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By: ConFigures » Blog Archive » Knowledge Gardening

ConFigures » Blog Archive » Knowledge Gardening — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:55:26 +0000

[...] I came up with this term when I was discussing knowledge management (and where I come in) with Joe McCarthy in comments on my January entry “Learning”. I was trying to come up with a term to describe where I fit in knowledge management (at the practitioner/encourager end rather than theoretical). To refine a little further, what I mean by it is the practice of nurturing participatory knowledge sharing and the growth of ideas. As in, architecture of participation (engaging co-workers). [...]

By: ConFigures » Blog Archive » Jargon

ConFigures » Blog Archive » Jargon — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 02:11:22 +0000

[...] ConFigures Figure it out … with me! « Learning [...]

By: configures

configures — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:03:32 +0000

p.s. re Kathy’s recent post on “Dumbness of Crowds”, I read it and tagged it into my links library

http://www.connotea.org/user/selkins/tag/Social

Thanks!

By: configures

configures — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:52:00 +0000

I think knowledge management can refer to an ongoing process of structuring for sharing and discovery rather than mere containment. But the phrase definitely has limiting connotations for some. Similarly, the book our team is working through now (Requirements by Collaboration: Workshops for Defining Needs) objects to the term “capture” (as in capturing requirements) on similar grounds (vault/frozen in time).

I haven’t seen an alternate term really catch on yet. I’ve seen “knowledge transfer” and “knowledge sharing” — I like the latter, but they both seem to refer more to individual bits of knowledge rather than the practice of nurturing participatory knowledge building (I know not all discussion of knowledge management cares about participatory-ness, but I do). “Information architecture” tends to focus more on the tools than engaging people — though *some* discussion of information infrastructure discusses engagement.

Hmm. Knowledge gardening?

By: Joe McCarthy

Joe McCarthy — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 05:54:08 +0000

Reading your post, I’m struck by the use of “management” in Knowledge Management. I think your allusion to a vault is apt — management (to me) implies some kind of containment, or constraint. Lately, I’ve been thinking about how leadership is different from management (Dee Hock’s notions of “chaordic leadership” started me down this path), and yet “knowledge leadership” doesn’t quite seem to fit either. I do think a new term is called for (I don’t particularly like “wisdom management”, as that still has the M-word … and the idea of managing wisdom just seems like an oxymoron to me, kind of like managing joy or peace). Perhaps knowledge evocation, or elucidation … KE vs. KM? But that ignores the sharing aspect.

Kathy’s recent post on “The Dumbness of Crowds” sheds further light on some of these issues … and may offer some other terminology (as well as ideas) to consider.