the human intranet
DESCRIPTION
A new(ish) perspective on knowledge management in small organisations, with a little bit of Frank Zappa and Superman 3 thrown in. Originally delivered at the NCVO Information Management Conference, London, Nov 2008.TRANSCRIPT
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