Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Speople
Digital generations bring knowledge to life
Volume 1
Brain-computer
Issue 2 interface
MAY 2009
SM system
for Tweeting
Power of story
Dialogue
between great
thinkers helps
you too
Unmanaging
knowledge
How to tell the boss
to back off
The
examines how
comic books
Learning
reveal important
social issues
Knowledge
Factor Factory
Six part
KM primer
K-12 classrooms
begins irrelevant to today’s
environment
Once upon
a time
there was
a prince
. . . whose knowledge capabilities were trapped inside his own skin.
Volume 1
Issue 2
MAY 2009
Cover story
LEARNING 4 The Learning
Factory: K-12
8 Wide variation 11 Open source education irrelevant
in education Networking Student brains
This study provides evidence the technologies in higher are filled with
command-and-control style of ed enable students government-
education in the U.S. isn’t working. in four colleges defined
to collaborate curriculum and
9 Classroom 2.0 on a search for tested to the
University students apply avatar- Walt Whitman’s uniform standards
based technology to the service democratic spirit. of quality control.
sector. Unfortunately, technologies
not possible in most enterprises.
CHOOSING CHOOSING
CREATING
28 Extrasensory 31 Comic books 101
perception Academic course uses an
A student uses a brain-to-computer innovative way to explore
interface to Tweet. Hope for people multiculturalism. Finds important
whose bodies don’t work. social issues in ‘old’ media.
WORKING
34 Unmanaging 37 Ace a job
knowledge interview
You’re engaged in Here are seven powerful ways
to make the first seven seconds
knowledge work
and you’d like to a positive first impression. 39 Intellectual capital?
Smart People living proof of the
tell the boss to back
value of IC. Undercapitalized
off. What do you
financially. Rich in intellectual
do?
capital.
2 SMART PEOPLE
SMART PEOPLE
Tom Davenport David Gurteen Alice MacGillivray Robert Wendover The Smart People Magazine Board of Directors is being carefully and
Information Knowledge Smart People Generational
Technology Management Networkers Studies methodically constructed to assure broad representation of the personal
and professional interests of our audience, ranging from experts to
ordinary smart people. We invite suggestions and assistance. Contact
Jerry Ash: smart.guy1@verizon.net
EDITORIAL BOARD
SMART PEOPLE 3
COVER STORY
4 SMART PEOPLE
COVER STORY
SMART PEOPLE 5
COVER STORY
CONTINUED a dramatically new kind of n Are fueled by questions
generation. – The top 10 Web sites on
similar study. They found
that in 2006 161 exabytes They are the “baby- the Internet, according to
of information had been on-board,” IM, MySpace Alexa Internet, Inc., include
generated. This represents generation who carry their Google, Yahoo, Windows
three million times the conversations in their pockets Live, Wikipedia and Baidu.
information in all the books and play in the virtual fields com (Chinese language
ever written. of The SIMS, Halo, and World search engine). They surf the
The amount of of Warcraft. Web to answer questions. In
information that constitutes Marc Prensky, in a 2001 their classrooms, however,
today’s environments of work paper, called today’s students it is the teacher who asks
and play are only part of the “digital natives,” while he the questions, and students
changing landscape. But it characterized their parents are expected to be their own
leaves us with a future that we and teachers as “digital Google.
can not clearly describe. For immigrants.” Our children’s n Are responsive – Video
the first time in history, we are native information experience games are built around
educating children who will is so different and foreign responsive information
live and work in a world that to that of their parents that experiences. But social
is unknown to us. it seems we grew up in an networks are about writing
We have always been able entirely different era. – with the full expectation that
to confidently describe the Many schools are starting your ideas will be responded
lifestyles and work settings for to recognize these distinctions to by peers. In school, students
which we were preparing our and are attempting to adapt write what they think the
children. by integrating secure social teacher expects to read and
Consequently, mapping networks and educational only for a grade.
the knowledge and skills video games into their
instruction. But simply n Demand personal
needed to prosper in that investment – Even though
world was not a challenge. replicating our students
games and social networks video games seem to be about
That we cannot today clearly instant gratification, our
describe our students’ future only produces what they call,
“a creepy treehouse.” students are eager to invest
has profound implications in hours, days, even weeks
terms of what and how they It is more important
that we try to identify and into achieving the level or
learn. wealth that is their goal.
understand the unique and
fundamental qualities of They work, learn and perfect
Inept attempts to student experiences and their technique so they can
create different games integrate those into our accomplish that goal. In their
classrooms, their question is
and social networks classrooms. Among qualities
not, “How do I do my best?”
of the native information
to serve existing experiences are that they: Instead, it is “How many
educational standards pages?” Their technique
n Provoke communication is about finishing – not
is viewed as “a creepy – Social networks and achieving.
treehouse.” networked video games are
n Value safely made
played through rich webs of mistakes – It’s one of the
Condition #2: A new conversation. In the traditional
generation of learner defining qualities of most
industrial classroom, the video games, that when you
A number of books have learner is quiet, listens and
been recently written that make a mistake, you get
follows instructions. to back up and try it again
describe what is often called
the Millennial generation. – carrying a new piece of
But anyone with children knowledge with you. In
younger than 30 can attest to classrooms, all answers are
6 SMART PEOPLE
COVER STORY
graded with little opportunity < http://www.pollster. changing economy where
to go back – with little com/ObamaTag.php and communication, collaboration
opportunity to make “good http://www.pollster.com/ and innovation are the fuel for
mistakes.” ClintonTag400.png>. success, both personally and
Because the information in the market place.
n Rewarded with
is digital, it can be analyzed, Continuing to treat
audience and attention
compared, arranged and students as empty vessels to
– Social networks are
rearranged in ways that add be filled with government
about attracting attention
value to the content, putting a defined curriculum is
and earning response. In
new lens on the information. irrelevant to today’s children
classrooms, the expected best
An information landscape and their future. Although
work of our children is seen
where all information (text, there are certainly critical
only by their teacher.
essentials that all students
must learn, schools should
Continuing to treat students as empty vessels to respect and empower
be filled with government-defined curriculum is learners as equal partners
irrelevant to today’s children and their future. in their education. Teachers
must become facilitators of
Condition #3: New images, sound, video) is learning, creatively crafting
and cultivating powerful
information environment digital, makes information
The enormous and learning experiences for their
a raw material, not just a
unprecedented growth students rather than lecturing
consumable.
of information, discussed and worksheeting them into
already, indicates a new submission. We know what
Conclusion
information environment that the alternative looks like and
Each of these converging
not only facilitates this kind the research supports it.
conditions forces us to
of unimaginable growth, but struggle with important
also fuels it. questions.
