KM & PKM - Missing Link

I'm a fan of PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) and I'm puzzled by the lack of interest within the community of Knowledge Management practitioners in integrating PKM in broader KM strategies. There's a feeling that PKM is too much about the individual and not enough about the team or the organization. That's plain wrong. PKM is about continuously improving one's performance by systematically and purposefully applying KM practices at the individual level in order to be a more effective team member and a more effective member of the broader organization.

It's about being a lifelong learner -- How do I keep learning new things, both by doing and by purposefully seeking out new knowledge? How do I know what I should be focusing on? How can I know what knowledge I'll need five years from today? Do I have a long-term learning plan or should I just pick up new knowledge here and there? This may get closer to existing career management activities. What's my individual learning Plan? Teams can have learning plans too. Organizations certainly have strategies and plans around core competencies and training.

It's about managing information flows -- How do I access and filter information that reaches me? Some of this may be about personal productivity but it's not just about personal productivity. It's also about ensuring that I have access to all the information I need. I seek out the information I need. I'm not just waiting for it to come to me. What's your communication plan? Are you a passive recipient of information or an active producer / author? How do you see your role as an individual within your team or project in terms of information flows? Do you ever find yoursef wondering what information to push forward to others in the team, not wanting to flood emails with less than germane information?

It's also about communication skills -- How do I communicate what I know? how do I share what I know? With whom do I share what I know? I have often felt that I knew much more than what I was able to convey to others. Is there something I could do to bridge that gap?

I'd venture that without PKM, there isn't any KM. If we agree that organization do some KM, have always done some kind of KM -- even if not systematically or effectively why can't we also agree that people have always done PKM, just not systematically or effectively. Without PKM, enlisting employees to be actively engaged in KM activities is like pulling teeths.

KM needs to happen at the individual level (PKM), at the team level, and at higher levels. The types of knowledge that are most relevant at each knowledge is going to be different and the types of processes needed at each level are going to be different. Most KM strategies focus on higher level needs of the organization, most of which are not immediately relevant to the individual or the team.

Start with PKM and you'll be much better able to handle the "what's-in-it-for-me?" questions when you try to talk about team / project KM and broader organizational KM. Connecting PKM to KM initiatives is the missing link in terms of motivation.

I'm wondering if the key to a successful PKM approach isn't to be embedded in existing Human Resources programs. I'd also work it through any ongoing social media intervention.

PKM Resources on Diigo.

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KM Resources (4)

Here is the last batch of KM resources:

• Pause & Learn Resources (better known as After-Action-Reviews)
  
• Personal Knowledge Management Resources
• Professional Journaling Resources
• Questions
• SNA Resources
• Social Bookmarking Resources
• Social Media Resources
• Storytelling Resources
• Wiki Resources
  

Top Tools for Learning

I was trying to come up with my "Top 10" to contribute to Jane Hart "Top 10 Tools for Learning 2009" but I can't get to ten if I sticking to the tools I truly use regularly. So here are my Top 8 tools for learning, the tools that are part of my personal knowledge management system.

* TiddlyWiki (portable wiki) - excellent to develop a searchable notebook and many other things, including writing a novel.
* iGoogle - excellent to organize your desktop, quick access to Gmail & quick links. I've created three tabs in iGoogle (home, office and KM). That way, if I'm at the office and my screen shows my iGoogle desktop, anything on that screen is work related. The KM tab is for everything that is related to knowledge management and/or professional development that isn't directly work-related.
* Google Reader (organize rss feeds) - the key is to regularly review what's useful and what's not and not be afraid of unsubscribing. Once in a while I also go hunt for new interesting feeds.
* CMapTools (concept mapping): I use Inspiration at work because that's what our office uses but I have a strong preference for CMapTools for concept mapping. I've been slightly obsessed with concept mapping and it's become a hammer looking for nails.
* Captura (screen capture) - I don't know that it's really a "learning tool" but I use it regularly.
* Diigo (social bookmarking) - I love it since I discovered its highlighting and comments capabilities. I was using FURL for a few years, they were bought by Diigo and the transfer of my bookmarks went relatively smoothly.
* Blogger - I've added Zemanta to it recently, an easy way to enhance my posts with related links and to automate the process of creating hyperlinks.
* iTunes (for podcasts and audiobooks) + iTunes University

If I had to pick the top 2, it would be TiddlyWiki and CMapTools.

