Assets come in many forms…• The strength of citizen groups and relationships• The information resources available• The skills of community members

♦ Organisations are communities too• They depend on relationships• They hold resources• They contain skills

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Know your Assets

Assets come in many shapes and sizes…

Andy Gibson, sociability.org.uk

On Networks

Or, everything you ever wanted to know about nodes but were afraid to ask

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Organisation Charts 1.0

Comms Director

CEO

IT Director

PA

MarketingManager

Pressofficer

IT SystemsManager

Exploited working class

Vengeful geeks

Trolls

Fairies

Volunteers

Line of “someone else’s

problem”

Customers

FundersBeneficiaries

Former staffSupporters

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Organisation Charts 2.0

Andy

Jill

Jack

John

Paul

George

Ringo

(CEO)

Consultant

Staff

Ex-staffVolunteer

Staff

Funder

Staff

Staff

Organisational boundary Networksof people

and assets

Knowledge doesn’tcare about organisational

boundaries

Everyone connectedwith the organisationis involved in its work

And it doesn’t discriminate between work and personal

connections

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The Network Theory Trap

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The Network Theory Trap

Andy

Jill

Jack

John

Paul

George

Ringo

GapsAnd sometimes, a lack of connections can be an asset too…

(...if you believe Ron Burt)

ConnectionsThe real lesson of network theory: it’s not about the nodes themselves, but how they’re connected.

It’s about relationships.

NodesYes, they have skills, knowledge, and needs.

(Go nodes!)

But they aren’t commodities.

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Your most valuable assets are your relationships!

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Nurturing connectivity and ‘coincidensity’

If you want to support knowledge management in your organisation, thenbuild technologies to connect people and help them talk.

♦ More connections• “I don’t know the answer, but I know who to ask”

♦ Better connections• “I’d really value your opinion about this”

♦ ‘Coincidensity’ (hat tip to Matt Jones and Dopplr)

• “Oh, I didn’t know you were doing that, I can definitely help you out”• We don’t always know what we don’t know, or what others need• The more we talk, the more we discover and share unexpected things

Andy Gibson, sociability.org.uk

On Technology

“No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

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Technology comes in many shapes and sizes…

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Don’t forget about offline technologies.

(They’re a lot cheaper and you can see people using them.)

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The old approach

♦ Information sharing• Shared drives and DMS• Content management systems• Memos, reports, accounts, briefings

♦ Collaboration tools• E-mail, phone, face-to-face• Task-tracking software, project management• Meeting and e-conferencing tools

♦ Broadcasting messages• Corporate website, corporate intranet• Internal and external marketing and news• Noticeboards

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What’s missing?

♦ Mapping and connecting assets• Skills mapping for staff: the organisational ‘Yellow Pages’• Sharing stories about past successes and failures• Tracking contact inside and outside the organisation

♦ Sharing knowledge• Conversation spaces: blogs, forums, e-mail lists• Project review and reflection• Peer teaching, learning and mentoring

♦ Strengthening relationships• Gossip and chat• Social spaces, social tools, social events• Shared communications channels (noticeboards, intranet)

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The Human Intranet

CollaborationAssign and track tasks

Manage work and budgetsCollaboratively create

Track & record activity

Sharing assetsShared documents

Contact detailsOrganisational news

Data and information store

Mapping assetsRe-tell the stories

Publish hidden skillsHonour strong bonds

Take & track decisions

SocialisingBuilding connections

Establishing languageSpotting coincidences

Work togetherHuddle, Basecamp,

Wikis etc.

Share knowledgeBlogs, forums, e-mails, videos

Phones, meetings, pubs

Connect assetsSchool of Everything,Linkedin, etc. CRM,

social websites

Build connectionsTwitter, Yammer, Facebook, Flickr,

RSS feeds

Project team

THE REAL WORLD

Department

Organisation

Share informationShared drives, DMS,

wikis, CMS

Shape opinionNews, corporate events,

int/ext marketing

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Focus on technologies that build relationships

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<sales pitch>

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Schoolofeverything.com maps skills and interests

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And lets users discuss subjects and share resources

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And it’s free, and ready now.

And if you find it useful, we can even set up a learning network for your organisation too.

(For a small fee. Ask Dougald.)

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</sales pitch>

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The point is…

It’s happening anyway. Relax and let the technology come to you.

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New way

She seems to understand “web 2.0”

Wow, I only have to pay for 5%!

We make it easy for people to help us

Start asking “Is it working?”

Be thankful for what you’ve got…

Old way

She’s on Facebook and Twitter all day

Wikipedia is only 95% accurate

Everyone can see what we’re saying

Stop asking “Is it work?”

Line of fear

Relationships

Resources

Skills

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A word on ‘control’

Unless you are Microsoft or the US Government, you can’t afford to suppress what’s working, or tell everyone what to do

Give up on theillusion of control.

Take the cheaper, messier option.

If you don’t need to own it,you can have it for free.

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Zappa’s Final Thoughts

“Before we can be free,we must first be cheap.”

Focus on relationships, not information

Give yourself the space to experiment

The web is full of free tools you can use

And your people are already using them

You can’t afford to suppress what works

Trust people to make good connections

If you really need privacy and control, be prepared to pay for it

Andy Gibson, sociability.org.uk

Join the conversation!

Access more resources and chat with people facing similar issues on the schoolofeverything.com scrapbooks.

SOE tags: ‘social by social’ ‘web 2.0’ ‘knowledge management’

Andy Gibson, sociability.org.uk

End credits

Text and narrative by Andy Gibson and released under Creative Commons.All images used hastily and without permission, but with apologies.

For more knowledge, visit sociability.org.uk or schoolofeverything.com