Consider how our n How do we teach a Books about the Millennials
information experiences have generation of networked
Millennials Rising (2000) by Neil Howe
become social. We no longer learners?
merely read the newspaper n How do we address and and William Strauss
in our own quiet. Instead, leverage a dramatically Don’t Bother Me Mom – I’m Learning
we read it, email a story of new information (2006) by Marc Prensky
interest to our friends, attach landscape?
our comments, and read and n What do our children Growing up Digital (1999) and Grown
respond to comments left need to be learning to be Up Digital (2008) by Don Tapscott
by other readers. In some ready for an unpredictable Born Digital (2008) by John Palfrey
instances, stories are ranked future?
and Urs Gasser of the Berkman Center
based on how much attention The traditional schools
we are paying as readers. and classrooms that most of for Internet & Society at Harvard Law
Because of this new digital us attended were fashioned School
and networked information during an industrial era
environment, we can do based on an industrial
things with information that design. Today’s schools and
were impossible only a few classrooms must reflect a
years ago. different time and a different
Consider the two tag environment – one not
clouds painting a picture based on in-line repetitive
of the Democratic Primary performance of distinct
Campaign debates of Barack tasks, but on an increasingly
Obama and Hillary Clinton global and rapidly
SMART PEOPLE 7
LEARNING
8 SMART PEOPLE
LEARNING
Classroom 2.0
Students apply avatar-based technology to service sector
Students from Indiana University’s technology, and what kinds of “Today’s students need to
Kelley School of Business worked technologies provide value,” develop skills that will enable
in synch – virtually – with explained IU student Linda them to be effective collaborators,
cohorts at North Carolina State Rasmussen. “I have already shared particularly in the context of
University’s Jenkins Graduate my team’s business case with technology-enabled ‘virtual’ teams.
School of Management this past my current employer’s training “Web 2.0 and 3D virtual worlds
spring to learn about service sector department to get them thinking offer an emerging platform for
innovation without ever leaving about the advantages.” collaboration within a company
their campuses. Anne Massey, Dean’s Research and a new platform for interaction
Instead, they used a collection Professor of Information Systems between the
of Web 2.0 technologies, such as at Kelley, and Mitzi Montoya, company and
wikis and the 3D virtual world Zelnak Professor of Marketing customer,”
Second Life, to hold meetings and and Innovation and director of Massey added.
collaborate on team projects. the Service & Product Innovation The
Learning to navigate the Initiative at NC State College of student
unchartered territory was one of the Management, created the co- teams were
goals for the 42 students enrolled in laboratory that included a virtual tasked with
the new course, “Service Innovation class supported by Second Life and making the
Over the Lifecycle,” offered jointly OnCourse, IU’s course management business case
for the first time this spring by system. for delivering
faculty at both schools. “Our goals for this class were a service
While students adopted new to help the students understand innovation Massey’s avatar
technologies, their professors the services lifecycle and in Second Life.
watched to see how they leveraged identify opportunities for service Throughout the semester,
the avatar-based environment. The innovation,” Montoya said. “The “faculty and students used avatars
feedback from all involved in the service sector is the dominant to meet in Second Life, with the
class – students, companies that driver of today’s global economy student teams using webinars, open
provided class projects and the and emerging technologies are source document repositories, wikis
professors – was good, so plans are an important part of innovative and other tools to collaborate while
to offer the class again. service offerings.” working on corporate sponsored
projects,” Massey said.
Web 2.0 technologies can add interactivity and The course culminated in a case
engagement not currently possible in most enterprises. competition among the teams. “The
competition lasted for seven weeks,
Riley Gaddy, one of the Jenkins An IBM faculty award which is the first of its kind for me,”
Graduate School students, said he supported curriculum development explained Kelley student Prasanna
and his classmates “could definitely for the Service Innovation Lab Veeraraghavan. “We had many
see possibilities for use of the new portion of the class, during which deliverables which gave our efforts
technologies, particularly beyond students worked on projects for a predefined structure.”
the classroom. Just as the Internet two companies exploring ways Rasmussen added, “We really
has given companies a new channel to stimulate service innovation believe that our business case
to interact with customers, I believe – Target Corp. and a Fortune 100 provided a good basis for the
the Web 2.0 technologies can add financial services firm. client to work from and hope they
interactivity and engagement that The course also gave students implement the proposed solution.”
is not currently possible with the “the opportunity to learn and use About the virtual environment,
current set of company Web pages.” the new Web 2.0 toolkit, including she said, “It was a challenge to
“I have discovered a lot about leading edge technologies like present with other team members
how the younger generation uses virtual worlds,” Massey said. NEXT PAGE
SMART PEOPLE 9
LEARNING
Zero hour
Video game trains America’s EMS medics
George Washington University’s National EMS Preparedness Initiative
announces the launch of Zero Hour: America’s Medic, a high-tech video
game-based learning tool that is designed to train first responders through
a series of virtual simulations based on the 16 national planning scenarios
developed by US Homeland Security.
When playing the game and confronted with biological, explosive,
chemical and earthquake disasters, first responders must meet the challenges
they would face during an actual disaster.
“This is the first-of-its-kind training tool,” said Gregg Lord, associate
director, GW’s Office of Homeland Security.