That being said, I don't use any of these things when it comes to supporting my youngest daughter's learning. For that task, I rely on a white board, index cards, and the local public library.

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Personal Knowledge Management Plan

How are "Personal Knowledge Management" and "Personal Learning Environment" related?

A while ago I created a diagram representing what I consider to be my Personal Learning Environment (PLE). It essentially consisted of a visual representation (a map) of all the tools I use to keep track of information resources (notes, books, electronic resources, social networks, work documents, etc...) that are essential to my work/learning. The diagram also attempted to show how all these tools were connected and allowed the identification of some key inefficiencies related to the lack of synchronization and duplication of tools/methods at the office (fixed infrastructure) and at home (a more mobile set of tools). The initial impetus for creating this PLE map had been the frustration I was encountering with my mix of paper/electronic tools.


Initial Personal Knowledge Management Plan
Today I created a Personal Knowledge Management Plan. To make it relatively simple as a first attempt, I am limiting myself to short term needs and developing a plan for March 2009. I am also using the framework defined by Kirby Wright in his "Personal Knowledge Management Planning Guide." The guide offers two possible formats for a personal knowledge management plan, a graphical format and a table format. My initial attempt, below, is an adaptation of the graphical format. I must admit that I am having some difficulty differentiating the Learning Dimension and the Analytical Dimension of Kirby Wright's framework. Click on the image to view the details.


Ideally, I would review the plan on a monthly basis and adjust it as needed. I probably need to be more specific about the KM/learning goals embedded in this map but as a first monthly map, it will serve its purpose.

Getting back to the initial question of how the PKM plan and the PLE are related, the PKM plan answers a "what" question (what do I want to focus my learning on?) and the PLE is more focused on the "how", and "where" questions and on information/content management issues. I suspect my thinking about this will evolve over time. It doesn't feel very mature at this point. Let's call it emergent thinking.

Knowledge Integration

The didactic fiction project is getting more and more interesting. With my first attempt at writing a novel, I had picked themes that I was interested in but not sufficiently comfortable with to write the story without additional research. With this second attempt, not only do I know better than to overdo the research and procrastinate on the writing but it is becoming clear to me that I know enough about the topic I am writing about to write the first draft without any additional research. If anything, I have too many ideas flying around and the key is to find the right way to integrate them. As I am writing the story, one small section at a time, a whole range of things I know from my own experience are emerging as ideas that can be integrated into the story. I do have to be careful to avoid making it autobiographical in any way but that doesn't seem to be a problem at the moment.

This brings me to the concept of knowledge integration. When we learn something new, we are essentially attaching a new nugget of knowledge to previously acquired knowledge. It is in the process of linking the new nugget to the others that we create "ah ah" moments. Beyond connecting individual new nuggets to specific preexisting knowledge, additional reflection can lead to a reorganization of the broader mental framework within which these nuggets are stored in the brain. It can be a paradigm shift, a turning around of a basic assumption, or simply a clearer, more organized picture emerging.

I'm not sure this makes a lot of sense but the didactic fiction project is turning into a wonderful knowledge integration experience. Writing this story isn't just fun, it's allowing me to do a lot of knowledge integration without having to think too much about it.

I came across a website with a visual that expresses all this a little better than my words.

" Knowledge integration is the process of fitting our ideas – our theories of how-the-world-works – together into a coherent structure." Source: Ideagram Ideas

On the use of a Learning Journal

This blog is essentially a learning journal. Typically, a learning journal is a private journal. This blog is therefore the public/sharable version of a learning journal and my recent focus on a particular didactic novel writing project makes it currently focused on that.

As I've probably mentioned in a previous blog post, I am highly challenged with regards to organizing my notes. I use a dozen different methods of keeping track of thoughts, references, reflections, books to read, articles of interest, etc... The result is complete chaos.

