Local wise guy, innovation catalyst, and font of much knowledge Chris Dean has kindly agreed to share his thoughts on ‘The Purpose and limits of Knowledge Management (KM)’ with us, which I can pretty much guarantee will be a very thought provoking intro to this excellent choice of subject. Here’s the blurb:

Since “KM” and “The Universe” are not synonyms it follows that KM is some subset of the latter, but which? Similarly, there is a purpose to KM – well there is isn’t there! (please let there be a purpose!!!).

It’s not really as abstract as it sounds, though it will provoke discussion…

As usual, please come along and enjoy while meeting and deepening your understanding of this topic, and book yourself in using the event booking page below.

If you want to stay up to date via the email distribution list, the link follows, and if you’re a facebook kind of person, Michael Corbett is the man behind the Bristol K-cafe group and is usually around for a good conversation…

Event booking and venue information link

Bristol Gurteen Knowledge Cafe mailing list link

Bristol Gurteen Knowledge Cafe Facebook group

(thanks flickr)

My mum gave them to a researcher from The Victoria and Albert Museum recently. She recently had an update:

Dear Mrs Mitchell

As it is some months since I was last in touch, I thought that you might appreciate a progress report.  Your parents’ correspondence has been sorted chronologically, starting with the very first letters in July 1930 and ending with a scattering of letters from the late 1940s.  The collection fills ten archive boxes!

Your mother was a particularly devoted correspondent, writing dutifully each day and spending several hours on her self appointed task.  Your father tried very hard but could not quite match her either in the frequency of his letters or in their length!

I have particularly enjoyed reading about Boston, which evokes for me so many happy memories of my family holiday last August, and have also been fascinated by the references to the financial crises of the early 1930s.

The collapse of two of the banks with which your grandfather Page was associated is of course echoed by the recent demise of various banks and building societies in 2009…

Well I never.

“… But be warned, first of all, that a man gets an answer to his questions in accordance with his fitness to understand and his own preparation…”

From ‘The Food of Paradise’, approx 17th Century Persian tale

“What experience and history teach is this – that nations and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted upon any lessons they might have drawn from it.”

(Georg Wilhem Freidrich Hegel, Lectures On The Philosophy Of History, seen in The Guardian Weekend magazine, 11/10/08)

Or as my friend Gary said recently while we were setting the world to rights over an ale or two:

“The only lesson learnt… is that no lessons have been learnt”

Ever since I was first pointed to him (as ‘the competition’ no less), we have had what I consider to be open, interesting, honest, learning conversations. The topics and deals range from business to life, banner swaps, conference seats, cafes, money and knowledge, all based on a thoughtful trust. I have benefited enormously from my relationship with him and hope there is mutuality.

One of his recent blog posts considering a post by Shawn Callahan, featured in his centenary newsletter, is a cracking example of David’s life view. It is about networking (which I have been known to be somewhat negative about in the past, ahem), and the ethics therein:

…Some people falsely see networking as unethical as they seem to think that networking is about making friends with other people for personal gain – they don’t quite understand that although its possible to behave like that – genuine networkers approach networking with a mindset of “mutual advantage” – they as much want to help the other person as they wish for help from them…

…It seems to me that we all have agendas; we all have the need, for good or for bad, to influence people; to get their buy-in on an idea or to obtain budget or resource from them. If we wish to get things done in life then we need to be good at gaining the support we need…

…But is persuasion or influence, inherently manipulative and unethical? Well of course not; so much depends on the intent. `But what is the yardstick? How do you question yourself to determine if you are being unethical or not?…

Gurteen post on ethics

Considering my relationship with David, he walks his talk, and sets an example for the rest of us. I’m not saying he’s some ‘guru’ (ghastly word) – he’s just a guy, getting on with his life, in an ethical and generous manner.

This has given me wholesome food for thought and is one part of a puzzle which is coming together for me at this very moment. I will do my utmost to maintain my optimism.

Thanks David and Happy Birthday!