10 SMART PEOPLE
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oxymoron) or a five-minute were up-to-date and which want, organizations should
phone call home. ones were dangerous old relics consider investing in systems
One day, during his six- taking up valuable space. to facilitate this human-to-
month “cruise” in the Persian At the end of the day, our human connection.
Gulf, our son decided to son contacted us for help. So what are you doing to
explore other opportunities in He knew we would know ensure you remain connected
the military. someone who would have the with people? Do you rely
Although we are not real knowledge he needed. on technology to facilitate
entirely certain what Indeed, he was correct and connections?
triggered this sudden quest after just a couple telephone We encourage you to
for knowledge, we were calls, we were able to connect connect, collaborate and
very impressed that modern with the person who knew communicate with other
satellite technology allowed the real procedures. Smart People – start today
him to search the vast stores This is a great example by following Smart People on
of data on the Defense Wide of how knowledge flows Twitter <http://twitter.com/
Area Network. in many organizations. Smart_People>.
He was able to access, Frequently it
almost instantly, all the makes more
information he wanted sense to find
to decide what military a person who
occupation would be of most knows what
interest to him. you need to
He was able to read know rather
factsheets and download and than search
watch videos that described volumes of
each job. Essentially, he had uncontrolled
access to everything that content on
would have been available corporate
to him if he were back home intranets.
– very impressive. So what
He also had access to is the moral
vast volumes of regulations of the story?
that explain the process for Well, the
changing careers. first lesson
As you can imagine, it is we learned
a very bureaucratic process to was the
change careers in the military. power of story to help people
There are many forms to fill understand and remember Adapted from John and JoAnn’s
book, The Leader’s Guide to
out and many deadlines to complex issues.
Knowledge Management:
meet. As he continued to The story clearly Drawing on the Past to Enhance
navigate through this maze of reinforces that organizations Future. John Girard, PhD (john@
knowledge, he began to trip should have procedures for johngirard.net) is cofounder
upon contradictions. content management and and chief knowledge architect of
He found different dates, digital asset management; in Sagology, a firm that focuses on
different processes and short, someone should own connecting people with people to
different approval authorities. all data and be responsible to collaborate and share knowledge.
The more he searched, the maintain it. JoAnn Girard (joann@joanngirard.
more contradictions he found. However, technology net) is the cofounder and managing
Soon it became clear he alone will not suffice. We partner of Sagology.
would not be able to rely learned that often people
on the data he was finding prefer to connect with
– it was simply impossible to other people rather than
determine which documents with data. To satisfy this
SMART PEOPLE 13
LIVING
Better at texting
Women push computer-mediated communication
The book Men Are from Mars, who use more abbreviations predicting men would post
Women Are from Venus and and insertions, and who more and longer text messages,
its gender stereotypes on implement more emoticons. and would also employ more
how the sexes communicate “The messages are very non-standard techniques.
remains fodder for debate, flirtatious and have nothing to Instead, the opposite was true.
but two Indiana University do with the television show,” The study found women
researchers have confirmed said Herring, a professor in used more non-standard
one thing: When men the IU School of Library and language such as abbreviations
and women talk through Information Science. or expressive insertions that
“In the linguistic represented characteristics
marketplace there have including enthusiasm, sadness,
always been different emphasis and individuality.
values associated with And while women were
standard and non-standard both more economical and
language; here we have expressive, they also came
found results that are closer to maxing out, or did
paradoxical and opposite of max out, on the 160-character
recognized socio-linguistic message limit more often.
gender patterns.”
Cell phones popular
Symbolic currency “Since iTV is based on
Women use standard texting, which was marketed
language more than men, extensively in Europe, it is
in part because it is seen as extremely popular,” said
a type of symbolic currency Zelenkauskaite, a doctoral
used to acquire upward student and Lithuania native
mobility. who has spent more than
“Women have two years studying at Italian
historically used standard universities.
language when they are Now the researchers
technology, it’s the women social aspirers, or want to say they want to explore
who are more expressive. be perceived as above their whether they could identify
In an article in the station,” Herring said. “Men similar amounts and types
latest edition of the talk more; women are more of non-standard language
quarterly journal Written polite.” in text-messaging when
Communication, Indiana But that historical footnote different topics available for
University researchers falls apart under the influence interactive, public discussion
Susan Herring and Asta of computer-mediated – like politics or news-oriented
Zelenkauskaite show that communication such as short programming – are studied.
while men historically talk message services and text “There are news shows
more in public settings, messaging, researchers found in Europe where viewers can
when exchanges occur via after looking at 1,164 gender- comment through iTV but
text messaging in a public defined messages posted on- we have not analyzed any
venue – in this case, Italy’s screen. of those yet,” Herring said.
real-time interactive music Expecting findings “There are different linguistic
television channel Allmusic consistent with past research marketplaces, and politics is
– it is the women who push on gender-patterned public one of them, just like dating
their messages closest to communication, Herring is.”
the character-count limit, and Zelenkauskaite were
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The first risk is that you’ll Why? Because the medium (in
unnecessarily limit yourself. You this case, a blog) is hollow by its
will only recognize opportunities very nature, and something hollow
that present themselves in the form cannot provide lasting motivation. Watch for Part
of a nail because you’ve defined When you put the medium II from Steve
yourself as a hammer and nothing before the message, you put Pavlina in the
more. You’ll fall into the trap of emptiness before fullness. And this next issue of
thinking, “Dammit, Jim! I’m a can lead to procrastination, lack of Smart People
doctor, not a bricklayer!” motivation, and low energy. Magazine.
As a human being, there are How motivating is it to define
many ways for you to express and your career as being a
deliver value to others. The current professional blogger (or
medium of your career is only one
any other arbitrary job
of them.
title)?
