What status does creativity have in your organisation?

In the following TedTalks video Sir Ken Robinson tells and amusing and powerful story about children and creativity and makes the link with organisations and how they are managed.  Having blogged recently about learning, mistakes and failure, I was interested to hear his views, and in particular his thoughts about “if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original”.

In MBTI terms I think he is talking about the importance of ‘NFP’ over ‘STJ’; illustrated by the fact that whilst we know that it is very difficult to predict the future, we continue to educate our children as though the future can be planned and foreseen.

I think, therefore I am……but who am I?

Those interested in personality types (MBTI) and the impact of personality on knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer will also be interested in the following TEDTalks video. 

In essence the story is about a brain researcher who studied her own stroke (and the ‘conversations’ between the two hemispheres of her brain) as it happened. 

If that’s not a call to action i.e. to click and watch, then I don’t know what is!

Can you visualize how to improve communication and collaboration in your organisation?

Our understanding of the brain and how it operates might be considered to be ‘work in progress’.  In some ways the more we know about the brain, the less we know; or put another way, the more there is to find out. 

I’m currently reading Daniel Kahneman’s book Thinking Fast and Slow (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/dec/13/thinking-fast-slow-daniel-kahneman); and having covered Part 1 – Two Systems (in the mind), can see many links and ideas with the work I do as a Knowledge Management Consultant and MBTI Practitioner. 

Whilst the act of reading text is one way in which our brains process knowledge and information, another is through visualization.  Knowledge Managers will be familiar with the importance of story telling and the use of images to facilitate the sharing and transfer of experience, but may be less familiar with why this is so. 

This theme is taken up by Tom Wujec in a video on TedTalks – How the brain creates meaning.  In the clip Tom talks about how the brain visualizes.  This understanding is important if we want to improve communication and collaboration in our organisations, and solve complex problems.

12 ways of making decisions – on the 12th of the 12th of the 12th (or any other day)

On any given day we make numerous decisions.  These vary in complexity and importance and each can have planned, unplanned, or unintended consequences. 

Some of the decisions we make are by and for ourselves – e.g. shall I have tea or coffee?  Many are made in conjunction with others e.g. how shall we allocate next week’s team tasks?  And some are made on behalf of others e.g. which content management system shall we implement? 

In order to make a decision we need knowledge – knowledge to act.  Where this knowledge comes from and how we access and use it is often situation dependant.  Sometimes we need to make an instant/urgent decision in a situation where this is no time to ask for advice or seek best practice.  On other occasions, decisions can be made over time and by using decision-making methods to help improve our chances of making a good/right decision. 

Crayfish brain may offer new insight into human decision making

There are many ways of making decisions and of seeking the knowledge to act.  I’ve decided to list 12 as it’s the 12^th of the 12^th of the 12^th. 

• Ask the audience – an approach used in game shows like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and informed by The Wisdom of Crowds.  The masses must know more than one individual.  A knowledge management equivalent might be to ask a Community or group on Linkedin 
• Ask a subject matter expert – many knowledge management programmes enable those with skills and expertise to be available and connected to those that need answers to questions.  Why reinvent a wheel, when you can ask an expert? 
• Use De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats – an approach which considers a decision using parallel thinking.  This helps cut through the complexity and misunderstanding/miscommunication that often accompanies group decision-making 
• Weigh up the pros and cons – a simple listing of the advantages and disadvantages associated with the alternatives involved.  The benefits and costs might also be considered 
• Use your intuition – some might refer to this as ‘gut instinct’ i.e. making a decision because it feels right.  Intuition might be based on a ‘picture/mental image’ that something like this has happened before.  Personal values might also play a part 
• Complete a Force-Field Analysis – an action planning method in which the enablers and barriers impacting a decision are considered and evaluated.  The strengthening and use of the enablers might help mitigate or ‘smash’ the barriers identified 
• Draw a Decision Tree – a method in which the things affecting or impacting the decision are drawn out (with appropriate labels) in a model resembling the trunk, boughs, branches and twigs of a tree 
• Refer to best practice – many knowledge management programmes enable access to the explicit knowledge or learning of others in the form of best practice (e.g. the things to do given a situation)  
• Review a lesson learnt – learning is at the heart of knowledge management and the capture, use and adoption of a lesson learnt (e.g. in this situation, these things happened) can inform decision-making 
• Use MBTI preferences – we each have preferences for the information we prefer to pay attention to (Sensing and Intuition) and for the ways in which we prefer to make decisions (Thinking and Feeling).  Considering a decision through all four of these dimensions ensures a balanced and full consideration 
• Toss a coin – if your decision is between two equally good and plausible alternatives, and you just cannot decide, then toss a coin and go with the option that emerges
• Decide not to make a decision – having considered the options and alternatives the decision ‘to do nothing’ i.e. stay with the status quo is taken as a decision in itself

Photograph from the University of Maryland’s photostream on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/umdnews/

What was supposed to happen?

The first question often asked in an After Action Review or AAR (learning whilst doing) exercise is “what was supposed to happen?”  Alternatives might include “what was planned?” or “what were the desired outcomes?” or “what were the objectives of the activity?”

Whatever the ‘format’ of the first question, the reason it (and other AAR follow-up questions) is asked is to position the AAR as a learning event – providing those concerned with the opportunity and time to reflect (on recent ‘action’); to consider what has been learnt thus far; and to identify actions to take to support continuous improvement.

When this first/opening question is asked, for example, of a project team or group of people engaged in a business activity, the facilitator or person leading the AAR might (not unreasonably?) expect the question asked to elicit responses or answers from which the project team or group can share their understanding about what was actually supposed to happen.