Instead of viewing this "chaos" as a problem, I've decided to temporarily assume that there's nothing wrong with what I am doing. Let's call it a decentralized approach to note taking.

As a side note, I was introduced to the concept of "indirect proof" this week -- yes, your child's geometry homework is a potential source of learning and inspiration. An "indirect proof is a type of proof in which a statement to be proved is assumed false and if the assumption leads to an impossibility, then the statement assumed false has been proved to be true." (Mathematics Dictionary)

So, if I start with the assumption that what I refer to as chaos is a good thing, where can I logically go with that. How good is it? Do I need more chaos? Do I need to refrain completely from trying to keep notes in any organized fashion? Do I need to stop worrying about it? None of these appear to be silly questions to me, so what if I pursued this line of reasoning a little further.

Why would I want my notes to be organized? Do I ever re-read them? Not really. I benefit from them primarily because of the thought processes that went into actually writing down something. If I ever end up re-reading them, I won't be looking for something specific, I will more likely be looking for a source of inspiration. It won't matter if my thoughts are captured on 10 different tools and in 20 different files as long as I know what these things are and where to find them. Right?

I will now commit to not obsessing so much about the chaotic nature of my personal reflections and notetaking habits. :) I will not try to stick to a single "learning journal". I will, however, revisit the personal learning environment map I had created a while ago to keep track of the many notebooks and tools I use.

Some resources on professional journaling:

* Journaling for Learning
* Writing a reflective learning journal
* Keeping a professional journal
* Journaling Portal

From Exit Interview to Transition Acceleration Plan

In my last couple of weeks at AED I was trying to think about what I could do to make the job of my successor as easy as possible and in the process, wondering about organizational memory and what happens more generally when people leave an organization. The reverse, what happens when people enter a new organization and need to be brought up to speed is also of interest to me at the moment since I will be transitioning into a position in a new organization.

I see huge potential both for knowledge loss and new learning opportunities. The losses seem to be concentrated with the organization left behind and the new opportunities primarily with the departing employee. Clearly, it takes a while for a new employee to be fully on-board and able to contribute, so there is an investment on the part of the hiring organization. At the same time, the new employee is potentially a source of very valuable knowledge. The new employee's questions, reflections, and analysis of the new situation they are thrown into can provide clues related to the organization's operations that are invisible to those working within it and can provide clues related to how the organization is perceived by outsiders. In other words, could a fresh pair of eyes be useful to the new employer? If so, how can this be leveraged efficiently?

Exit Interview
A traditional exit interview is conducted by the human resources department and is focused on issues related to employee satisfaction and supervisors. Sometimes, it also provides an opportunity for the employee to reflect on the job and offer helpful advice. The objective of such interviews is clearly to help identify potential problems and reduce employeed turnover. However, it has very little to do with trying to retain the employee's knowledge. For these types of exit interviews, it doesn't really matter if they are conducted on the last day of employment.

For long-time employees going into retirement, there are other approaches which can ensure that as much as possible of the retiring employee's knowledge is retained within the organization. That doesn't address the knowledge loss resulting from the changing nature of the workforce and the fact that younger generations don't expect to be working for the same employer for more than a few years and therefore may have more self-centered learning and knowledge strategies of their own.

My questions during my last couple of weeks of employment centered around relatively short-term issues:
- How will my successor and former colleagues find my files?
- What files do I leave and what do I take with me?
- For those projects that need to go on without me, how can I make it easy for those taking over to do so without wasting time and energy reinventing the wheel?
- How do I transfer important communication trails (emails) so that they do not disappear with my email account? Who do I transfer them to?
In the end, I didn't have much guidance on any of these issues and I made up my own answers.

