Thankful

I am happy to be at home in Ohio. It is Thanksgiving 2012 and I have much to be thankful for. Though I was laid off from my job in what for me was a disappointing ending; I am thankful for the great team I had to work with during my time with Apollo. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to learn new things in the education field. I am happy to have found my passion for knowledge management and the opportunity to contribute to the successs of others. I am thankful for a wonderful relationship with an amazing woman.

 I am thankful for a tremendous family that I love deeply and seek to give them as much as they have given me. I am tremendously thankful to have launched The e-lightened Mind Consultancy. I am thankful to have found the chance to serve others and pass along a portion of what I have received.

What are you thankful for?

Knowledge Starts With The Individual

I think knowledge starts with the individual. The effectiveness of an organization in using information and achieving business objectives is a reflection of how well their people are empowered to manage the data around them. In my view this is not just a matter of providing technological resources but a matter of helping people develop certain skill sets such as information literacy and personal knowledge management. These two skill areas focus on a person's ability to find,manage and use information in an effective way. Acquiring knowledge is a task that is both subjective and objective. 

 

The subjective aspect encompasses our emotions, thoughts and assumptions. It guides our ability to make sense of the world we live in. Our ability to derive knowledge from our experiences is determined by these faculties. The objective aspect is defined by the outside world we engage in daily. Lived experience provides the materials for knowledge acquisition. I think it is a mistake to assume that experience equals wisdom. External experience is not the deciding factor in the attainment of knowledge. A person's ability to make sense of what they see,live and experience is the deciding factor. Embracing experience, distilling it to its essential elements, observing its patterns and placing a value on those observations is necessary for learning to occur. I believe that by helping people master their subjective resources you help them master their objective ones. 

Did I miss something? What are your thoughts on how  people can more effectively acquire knowledge?

The Power of Social Media

 

The power of social media is that it provides access to a network of people, ideas, thoughts, and information. Social media empowers people to expand their awareness and extend the reach of their influence. The ability to collaborate with others is also enhanced due to  this technology. The complexity of the challenges we face from economic to environmental requires higher levels of thought and a broader range of perspective. Social media weaves together people, data, images and stories in a network of information that can be used in a real time manner.  Think about the way current events ripple throughout  virtual networks like Twitter and Facebook.

 

Almost immediately after the triggering event, a flood of viewpoints, documents, pictures, video clips, etc. populate our news feed. This is information that is often event driven and context specific. Characteristics that make social media a tremendously powerful tool that can be used to not only become aware of but to influence the state of affairs within our organizations and communities.

 

In a world driven by knowledge it is important for us to be mindful of our personal knowledge networks. Our networks are not just something that happens to us. Nor are they random occurrences that provide mere sensory stimulation. Our networks are created through deliberate action and choice.  

In what ways are you using your network?