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Gurteen Knowledge-Letter: Issue 102 - December 2008

  




The Gurteen Knowledge Letter is a monthly newsletter that is distributed to members of the Gurteen Knowledge Community. You may receive the Knowledge Letter by joining the community. Membership is totally free. You may read back-copies here.


Gurteen Knowledge-Letter: Issue 102 - December 2008

Contents

  1 Introduction
  2 I love TweetDeck
  3 Open Source Thinking
  4 What Gen Yers want from the workplace
  5 Amazing photos of Google Offices in Zurich
  6 NineShift: predicted changes in the next 20 years
  7 Conference bags with a difference
  8 I’m going to go get a beer at the Leopold!
  9 KM Event Highlights
10 Subscribing and Unsubscribing
11 The Gurteen Knowledge Letter


Introduction    (top | next | prev)

Well yet another interesting month. This time I spent a week in South Africa where amongst other things I ran three knowledge cafe masterclasses in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Stellenbosch.

The last masterclass in Stellenbosch was held was at a wine estate (I get some touch assignments at times LOL!) - I had 72 people - mainly HR and OD people and I was a little concerned as I am not a professional facilitator and many of these folks were - but it went just fine and they loved the Cafe concept!

Given the growing interest in my Knowledge Cafes, I have set up a Knowledge Cafe story section on my website to collect inspiring stories.

So please, if you have run a knowledge cafe yourself or if you have a short anecdotal story that demonstrates some of the benefits or personal learning that have come out of attending a Knowledge Cafe then let me have the story to add to my collection.

And here's wishing you a "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" :-)

I love TweetDeck    (top | next | prev)

I find myself using Twitter more and more these days since on Dave Snowden's advise I installed TweetDeck as my primary user interface.

TweetDeck just runs in background and every so often I pop it up so see what my friends are up to. It also allows me to follow a large number of people and not be overwhelmed. I have two groups: my core network of about a dozen people and then several hundred others.

So if you like to tweet - take a look. And if you are not doing so already follow me on Twitter.

Open Source Thinking    (top | next | prev)

To me this is at the heart of what web 2.0, enterprise 2.0 and km 2.0 are all about! Its a different mind set that many people still do not get or like to see.
Open source thinking is sharing and remixing. You've got to set your ideas free, you can't control your content. It is a different mindset: "Ah darn, someone else has got there first" versus "Great, don't have to do that, I can build it on it!" For me, it's been the ability to think out loud with colleagues on ideas and topics, share presentations, etc.



What Gen Yers want from the workplace    (top | next | prev)

An interesting article by Teresa Wu: Generation Y in the Workplace Explained. Funny, I am most definitely a baby boomer but I crave the same things!

But did I, when I was twenty-something? To a large degree yes. I was by and large quite conventional and a little afraid "to ask" but I wanted all the other things - especially the freedom "to do what I loved". I guess that's why, today, I am working for myself!
As Gen Y enters the professional world, we bring a whole new set of rules. We’re often criticized for our restless job-jumping or our sense of entitlement. The truth is, we might play the game differently, but that doesn’t mean we’re not every bit as bright, innovative, and hardworking. Here’s why.
  • We crave personal development
  • We pursue unconventional paths
  • We value company culture
  • We’re not afraid to ask
  • We embrace transparency
  • We just want to do what we love


Amazing photos of Google Offices in Zurich    (top | next | prev)

A lot is written about the Google culture but take a look at these photos of the Google offices in Zurich. Quite amazing!

NineShift: predicted changes in the next 20 years    (top | next | prev)

Some interesting thoughts via Harold Jarche on the changes we might see in the next 20 years.
In just twenty years, between 2000 and 2020, some 75% of our lives will change dramatically. We know this because it happened once before. Between 1900 and 1920, life changed.

Nine Shift explores the uncanny parallels between today and 100 years ago, examining the changes between the two transition periods and the forces that restructure society in the new economic era.

Here are the predicted shifts from Nine Shift
  1. People work from home.
  2. Intranets replace offices.
  3. Networks replace pyramids
  4. Trains replace cars
  5. Dense neighborhoods replace suburbs
  6. New social infrastructures evolve.
  7. Cheating becomes collaboration.
  8. Half of all learning is online.
  9. Education becomes web-based.


Conference bags with a difference    (top | next | prev)

I hate the bags usually given out at conferences. Most of the time I don't need them. I empty the contents into my own bag and hand the conference bag back. What I dislike is all the advertising over the bag that pretty much ensures you would never want to use it again and certainly not give it to say to a child or friend who might otherwise appreciate it.

But when I arrived exceptionally early at an event (Tsiba Appreciation Breakfast) in Langa on the outskirts of Cape Town a few weeks back I was asked if I minded to help pack the delegate bags which of course I was only too happy to do especially as the bags were something special. They were designed and made locally and were simple and colorful - unfortunately I cannot recall the name of the supplier. Here is a photo of a small selection of some I helped pack!

Tsiba Appreciation Breakfast, Cape Town, Nov 2008


I’m going to go get a beer at the Leopold!    (top | next | prev)

Thanks to Euan Semple and Dina Mehta for drawing my attention to this article:
If the rest of the world wants to help, it should run toward the explosion. It should fly to Mumbai, and spend money. Where else are you going to be safe? New York? London? Madrid?

So I’m booking flights to Mumbai. I’m going to go get a beer at the Leopold, stroll over to the Taj for samosas at the Sea Lounge, and watch a Bollywood movie at the Metro. Stimulus doesn’t have to be just economic.

Credit: Suketa Mehta
I won't be able to join Mumbai Twitter users at the Leopold Cafe for a beer as they plan but I'll have no hesitation visiting Mumbai in 2009!

KM Event Highlights    (top | next | prev)

This section highlights some of the major KM events taking place around the world in the coming months and ones in which I am actively involved. You will find a full list on my website where you can also subscribe to both regional e-mail alerts and RSS feeds which will keep you informed of new and upcoming events.

An evening exploring Quality Conversation.
13 Jan 2009, London, United Kingdom
This should be a great London Knowledge Cafe with Ray Shaw.

APQC Knowledge Management Conference 2009
14 - 15 May 2009, Houston, United States

Subscribing and Unsubscribing    (top | next | prev)

You may subscribe to this newsletter on my website. Or if you no longer wish to receive this newsletter or if you wish to modify your e-mail address or make other changes to your membership profile then please go to this page on my website.

The Gurteen Knowledge Letter    (top | next | prev)

The Gurteen Knowledge-Letter is a free monthly e-mail based KM newsletter for Knowledge Workers. Its purpose is to help you better manage your knowledge and to stimulate thought and interest in such subjects as Knowledge Management, Learning, Creativity and the effective use of Internet technology. Archive copies are held on-line where you can register to receive the newsletter.

It is sponsored by the Knowledge Management Forum of the Henley Business School, Oxfordshire, England.

You may copy, reprint or forward all or part of this newsletter to friends, colleagues or customers, so long as any use is not for resale or profit and I am attributed. And if you have any queries please contact me.

David Gurteen
Gurteen Knowledge



If you are interested in Knowledge Management, the Knowledge Café or the role of conversation in organizational life then you my be interested in this online book I am writing on Conversational Leadership
David Gurteen


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