Transition Acceleration Plan
Now that this exiting process is completed, I can start focusing on what happens when entering a new organization. It's probably impossible not to start thinking about that earlier -- at least once you've officially accepted a job. Based on past experience, I can say that getting to understand how things work, how things are done within an organization, can be a lengthy process. My goal in the coming months is going to figure out how to accelerate the process. Ideally, I would want to minimize the transition period -- the period of time during which I am absorbing knowledge -- being a sponge -- and contributing very little value. Perhaps I'll call it my transition acceleration plan. And perhaps a pair of fresh eyes can contribute value early on precisely because I don't know how things are done and I should be asking questions.

Some of these reflections were inspired by my recent reading of"Lost & Found: A Smart-Practice Guide to Managing Organizational Memory," by Peter Stoyko and Yulin Fang for the Canada Public School Service (2007).

Moving on....

Yesterday was my last day working at AED. I worked with AED for a little less than four years.

* rewarding -- most of the time :)-- as in "Wow... I can see how that has an impact on development."

* a great learning experience -- as in "That worked well, let's make sure to do it again this way," or "That flopped... let's not do it again," and "How did I not see that before...".

* challenging -- as in "that really pushed me to learn or do something I didn't know I could do" and "What on earth are we doing? This doesn't make any sense to me....".

In the process of reflecting on these past few years and looking ahead, I want to be able to remember as much as possible of the work I did, the relationships, the people. Below is a little collage representing the last few years at AED. Some of it would have meaning only to me but that's the idea.... The next time I have to go to an interview and I have to explain what I did at AED, I'd rather look at this collage to bring up memories than look at a few lines on my CV.

Hooked

Trying to find the right mix of pens, notebooks, and electronic tools to keep track of projects, to-do lists, planning, random thoughts and reflections is not easy. I've never seen the world as either/or. I don't want to switch to an all digital file system but I do want the convenience of being better able to quickly find a note I jotted down six months ago without having to flip through pages and pages of a notebook.

I was focusing on personal knowledge management this week, not only as something I'd like to have a very good handle on for my own personal purposes but also as the starting point for more productive collaborative efforts and organizational KM. Somehow I ended up jumping into a discussion on the KM4Dev (Knowledge Management for Development) List, asking a question about tools that might help me address some of my personal knowledge management challenges, and ended up testing out TiddlyWiki.

TiddlyWiki is not a software per se but an html page full of code in the background that allows you to have a personal wiki on your desktop or on a USB key. All you need is a browser. It took me a good 30 minutes to figure out the key "this-is-how-it-works" principle, probably because I was looking for something more complicated. In the end, it's extremely easy to start with the basic version.

A couple of things hit me while I was playing around, figuring out how it worked and how I was going to use it for my own purposes:

1. The more languages you know, the easier it is to learn a new one. I don't know a lot of HTML but having a minimal understanding of what HTML does helps to grasp how other languages work -- without ever wanting to become a programmer or to master any of these languages. I have now experienced three different types of wikis. They each work slightly differently but once you get the basic principle, it's relatively easy.

2. Tagging is similar in some ways to coding in qualitative research. Until this week, when I used my newly created TiddlyWikis extensively for personal knowledge management purposes and for a research project activity, I had not fully understood the purpose and value of tagging. The more I experiment with new technology tools the more I am convinced that experiencing the tools, hands-on practice, is essential for people to realize and fully understand what these tools can help you with. Once I made the connection between tagging and coding in qualitative research, I was better able to integrate it into my own thinking/tagging practice.

I am now hooked on TiddlyWiki.

Learning from Doing - Social Bookmarking

I've just posted a short article on social bookmarking.

I'm not going to repeat here what is in the article but this is how it started out and I suspect the same happens to a lot of people: You hear a buzz about a new technology or a new cool gadget. You're not quite sure what it does, how it could help you and any time you hear about it or read about it, you're still not quite sure you're getting the full picture. The only way to get to that point where you can tell whether it's going to be useful to you is by trying it out.

And so I tried social bookmarking a while ago. The short article I posted in the Articles section of the website highlights what I've learned testing out FURL. It doesn't attempt to compare FURL to any other tool. All the social bookmarking tools sufficiently similar that you can just pick one and run with it.

And if you want to take a look at the types of resources I bookmark, check it out in my FURL Archives.