Results tagged “trends” from KM Edge: Where the best in Knowledge Management come together

The relationship between knowledge management and innovation is complex and shifting, spanning reuse ("Is reuse in a new context innovation?"), collaboration ("Does collaboration necessarily produce innovative outcomes, or just group think?"), the impact of mobile devices such as phones and PDAs on 24/7 access to people and information ("Is 'always on' better, or does it make you stale?"), and the use of innovative ideas from outside the organization ("Why do we need R&D if we can buy new ideas from outside?").

My previous post on the relationship of KM and innovation provided the starting point for a deep discussion of these issues within APQC's 2008-2009 KM Advanced Working Group. The AWG participants joined together to co-develop models and methods for using KM to innovate and grow in the future. The following organizations contributed expertise and knowledge to the effort:

• Baker Hughes,
• Singapore Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) /Singapore Air Force,
• Petrobras,
• the U.S. Navy, and
• the U.S. Armament Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC).

These participants were joined by myself; APQC Executive Director Cindy Hubert; and Larry Prusak, visiting professor at the Copenhagen Business School and senior advisor to NASA and the World Bank.

As the world economy starts to rebound, executive attention will once again return to the need for innovation. To read what the AWG participants had to say about KM and innovation and the leading-edge ideas that emerged from our discussion, download the white paper here.

Earlier today, APQC's Jim Lee posted his reactions to Larry Prusak's keynote, "The Future of Knowledge." Jim's thoughts are included on the conference page for Prusak's presentation and also as a comment on this blog.

So far, Dale Arseneault, Alice Dunlap-Kraft, Chris Hearne, and Dan J. have also offered responses to Prusak's presentation. Visit the conference page to read what they have to say and add your views.

APQC's Cindy Hubert has just posted her reaction to Carla O'Dell's keynote. It begins:

I love the weather--so does Dr. Carla O'Dell.  In her talk today, she used the unpredictability of the weather as an analogy for the unpredictability of the new forces bearing down on KM practices.  She suggested that these new forces, while they have the potential for "disaster," also open the door to new opportunities. Social computing and networking are scary for organizations because using these tools involves giving up some control to users. However, these new practices are revolutionizing the way people collaborate and share their knowledge.

The question that keeps coming up for me is: Are we putting too much emphasis on the formality of managing knowledge, and should the new forces be allowed to merge into the "old way" of working and thinking?

Please visit the presentation page for Carla's keynote to read Cindy's full reaction and share your own thoughts about what Carla said.

Keynote Presentation

Friday, May 2  |  8:30 am

Speaker: Jeremy Gutsche , founder, TrendHunter.com

At TrendHunter.com, the world's most influential trendspotting Web site, founder Jeremy Gutsche relentlessly tracks--and finds--The Next Big Thing.

He has built a community of tens of thousands that continuously contribute ideas and rate emerging trends using the collective wisdom of participants around the world. MTV says Gutsche is "on the forefront of cool," and his site attracts over a million views a month. The site showcases a "What's Next" selection from business and marketing, art and design, fashion, technology, sex, and many other categories. For his impeccable track record and his expertise on consumer and marketing innovation, Gutsche is sought out by the world's leading companies to speak about cool hunting, innovation, and the development of knowledge-based communities. His presentations are eye-opening experiences that are as deeply valuable as they are entertaining.

Resources:

Trend Hunter Magazine - Over 15,000 Micro-Trends
http://www.trendhunter.com/

Trend Candy FREE Weekly Email Newsletter
http://www.trendhunter.com/newsletter

Unlocking Cool Presentation
http://www.trendhunter.com/unlockingcool

2008 Trend Report: Clusters of Inspiration
http://www.trendhunter.com/trendreport

Top Sites on the Net for Trend Spotting
http://www.trendhunter.com/topsites

Here's a reaction to Jeremy Gutsche's keynote from APQC's Carla O'Dell

Jeremy Gutsche, founder of Trendhunter.com, the world's largest network for trend-spotting and cool hunting, had great examples of how important it is to take risks and be willing to try new things, even though they will rarely be as initially rewarding (in fact they could fail) as "the way we do things now."

Here are few nuggets germane to design issues that we face in knowledge management.

1. Hang out with the people you want to enable and see how they really work. In fact, let them design the community to meet their needs. Be there. Cultural connecting is empowering. Know the customers you are trying to influence and meet them where they are.
2. Innovation: Jeremy reinforced "test ideas quickly" and rapid prototyping. The only way to get experience is to try new things. Sometimes they don't work. Win like you are used to it. Lose like you enjoy it.  And a corollary: If you work too long on an idea, you get invested, and others hold back their honest feedback so as not to hurt your feelings. So spend 11 minutes on it then quickly get feedback.
3. How the senior person reacts has profound impact on the ideas that come out of a group.  There is no point innovating if you think you already know the answer.
4. Learn from adjacent industries. (This is music to the ears of benchmarkers!)
5. Obsess about your story--make it simple, compelling, and memorable (e.g., "the $5,000 hamburger", the half-suit).