When you think of your career
On a scale of 1-10,
as being greater than any single
maybe it would start at
medium, you’ll open yourself to
around an 8-9 the first
new opportunities that lie outside
your current primary medium. few weeks, but where
will it be after five
years? Probably a 4 or 5
When you put the medium at best.
before the message, you But by defining
define your life in terms your career as the
message instead of
of the container instead the medium, you’re
of what fills it. probably in the range
of 8-10, and five years
The second risk is that by later you can still be up
focusing too heavily on a single there. In my case, the
medium, you’re likely to lose sight of message of personal
your message. development is indeed
Your message is far more a 10 for me.
important than any one medium, My level of
so by putting the medium first, enthusiasm for writing,
you’re likely to suffer from a gradual speaking, blogging, or
decline in motivation regarding programming waxes
your work. You begin a new job, and wanes over time,
and it’s very exciting at first, but but my interest in
the longer you work at it, the less personal development A cleaning lady at NASA was
enthusiastic you become. Does this remains perpetually high. asked “What is your job?” She
seem familiar at all?
replied, “I’m part of the team that
Changing perspectives Get Steve Pavlina’s new book, will send a man to the moon.”
Today you’ll find people who Personal Development for Smart
define their careers as professional People, and learn the Seven
bloggers (the medium), and so they Universal Growth Principles (truth,
blog about anything and everything. love, power, oneness, authority,
But after several months or perhaps courage and intelligence) to achieve
a year of this type of work, it isn’t major breakthroughs in your habits,
uncommon to see them becoming career, finances, relationships,
apathetic and even depressed about health and spiritual development.
their work. www.stevepavlina.com/blog
SMART PEOPLE 17
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No one told them to do anything. But when David Shepherd and Travis Price
heard how a Grade 9 student was treated on the first day of school for wearing
a pink shirt, they sprang into action.
The then-Grade 12 students from Cambridge in Nova Scotia’s
Annapolis Valley went to a nearby discount store and bought 50 pink
shirts to distribute to their friends to wear to school the next
day.
They emailed classmates to get on board with an anti-
bullying cause they dubbed a “sea of pink.”
That wave of pink turned into a tsunami: hundreds
of students showed up to Central Kings Rural High
School wearing pink duds. And now pink is the official
color of a Nova Scotia-wide Stand Up Against Bullying
‘We’ thinkers Day, held on the second Thursday of each September.
Michael Ungar, a social worker, family therapist and professor with Dalhousie
change ‘me’ University’s School of Social Work, calls the two teens “we thinkers.”
In his new book We Generation, he says we thinkers like David and Travis
thinking ways can help their parents’ generation “rethink some of our own me thinking ways.”
Chapter by chapter, Dr. Ungar illustrates how parents can nurture we-
thinking in their children, for example, by lavishing them with physical affection,
by noticing the good things they do, by giving them responsibility and making
them accountable for their own mistakes.
SMART PEOPLE 19
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with information that was or misled by their reasoning “We tend to view the world
heard or observed most especially if it’s limited as more explainable than
recently – the availability to infrequently occurring it really is, and look for
heuristic. outcomes, or predictions. explanations even where
The final shortcut occurs If the economic crisis is there are none.”
when we assign meaning truly a rare event, then how Having a consistent
by anchoring. If the input is much experience or expertise set of systems in place pre-
similar or familiar, you may can anyone
oversubscribe meaning to it; really have Machines have no intelligence, but they outperform
precisely because it happens creating
so instantaneously, you barely proven
experts who humanly make more mistakes.
have time for awareness. successful
In this ever-ready state of responses? empts the call for judgment Rachel Kaberon
forming associations, the So what does it take to be or choice and helps reduce is managing
context will frequently dictate smarter? errors. Likewise for a fighting partner of Arkay
your interpretation. In some realms this task is chance at more rational Solutions, an
The more associations relatively easy. Mathematical thinking, you need to change independent
you form, the greater your word problems, or unfamiliar or expand your frame of strategy
confidence in knowing what situations or circumstances reference, challenge yourself consulting firm
you know. Though you require our involuntary, to test the context in which that operates from
ascertain the knowledge reasoning, rational system you operate, the one that the perspective
remains valid in the current to step in and develop an forms the basis of your initial that learning is
setting, you act on what you decision. what separates
expectation or assessment of
feel or sense which is what how and what to do next. Finally, practice flexibility good from bad
results in your mistakes. and adapt a willingness to business. She
The problem, as you will
This was Tim Geithner, consider more than the first can be found
see, is not that we are lazy,
Bernie Madoff, many of his possibility that presents itself, in Chicago and
but that the rational system
thus slowing down your welcomes your
investors and probably your response is voluntary, a little
decision making and that comments at
own experience. We all ignore slower to execute and requires
in itself may improve your Arkayuno@gmail.
in part what we know, but not effort.
personal odds. com
necessarily consciously. By contrast, our intuitive
This explains why system is fast, automatic to the
machines and simple point of making associations
data models consistently and fitting information into References
outperform expert patterns often without any
professionals who, humanly, consciousness on our part. n To read more about Taleb, I suggest an old
make more mistakes. Built into the duality of these Malcolm Gladwell piece from the New Yorker
Machines have no systems is our basic fallibility that appeared April 22 and 29, 2002 entitled
intelligence, but their and the source of our “Blowing Up.”
n Or if you are a more audio-visual learner
Built into the duality of intuition and reason you can hear a nice exchange between
is our fallibility and the source of our unwitting Daniel Kahneman and Taleb Nassim at:
bias that is prone to error. http://fora.tv/2009/01/27/Nassim_Taleb
_and_Daniel_Kahneman_Reflection_on_
advantage of reliability, unwitting bias that is prone to a_Crisis#chapter_01
accuracy and consistency error. n Or for the technically inclined you can find
makes them much more Taleb, a very vigilant Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky’s
responsible than the experts student of rare events, accepts original papers on judgment heuristics that
with which we put great faith. the challenge but not the appear in one volume entitled Choices,
Experts can just as readily risks associated with this Values, and Frames.
be fooled by their intuition very human shortcomings:
SMART PEOPLE 21
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Job networks
A major
paradigm
shift in
Major job boards to die within a decade online job-
Submitted by Greg Morrison what we refer to as their digital n 2009 Online Job Hunting searching
Smart People prosumer* presence,” Hansen says. Report: The Long, Slow moves
“As job boards diminish in Death March of Job Boards closer to the
Online job boards will be gone importance and effectiveness, -- and What Will Replace
within a decade or sooner. and hiring decision-makers Them. URL: http://www.