More often than not, in my experience, answers are forthcoming – but not always from all of those in the room.  One of the reasons for this is that, as individuals, we have different preferences for learning styles and ways in which we prefer to pay attention to information and make decisions.  An example can be illustrated through the lens of the Extraversion and Introversion dimensions of the personality type indicator MBTI. 

Individuals who have a preference for Extraversion are said to get their energy from the external environment – preferring to talk through activities and problems and learning best through doing or discussing with others.  Individuals with a preference for Introversion are said get their energy from their internal world – preferring to think through activities and problems and learning best by reflection, inner thoughts and ideas.

In the context of an AAR, responses to the first/opening “what was supposed to happen?” question might initially come from those with a preference for Extraversion; whilst those with a preference for Introversion will be thinking through their responses to the question.  Unless the leader or facilitator of the AAR provides the time, space and opportunity for those with this preference to gather and then share their thoughts, they may go unnoticed/unsaid.

For more information about the links between MBTI and Knowledge Management, check out my blog post why Jung still matters and matters to KM.  Those leading or facilitating AARs and interested in finding further information about ways to create the right environment and conditions conducive to supporting learning before, whilst and after doing activities, may find my blog post about the role of a facilitator helpful.

What time is it?

There are many stories and examples that MBTI Practitioners use to help individuals explore the MBTI dimensions and consider the description that most closely reflects their preference.

One such example was played out in front of me and several other passengers by a couple as we all waited on a platform station to board a train earlier today.  The short, but interesting conversation went as follows:

Person A – “what time is it?”

Person B – “it’s about lunchtime”

Person A – “you’re not listening, as usual! I asked you what time is it?”

Person B – “I am listening, and I just told you!”

I’ll leave it to you to think about which of the MBTI descriptions and preferences person A and person B have and what kind of information they prefer to pay attention to.

Image from tinou bao’s Photostream on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinou/

Is there a link between personality type and the use of social media?

Knowledge Managers keen to encourage and support employees in their organisations to create, share, and transfer knowledge, will be aware that learning styles and personality type preferences (MBTI and Knowledge Management) play a key part in how individuals, teams and groups approach and actually do this. 

Many Knowledge Managers will also be trying to encourage employees in their organisations to take-up and adopt different ways of working – including the capture and recording of practice, lessons and experiences in knowledge systems/portals – for use and re-use by others; and are also likely to be focused on the implementation of social media tools within the organisation to create and develop ‘people to people’ connections. 

So what part does personality type play in the take-up and use of systems/portals/social media technologies, and how can Knowledge Managers use this information to be better informed about the ways in which to engage with all in their organisations – in order to deliver value add and sustainable solutions to business problems? 

You’ll find some answers to part of this question – that specifically related to social media – in an interesting blog post by Beth Callaghan http://allthingsd.com/20120716/personality-and-platforms-myers-briggs-samples-social-types/ 

Does your MBTI Type correlate with the findings of the research?

Sugar on your meatballs – you’re fired!

Fans of The Apprentice no doubt enjoy watching the programme and discussing what they would have done (and who should take the blame – i.e. get fired) with their family and friends from the safe confines of the sofa, and to some degree, with the benefit of hindsight. 

As we all know, business life can be fast-paced and complex – and not too dissimilar to some of the tasks set up by Lord Sugar, with the weekly focus on a shortness of time; the need for quick results; a dependency on team work (critical for success) but with the added complexity of a highly competitive environment; and the importance of always having a good elevator speech to hand. 

With my knowledge management hat on the question to ask is ‘what can we learn from the programme, and can we take any of this learning back to our respective workplaces?’  This theme is taken up in the following two articles, written about Episode 6 2012 – the one that, in time, might become known as ‘meatball-gate’.  

The first, a recruiter’s view –  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/9228723/The-Apprentice-2012-A-recruiters-verdict-on-the-good-and-bad-candidates-Episode-6.html

…and the second, the thoughts from a personality expert – http://blog.opp.eu.com/2012/04/opprentice-what-load-of-old-meatballs.html

Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom 2.0

Those familiar with the DIKW hierarchy/model (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIKW) will be aware of the discussions in knowledge management circles about the use, and the mainly the abuse/miss-use, of the hierarchy/model.  Much of these discussions have focused on the Data, Information and Knowledge (relationships, management and flow) aspects.  The following two links will take you to thinking about the Wisdom element.

The first link is to Linda Berens’ blog in which she makes comment about the recent Wisdom 2.0 Conference, and the second link will take you to the Wisdom 2.0 Conference site and full set of videos (via Livestream). 

Linda Berens’ blog post – http://lindaberens.com/blog/2012/02/25/mindfulness-part-2-the-core%e2%84%a2-method-and-the-brain/

Wisdom 2.0 Conference 23-26 February 2012 – http://www.livestream.com/wisdom2conf

If you need further information about the discussions mentioned earlier in this post then let me know and I’ll sign-post you to them.

Are we too easily seduced by stories?

In the following TedTalks video Tyler Cowen, an Economist, encourages us to be suspicious of stories. 

Whilst acknowledging and reinforcing the view that “to think in terms of stories is fundamentally human” and that “stories have social power”, he goes on to question whether stories are too simple and suggests that we can get easily seduced by them. 

Those Knowledge and Information Managers using and promoting the use of story telling and narrative in their organisations are likely to find the video of interest. 

Internal and External Communication Managers might also find the video of interest – parts of which reminded me of the adage ‘you cannot, not, communicate’.  Maybe this should be added to or replaced by ‘you cannot, not, tell stories?’ 

MBTI practitioners looking at the video will see patterns of STJ and NFP related thinking and Brand Managers (particularly those responsible for cars) will enjoy the ‘story’ about selling. 

In summary, there is something in the video for all – least of which because “to think in terms of stories is fundamentally human”; but then that’s my take/my story!