There seems to be a lot of ‘interesting times’ going on at the moment, what with the whole ‘recession’ thing and USA elections and plenty of local stuff.

We are bombarded by journalism that bandies a lot of baffling explanations around but doesn’t quite hit the spot, politicians zig-zagging across the political spectrum, presenting solutions that are absolutely mystifying, councils borrowing money from foreign countries, state projects strangely in hoc to private sector outfits, commentators tutting and approving in equal measure and leadership in general up for debate.

I am well aware of my naiivity and idealism (and my rather old school Development Studies opinions) but it’s all rather odd, isn’t it? Let’s hope that our leaders are approaching things without recklessness.

Here’s the blurb:

FRANK Water Projects is looking for a volunteer to help us lead a
local campaign to bring back public drinking water fountains.

We’ve already started lobbying the local government and we’ve got some
great support from other local organisations, now we just need a
dedicated volunteer to come on board and help us take it to the next
level.

If you are interested in getting involved please email us.. [Ed has removed the email for obvious reasons]…

Frank Water Projects website

I’ll be there. Here’s the blurb:

Open Studio Fridays

iShed have recently taken over the top floor of the Leadworks building in Anchor Square and opened the Pervasive Media Studio.

Inspired by Jelly in New York, we’re opening the studio each Friday to anyone interested in casual co-working. From 9.30am to 5pm our doors will be open to people of any profession/discipline/sector to come and work in our space. We offer chairs, tables, wireless, a change of scenery and interesting people to bounce ideas off.

So, from Friday 2 May, bring what you need to need to work (laptop/mobile) and head down to the Pervasive Media Studio, directions here: http://tinyurl.com/28pcg4

Please email admin@pmstudio.co.uk if you are planning on turning up so we have a vague idea of numbers.

The Pervasive Media Studio, opened in February 2008, brings together the computing, communications and creative industries to research and develop new forms of digital media using wireless, mobile, display or sensor technologies. With collaboration across industry, research, academia and community groups, the Studio is an initiative led by HP Labs and Watershed.

http://www.ished.net/2008/04/24/open-studio-fridays-at-the-pervasive-media-studio

Simon and the iglab collective in Bristol are running another night of games, gaming, game theory and other stuff like that down at the Pervasive Media lab on Tuesday 11 March. Anyone can come and all are welcome. :

This time it’s personal… thats not just hyperbole this month iglab has a theme. Personal relationships.

Recommended.

Event booking link

More on iglab

Simon’s been doing some serious head-scratching about Swarm theory and gaming as part of his Media Sandbox commission so he’s probably a good person to be running a game workshop too

I’m going through a bit of a lofi phase at the moment (just put in a proposal for an entirely physical conference intervention around pervasive group knowledge including post-it notes and bamboo poles) and am looking forward to the night’s lofi games as well as the techno-pervasive stuff, but all of it will be fun and and learning-oriented.

Here be a prediction: ‘social networking’ and ‘gaming’ will become more prevelant as facilitation techniques in community development practice, but that’s another story.

Come and enjoy.

This time, the subject matter is: “Supporting Service Innovation through Knowledge Management: Practical Insights and Case Studies”. If you have a case study on this subject, I recommend you consider sharing it with the editors; not only will you be adding to the pool of well edited and free knowledge, but you will also be part of a greater movement to disrupt those who horde the un-hordable – knowledge.

When you put knowledge in a box, it becomes nothing more than knowledge locked in a box; inaccessible, stale, and you don’t even know if it’s dead or alive. Maybe it’s started miaowing and you don’t know it. Either way – here’s some of their blurb and a link to the site for more information:

We invite authors to submit extended abstracts covering case studies and other practical insights on how knowledge management methods, techniques or tools have successfully helped innovation in the service industry. The principal audience of the book are practitioners, CEOs and innovation managers. This book will equip them with a set of usable and practical examples of the different KM methods, tools and instruments that support service innovation.

Read more on the KnowledgeBoard website and get in touch with the editors if you have any questions.