mainstream
That’s the assertion of a shift their approaches to quintcareers.com/job- as Web
new report and e-book on the connecting with talent through board_death_march.html 2.0 social
state of Internet job-hunting online searches, a digital n No-cost e-book (ISBN- networking
from a leading career Web site. presence becomes a must.” 10: 1-934689-08-4): The sites and
Taking their place, a wave The 2009 report, sixth Quintessential Guide to Job second
of new social-media-driven in a series of annual reports Search 2.0: Advancing Your
generation
job-search sites and tools is published by Quintessential Career Through Online
arriving online, expected to Careers covering the major Social Media. URL: http:// job boards
change how job-seekers and trends in online job-search, www.quintcareers.com/ gain
employers find each other. includes findings about how Quintessential_Careers_ traction with
“Just as the major job employers and job-seekers are Press/Job_Search/ employers
boards revolutionized how connecting online: and job-
job-seekers searched, applied, n Job boards will be gone in Quintessential Careers,
founded in 1996, is a member seekers.
and found jobs more than a 10 years or sooner.
decade ago, a new crop of Web n Digital presence, of a network of empowering
sites is arriving that will once “findability,” and search- sites, EmpoweringSites.com.
again change the job-search engine optimization More background about
landscape,” says Katharine (SEO) increasingly are Quintessential Careers can be
Hansen, PhD, creative director standard operating tools for found at www.quintcareers.
for Quintessential Careers jobseekers. com/home.html.
and author of the report titled, n Social-networking, *Prosumers are consumers who
“The Long, Slow Death March people-finding, and micro- want to have a hand in shaping the
of Job Boards – and What Will blogging participation are product. Smart People prosumers
Replace Them,” as well as co- becoming critical to help ensure that the content and
author of the accompanying the job search. direction of the magazine is shaped by
no-cost e-book. n Blogging is seen as a both its readers.
“While traditional job a way to demonstrate
boards will still play a role expertise and learn more
in how job-seekers find jobs about and connect with
over the next few years, social- employers.
networking sites and second- n Integrating multimedia
generation job boards are into the job search -- a
quickly gaining inroads, and controversial trend -- is one
we can expect these and other to watch.
emerging job-search sites to
replace the big job boards More details:
within a decade,” Hansen
stated.
“One other element at the
heart of this paradigm shift
is the empowerment of job-
seekers to create and manage
their online career persona,
SMART PEOPLE 25
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NowPublic
Recognized leader in emergence of citizen journalism
We were searching for a little story as distributed. NP claims to
on prosumerism when we came have become one of the fastest
across the NowPublic Blog, a growing news organizations
participatory news network which with thousands of reporters in
mobilizes an army of reporters to over 140 countries.
cover events that define our world. During Hurricane
Katrina, NP says it had more
NowPublicBlog is a reporters in the affected area
recognized leader in the than most news organizations
emerging field of citizen have on their entire staff.
journalism.
By harnessing the wisdom
of crowds and tapping into
the news by making reporters
of the hundreds of millions NowPublic Technologies, Inc. is a Vancouver,
of Internet users, bloggers Canada-based company – www.nowpublic.com
and photography enthusiasts,
NowPublic (NP) is changing
the way news is made as well
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People power
Ideas give credit-crunched UK companies the edge
For further Businesses battling the UK, says: “In tough times it’s the most impressive savings
information downturn could be missing vital businesses take every result from small, simple
contact: a recession-busting trick opportunity to become leaner suggestions.
Anthony according to the national and more efficient. Setting Free events in London,
Denatale:
association of suggestion up a staff suggestion scheme, Manchester, Edinburgh and
anthony@
schemes. creating an office think Cardiff offered advice and
ideasuk.com
Or visit Ideas UK says bosses who tank or holding a weekly practical examples from
www. bank employees’ bright ideas brainstorming breakfast could organizations that have made
ideasuk.com can save up to £40 million a help generate cost-cutting employee innovation an
year – and there was no better ideas, improve service and important part of the business.
time to start tapping into that boost the bottom line all using Denatale adds: “Good
workplace talent than during an existing resource – people.” ideas aren’t just for the good
International Ideas Week May In 2008, Ideas UK times. The recession makes
11-15. members saved over £40 it even more important
Ideas UK launched the million and saw a return for businesses to build
first National Ideas Day in on investment of at least £5 suggestion schemes into their
2001 to mark the anniversary for every £1 spent through management strategies and
of Einstein’s birth. This year, their staff suggestions encourage their employees
events were held across schemes, according to the to identify efficiency savings.
Britain for a whole week on organization’s annual survey. And you might even generate
the theme Ideas, Innovation and Employees are ideally placed a Eureka moment – the bright
the Current Economic Crisis. to identify opportunities for idea that helps your business
Anthony Denatale, improvement as part of their boom.”
operations manager for Ideas daily working life; some of
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CONTINUED I was happily surprised to find ties into breaking down
Marissa Miller, class of ’09, an depth and focus. boundaries.
