The Power of Open Networking an Article: Wisdom to Sift and Abundant Credits

An earlier blog post here announced the article Victoria G. Axelrod, (my never to be underestimated 21stCenturyOrganization blogging partner) and I were preparing for Effective Executive Magazine.  The article seed is a 2007 quote from KM "father figure" Robert H. Buckman indicating:

"...but I never did try and manage knowledge. What I really tried to manage and nurture was a culture that would encourage and expand the flow of knowledge..  ~ Robert H. Buckman

Thanks to an introduction from Jerry Ash, (Inside Knowledge Magazine's Editor), Mr. Buckman's latest thinking is woven into our article.  We're deeply appreciative.  In addition we must also credit the power of networks for unexpected contributions that both informed our thinking through the sources they brought, direct contributions, or nudges to our thinking.

Via phone conversations, Facebook and email exchanges we included quotes from:

Doris Spielthenner, Mike Wing, Patti Anklam, Ricardo Dos Santos, Rob Cross, Robin Tiegland, Steven Malkiewicz, Simon Wardley, and Valdis Krebs

Our word limit precluded mentioning insights from our following valued connections but your nudges to our thinking are sincerely appreciated:

Carl Frappaolo, Cheryl Cooper, Chris May, Connie French, Dan Keldsen, Philip Lawrence, James Dellow, John Maloney, Laurence Lock Lee, Kristoffer Hartwig, Mark Masterson, Nick Barker, Steve Ardire, Tracy Cox

We also drew on oft cited sources John Seely Brown & Estee Solomon Gray, Ron Burt, Ranjay Gulati, Peter Gloor, Ross Mayfield, Stowe Boyd, Verna Allee.

Our new find (thank you John Maloney) was the 2002 work of Bonnie Nardi and colleagues Steve Whittaker and Hienrich Schwartz 2002. How is it that we had not previously encountered Nardi et al's focus on "netWORK" and "intensional networks"?

Our article is scheduled to appear in a special June Effective Executive edition.  Meanwhile as it was inspired by a quote from Robert H. Buckman here is his nugget from our email exchange that closes our piece:

"Need always has to be there as the driving force that causes knowledge to be sought, and if trust exists, then it will move in response to the need."

~ Robert H. Buckman

~ Jenny Ambrozek

Comments

[Valdis Krebs]

"...but I never did try and manage knowledge. What I really tried to manage and nurture was a culture that would encourage and expand the flow of knowledge.. ~ Robert H. Buckman

That is one of the smartest things ever said about knowledge in organizations!!!

"Knowledge Management" is often an Oxymoron these days... not always, but too often.

[Jon Husband]

I agree with Valdis about the Buckman quote !

Given what we know today, I think "KM" was an initial attempt by many of those of us who have an informed perspective on knowledge work, org structure and org culture to articulate that the nature of work was changing. I agree with Buckman that the world "manage" isn't appropriate ... I'm sure we'd all use "guide, channel, facilitate, coordinate", etc. when we try to convey what's going on. The design of work is still "ruled" by and large by job evaluation ... it has to fit into the extant structure(s), by and large.

(Notwithstanding Valdis'
' .. and others' ... work with SNA) most organizations don't have any, or can access only early models for designing work differently in an era of networks ... and of course part of the problem (viewed from an average organization's point of view) is that there isn't any one accepted dominant model in this new environment. Much education and a large change in frame is necessary, which would seems to be an exciting opportunity for OD-oriented people, educating managers to realize that it's a critical part of their role today to be able to assess and choose what kind of structure(s), and how centralized or decentralized, are necessary for a given objective or challenge or strategy.

Yes, Jenny, as you noted in your FB message to me, it will take (much) more than OD people to realize the changes needed, its just that I believe what we see as "development" is an useful paradigm to look at when considering how to reframe the issues, top get started with the education and implementation support. More useful than "manage" and "management".

[Steve Ardire]

Ditto on what Valdis and John said on Buckman quote.

IMO as E2.0 accelerates enterprises will need to move towards "emergence" that’s dictated by
social construction of just-in-time knowledge
from ongoing flows of dynamic information
between people in the social network.

[Cheryl]

Thanks for the acknowledgement, Jenny. Glad you managed to get in touch with Bob. The quote from him discussed above puts into a nutshell the main message of my work. I look forward to reading the article.