English major who is enrolled “Miné Okubo’s Citizen “Whether it’s literature,
presently in the course. 13660 deeply moved me comics or film,’’ he adds, “they
“I was aware from reading and I gained a great amount are products of what’s going
a few graphic novels on my of knowledge about the on in culture generally. What
own that the environment ‘internment’ camps that the are the intellectual, social
and multiculturalism can be Japanese Americans were issues?’’
found in this written form, but forced into because it had Through the course,
never really been addressed Misericordia students become
in depth in any of my other more critical consumers of
history courses in college or media by understanding
Publisher’s note: This innovative course high school,’’ she adds. historical context and literary
on comics and graphic novels is a prime In recent years, comics criticism, and are able to apply
example of academicians who are first and graphic novels have these tools, according to Drs.
been looked at more critically Hamilton and Austin.
learning from students in order to provide in academia, similar to the “It is vitally important
innovative and dynamic ways to encourage way traditional literature is that one never writes off a
an environment of learning, not teaching. reviewed. form of information based
And then they help students to view relevant Instead of stereotyping on its outside form,’’ says
social issues through a different prism. the boom!, bam! and splats! Miller, explaining the lessons
It is learning, not lecturing that students of action comics, high school she learned from the unique
teachers and college professors course.
long for in the 21st century and it’s learning,
are using them as a gateway “My grandparents were
not lecturing, that engages students, boosts to engage their students initially very shocked that I
comprehension and enhances knowledge in discussion, debate and was taking a course on comics
retention. It is the excitement of discovery that scholarship. and graphic novels because
fuels smart people. And it is the multiplying “We try to get them to look they didn’t understand the
factor of knowledge sharing that makes us at these with a more critical hidden depth and history
all smarter. eye in terms of what sort of behind the works.
ideologies and ideas they are “After sharing what I’ve
While formal education struggles exposing,’’ says Dr. Hamilton, learned with my family and
against tradition and regulation, independent who began collecting Marvel’s friends, they’ve accepted
learning has never been more energizing and Avengers series as a young that I am genuinely learning
empowering. And it has never been more child. from a worthy academic
widely embraced. People want to learn. And Before the spring course. I firmly believe that
learning has never been more meaningful semester, the majority of their if an individual is to grow
students didn’t believe comics they must step outside of the
than right now when the urgent need to know
addressed race, ethnicity or confines of a set environment
is so bountifully served by the search and event historical movements. and venture into unknown
networking capabilities of the Internet. “The things that we look territory,’’ she adds.
Founded and sponsored in 1924 by the at are immensely a product
Sisters of Mercy, Misericordia University is of those same issues that we
Luzerne County’s first four-year college and often see comics and pop
offers 31 academic majors on the graduate culture in general divorced
from,’’ Dr. Hamilton explains.
and undergraduate levels in full and part- “Things like the New
time formats. Guardian series that we
deal with are an attempt at
multiculturalism that goes
horribly awry.
“They don’t exist in a
vacuum and I think that
32 SMART PEOPLE
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Harmful monopolies
Patent and copyright laws block innovation and choice
Abolishing patent and copyright protection for inventors and plenty monopoly that hinders rather than
law sounds radical, but two of protection and opportunities to helps the competitive free market
economists at Washington make money for creators. It’s not regime that has delivered wealth
University in St. Louis say it’s an that we see this as some sort of and innovation to our doorsteps.”
idea whose time has come. charitable act that people are going Boldrin and Levine promote a
Michele Boldrin and David K. to invent and create things without drastic reform of the patent system
Levine see innovation as a key to earning money. Evidence shows in their book. They propose the law
reviving the economy. They believe very strongly there are lots of ways should be restored to match the
the current patent/copyright to make money without patents and intent of the U.S. Constitution which
system discourages and prevents copyright.” states: Congress may “promote the
inventions from entering the As examples of the failure of progress of science and useful arts,
marketplace. the current system, Levine and by securing for limited times to
The two professors have Boldrin point to students being authors and inventors the exclusive
published their views in a new sued for ‘pirating’ music on the right to their respective writing and
book, Against Intellectual Monopoly, Internet and AIDS patients in Africa discoveries.”
from Cambridge University Press. dying because they cannot afford
“From a public policy view, expensive drugs produced by Professors Boldrin and Levine
we’d ideally like to eliminate patent patent. maintain a blog on this topic:
and copyright laws altogether,” Boldrin says, “Intellectual www.againstmonopoly.org.
says Levine. “There’s plenty of property is in fact an intellectual
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seldom aware of exactly what “a meeting of the minds” from my perspective, fall into
unrelated knowledge they over the fundamental goals, the following two general
possess until confronted with policies and processes of an categories:
a problem or an opportunity. organization. n Controlled-Access System:
Therefore, in order for What is particularly Where access to the
tacit knowledge to properly noteworthy about this resources of a group and
emerge, people must first be agreement is that it’s not its activities are controlled
surrounded by a supportive reached through any sort of by one or a few select
environment. formal negotiations. Rather, it individuals.
is emergent. n Shared-Access System:
Organizational sweet spot It is a natural outgrowth Where resources of a
In such an environment, of day-to-day interactions, group and its activities
we will understand and or self-organization by the are impartially dealt with
respond positively to formal people representing both by all members of an
organizational goals and management and the informal organization.
initiatives. networks of a given venture.
Also, in the process the That’s where you can deliver
organizational ‘We’ should your message.
remember that the more Clearly, the larger that
people are given a voice and overlapping area is, the more
implicit control in managing engaged and productive
a venture, the more the people are within an
informal networks (present organization.
in every entity) will begin to I have labeled this place
function more in the open of common agreement as
and start making appropriate the “shared-access domain.”
connections with other More fittingly, the overlapping
emergent groups. area is best referred to as the
The organizational sweet spot “organizational sweet spot.”
is like the sweet spot on the
strings of a tennis racket. In a Organizational context/
general sense, the sweet spot ecologies
of the racquet is the area of the So, how do we expand the
string bed that produces the organizational sweet spot?
best combination of feel and It’s not easy, especially when
power. In an organization, people are accustomed to the
the sweet spot is created by Industrial Age management
the overlap of a formal and an processes.
informal system. Fortunately, it’s definitely
worth the effort especially
Most importantly, since we are already in the
under the right conditions Knowledge Age. What we
the informal components must keep in mind is that the
will begin to overlap more sweet spot can’t be managed.
and more with the formal What can be managed or
elements of an organization. adjusted is the organizational
This overlap is a very context or ecology that
desirable state for any surrounds the sweet spot. In this classification
enterprise. That spot, in As I’ve suggested in scheme, a controlled-access
essence, represents the Unleashing Intellectual Capital system, whether tall or flat, is
area where the formal and and in Hidden Assets (www. an organizational framework
informal systems of an UnManagement.com), wherein one individual or a
organization have reached organizational ecologies, NEXT PAGE
SMART PEOPLE 35
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CONTINUED sharing “killers” that are social contexts that support
very limited number of people prevalent in a traditional the dynamics that allow
exclusively control access to all organization. people to establish meaningful
major resources. For example, knowledge relationships and in the
All other members of the workers in a controlled-access process share tacit and explicit
organization must first get setting are continuously faced knowledge to the fullest extent
approval from these executives with some of the following or possible.
before any of the assets can be similar problems: Complex adaptive systems’
used. n I would like to download thinking is vital today in order
In a controlled-access a free Web resource which to properly address never-
system position power is the will help me perform before anticipated problems or
predominant force behind all my job better, but the IT new opportunities.
key decisions; hence, “open” Department will not allow Thus, where conventional
self-organizing arrangements me to do that. approaches consistently fail to
are not encouraged or valued, n I would like to work bring success, more pragmatic
limiting the development cross-domain, in an approaches need to be found
of voluntary co-dependent interdisciplinary way, and applied.
relationships and the sharing with colleagues in another Multiple perspectives
of tacit and explicit knowledge. department, but my consistently lead to fresh and
Compliance instead of manager refuses to give me more insightful solutions than
commitment is prized in such permission to do so. simply putting new faces on
organizations. As one might n I would like to have access old failed concepts.
infer, such an organizational to cost information that In the end, it all comes
ecology doesn’t do much pertains to the resources down to smart people
for the expansion of the that I am currently using dealing realistically with
organizational sweet spot. so that I can make more the unavoidable realm of
Conversely, in a judicious use of them. The “social emergence” and
shared-access system, all Accounting Department, supporting the expansion of
organizational members however, has informed “organizational sweet spots.”
have considerable autonomy me that such information
in decision-making and in is available on a need- Professor Charles (Kalev) Ehin is an
resource allocations. In a to-know basis only to author and recognized management
shared-access system, expert managers and I am not a and innovation dynamics authority.
power instead of position manager. He is emeritus professor of
power dominates. In a controlled-access management at Westminster College
Major emphasis is placed in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., where
system the upshot, from a
he also served as the dean of the
on situational leadership, human nature perspective, Gore School of Business. He is the
open book management, and is that people are more author of Unleashing Intellectual
self-organization in solving concerned with their own Capital (Butterworth-Heinemann,
problems or in pursuing welfare instead of their co- 2000), Hidden Assets: Harnessing
opportunities. Such an workers or the organization as the Power of Informal Networks
arrangement clearly benefits a whole. (Springer, 2005), and his forthcoming
from the continuous sharing of book The Organizational Sweet
tacit and explicit knowledge. Depends on smart people Spot: Engaging the Innovative
Here, personal Whether we like to Dynamics of Your Social
commitment rather than admit it or not, all activities Networks (Springer, 2009). Contact:
compliance is the dominant and interactions between kalev1@msn.com; Web site: www.
success factor. That, of course, UnManagement.com.
people are governed by
enhances the expansion of the emergent relationships or self-
sweet spot. organization.
Basically, a shared-access Therefore, we need to
system minimizes or avoids place greater emphasis on
many of the knowledge developing constructive
36 SMART PEOPLE
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What is an improvement?
Not LEAN (less employees are needed) or ‘sick sigma’
By Jack Vinson, Knowledge Jolt are established with little This doesn’t prevent
http://blog.jackvinson.com/ thought as to how they will experimentation and
function with the rest of the trying new things. But the
There are plenty of things I organization. As a result, the experimentation isn’t to be
do individually and that I see CI organization goes about considered improvement
in business that make things aimlessly “improving,” with work.
better. Better financially, lower no bottom line results from It is simply “research”
personal stress, fewer steps in their effort. No results = no which might lead to
a process, etc. buy-in. No buy-in = resistance something that looks like an
But there seem to be just to change.” improvement.
as many, if not more, activities This is why we have Woeppel posits some
that are merely a change elements of making this
acronyms like LEAN = Less
without any obvious benefit. work that boil down to
Employees Are Needed,
Here’s some interesting the improvement center
or malapropisms like “sick
thinking about Continuous or improvement projects
sigma” for Six Sigma.
Improvement organizations having direct buy-in from
How many improvement management, including a
from long-time Theory of projects have you seen that financial element.
Constraints thinker Mark were just shuffling of the deck If the improvement “saves”
Woeppel. chairs or moving money from money, then the budget should
“Continuous Improvement one pot to another?
be reduced by that amount of
(CI) organizations must be The point of any savings. Right? If this is a real
profit centers, not cost centers. improvement project should improvement, then the money
Too often, these organizations be to make things better. won’t be needed.
Phantom Champ
The boss goes undercover to inspire knowledge sharing
Told by Simon O’Neill on Linkedin we could achieve if no one cared and packrats and admissions
Smart People Magazine Group. who gets the credit.” that competition to be recognized
The next morning, there was had been slowly strangling the
Competition is outrage across the organization and organization.
probably one of the eventually the penny dropped as to And when people came round
biggest killers who was responsible. to such a thing as collective credit,
of ‘smartness’ When confronted, the chief ‘us’ versus ‘me’, ‘we’ versus ‘me’, the
around. replied, “Think about it – in the organization took off.
A few years last week you’ve all come into my
ago, we got a new office wanting to share your ideas Publisher’s note: Simon O’Neill is a
chief of staff and after and tidbits, etc., but I’m not the one knowledge management professional
his first week, he you need to be sharing with. If you in New Zealand. He is also a Smart
came in one all stopping holding onto ideas and People Magazine prosumer. A
night and information because they’re ‘yours’ prosumer is a consumer who wants to
posted signs and spread the love, we’d be world- have a hand in shaping the product. A
all over the beaters. Questions?” Smart People Magazine prosumer has
building Talk about turning an a hand in shaping editorial content and
that said organization around overnight, the future direction of the magazine.
“Imagine demolishing stovepipes and
how much doing away with info hoarders
38 SMART PEOPLE
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Intellectual capital?
Smart People living proof of the value of IC
In the short term, and in the long, the Smart People balance sheet will show value and ROI in
terms of intellectual capital investment.
When organizations talk about ‘intellectual capital,’ These five IC contributors have pledged to work
what do they mean? Well, they are talking about on a contingency basis during the one-year beta
a so-called ‘intangible’ asset – in the way that startup of the magazine. They speculate they will
knowledge is one of the many valuable factors eventually be paid when Smart People reaches a point
on earth that cannot be seen, touched, manually of financial viability . . . but there is no guarantee. In
possessed or physically counted. Yet IC exists, and fact, they know it’s a long shot . . . but they are taking
its application has immeasurable value. it because they believe.
The idea of managing intellectual capital Together, they are investing raw intellectual
(knowledge) has had hard sledding so far because capital (with an intent for a return on investment)
management has been about tangible assets in the tens of thousands USD. It’s a hard figure we
– valuables with a physical presence like cash, can book as a real asset. But, the ultimate value of
equipment and real estate. While accounts receivable their IC will not be known until the results are in
aren’t physical, they have been counted as real assets – until Smart People reaches its goals – including
because they can be counted, if not counted on. profitability.
The ‘fuzziness’ of intellectual capital has been Add to that the IC value of our eight volunteers
the bane of knowledge management champions – Smart People representatives in social network
because the concept seems so fanciful when spaces. Please see their names on Page 3. These
presented to a no-nonsense decision maker who people are contributing their intellectual capital
freely mouths the old PR slogan, “Our people are without any expectation of compensation. They do it
our most important assets,” but then books them as because they believe in the purpose of Smart People
a liability on the balance sheet. Magazine and because they are learning from taking
Intellectual capital can never be visible, but it can part in this grand initiative.
be envisioned – much like accounts receivable – and When the worth of the magazine is finally
there could be no better demonstration than Smart known, 99 percent of it will have come from
People Magazine’s quest to build a publication almost intellectual capital. We’ll be booking that on our
entirely on intellectual capital. The financial capital balance sheet! Jerry Ash
investment is in the thousands; the intellectual
capital investment in the tens of thousands!
Meet the IC investors.
Five professionals are contributing professional
services for which they are normally paid. Jerry
Ash, publisher (U.S.), is a former business executive,
15-year veteran of knowledge management and
former editor of Inside Knowledge Magazine.
Michele Ash, graphic design (U.S.), owns her own
company, which recently celebrated its 25th year.
Joanna Goodman, editor (UK) is a freelance
editor/writer with extensive experience in Europe.
Boris Jaeger, technology (Germany), is a veteran
developer and IT manager with a very busy
consultancy. And Diane Hiner, circulation (U.S.),
is a full-time Disney employee working for Smart
People in her spare time.
SMART PEOPLE 39
KNOWLEDGE FACTOR
KM Six Pack #1
THE K FACTOR Brainwork is a fact of life for the 21st century enterprise
This is the first in a series of six articles introducing newly engaged employees and managers
to the basics of knowledge-based enterprise.
By Jerry Ash managed and worked. KM enhance job security. People
is about that change. While worked in relative isolation,
The importance of the knowledge resource compounded by vertical
knowledge as a resource is was vaguely recognized in organizational charts that left
nothing new, particularly the Industrial Age, it was interdisciplinary collaboration
when an industry relies not understood and very next to impossible in a
heavily on research and little thought was given to structure of disconnected
innovation. managing it. Management silos. As a result, most
Yet, knowledge focused on tangible assets knowledge was either buried,
management (KM) now has – money, inventory, property, of limited use, or lost when
the attention of a wide range physical plant. people moved on to other
of business thought leaders as People showed up on the jobs or responsibilities. Vast
never before. KM is not a fad liability side of the balance storehouses of knowledge
and it won’t disappear as long sheet – costs, not assets. Many went untapped.
as knowledge matters and it companies discouraged Early attempts at
matters now more than ever. individual thought and knowledge management
The stock values of initiative by filling heads failed to address these issues.
companies in the 21st century with standardized training If managers saw the value
predominately reflect and judging performance in human knowledge at all,
intellectual capital, not hard against prescriptive job their instinct was to capture
assets. That is why stock descriptions that reflected “the it, codify it and brand it
market values are far higher company way.” They managed as the firm’s “intellectual
than the material value of the people like machines. It property” (IP). Technology
companies they represent. was (sometimes still is) a vendors loved that strategy,
Microsoft was once listed at 10 throwback to the Industrial repackaged information
times its “real” value. Age where management management software and
Knowledge, unlike a theory held that people were marketed it as “knowledge
physical resource such as oil, not hired for what they knew management platforms.”
is a renewable and limitless but what they did. Companies invested heavily
asset. Resource poor regions On the other hand, if in such software but it was not
like Southeast Asia and India people were expected to use workable.
are eagerly embracing the the considerable knowledge The next five installments
Global Knowledge Economy they brought with them, there of this series will provide
where the raw material were no specific processes or a quick summary of the
(knowledge) is cheap and the support systems in place for emerging standards of practice
payoff big. them to do so. On the human in knowledge management.
The modern focus on side, people had to engage in Today, everyone is a
knowledge began over 50 “workarounds” to do their knowledge worker or manager
years ago when Peter Drucker jobs better. whether he or she knows it
first wrote of the knowledge Unfortunately, people or not; therefore, this series
worker. He predicted did these workarounds in is for you. Together, the six
technology and a service secret and, therefore, believed articles are a KM primer that
economy would change “knowledge is power.” They will provide you the basics.
everything; that organizations hoarded personal knowledge With them in hand, you can
and individuals would have to build self-worth, improve take your next steps into the
to change the way they chances for advancement and Knowledge Age.
40 SMART PEOPLE
Once upon
a time
there was
a prince
. . . whose knowledge capabilities were trapped inside his own skin.