The KnowledgeBoard Newswire - Issue 036
Monday 12th August 2002
http://www.knowledgeboard.com
KnowledgeBoard - The European KM Community

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CONTENTS

1. Interview with Joe McCrea
2. Measuring the Success of Online Communities
3. Tele-working across the Time Zones
4. 'Innovation is NOT creativity...it is NOT R&D...It is NOT
invention' says Debra Amidon
5. Charlotte Gaskell believes that 'trust is important in both
personal relationships and in the workplace'
6. Andy Boyd of Shell says: 'We merged the 106 CoP's into 3 and
massively increased the flow of information'

EDITOR'S NOTE

I know that many of you are currently away on your summer
holidays, so when you get back and read this I hope you have had
a wonderful break away from the office.

Holidays are great and many of us don't take enough of them. They
make you feel relaxed, happy and mean that you come back to work
rejuvenated and refreshed, but more importantly with a clear
head. How many times have you come back from a break and come up
with a great new way of doing something, or an idea that is so
obvious, you can't believe you didn't think of it before? I've
had an enforced break away from the computer this week as I've
had a nasty virus (probably brought on by not taking enough
breaks), and have had lots of great ideas.

This week we're also encouraging you to visit the new SIG forums
that have been set up. Please help the SIG editors by posting a
couple of messages.
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/forum/1

The Innovation SIG forum is already looking really lively. Well
done to Audran Sevrain, Debra Amidon, Edna Pasher,
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/forum/1/15

Chris Macrae our KM & Emotional Intelligence SIG editor invites
you to join 'First Sunday':

'We ask you to email in any KM challenges or lessons you are
learning by the First Sunday of each month so that we can
connect knowledge currents through a club newsletter.
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/community/zones/sig/kmei.html

Find out about upcoming KM events that representatives from
the European KM Forum will be present at including the KM
Summer School.
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/item/82124

Best wishes,

Helen Baxter
Editor
mailto:editor@knowledgeboard.com

WISE WORDS

'Knowledge is not power, it is only potential power that becomes
real through use' Dorothy Riley

LATEST NEWS & ARTICLES

1. Interview with Joe McCrea - Government Innovator of the Year
2002

'Someone told me I had introduced an 'ideal-type' knowledge
management system. I had never heard of the term, but thought
what I was doing was simply common sense!' says Joe McCrea,
Director of the UK's Knowledge Enhanced Government.

Helen Baxter: What has been your most significant learning
experience in the last 12 months?

Joe McCrea: 12 months ago, we were halfway through a 6-month
programme I had designed called "The Road to Implementation",
which was the final run-in to the deployment of the government-
wide Knowledge Network system. Tempers and nerves were frayed.
Deadlines were looming. Wobbles here and there were appearing. I
took the situation by the scruff of the neck and invested a lot
of personal energy and nerve in reassuring the nervous,
encouraging the deliverers and bullying the laggards. It worked.
We delivered in October 2001 on time and on budget. Then came the
inevitable lull after the excitement of going live for the first
time. That required a different tack. It meant me patiently
keeping noses to the grindstone, ensuring we got recognition for
our achievements and dealing with the dangers of success -
complacency and fallback. I guess the whole gamut of experience
was a learning experience - developing the instinct for when to
cajole, when to praise, when to back off and when to go in hard.
And recognising that different contexts require different
responses.

For the whole interview
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/item/88210

2. Measuring the success of an online community

This article from Joseph P. Cothrel, presents a new way of
thinking about assessing the value of online communities. Both
the different kinds of communities and the specific ways in which
these communities might be evaluated are examined.
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/item/88105

3. Tele-working across the Time Zones

I still marvel at how a few bits of low tech copper cable can be
my life-line to the world. They have been my source of knowledge,
income, lifestyle, recreation, for the past eight years. They've
even provided me with my husband, who I met through an online
community and some of my closest friends. By Helen Baxter
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/item/87627

4. 'Innovation is NOT creativity...it is NOT R&D...It is NOT
invention.' says Debra Amidon

Debra Amidon of Entovation joined us on Thursday 1st August for a
workshop on the Innovation Superhighway. She thinks that
'companies that do not figure out how to get beyond competitive
strategy are likely not to thrive...' Read the transcript of
this live session.
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/item/88209

YOUR COMMENTS

There is an 'add a comment' link at the bottom of every article.
See what other people are saying in the Recent Comments box at
the bottom of the homepage.

5. Charlotte Gaskell on 'The Value of Trust'

'I really like reading such a well thought out, constructive view
on trust. I believe that trust is important in both personal
relationships and in the workplace...

Chris Macrae follows:

'Thanks Charlotte for daring to make the first comment. Much
more: I would like to second the view that the first 5 trust
choices you make as a start-up -with partners, employee hires,
customers - determine its evolutionary chances: both in terms of
success and purpose...'
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/item/86659

YOUR NEWS AND VIEWS IN THE DISCUSSION BOARDS
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/discussion

6. In Value and Measurement 'Real life examples of added value'
Andy Boyd from Shell says:

'Shell's most profitable business is also its KM leader where
12,500 people are active in Communities of Practice plus other KM
vehicles... It is this work along with the learning program that
has made Shell a most Admired Knowledge Enterprise for the last 4
years. The benefits we believe are huge to Shell not only in
money but in speed to solve problems and re-use of solutions
world wide.'

In Human and Social, 'Re: people flows and emotional currencies'
Andy also goes on to say:

'Some 3/4 years ago, when had over a hundred Communities of
Practice all working in the technical domain of Shell's
Exploration and Production Business. Due to a feeling of
dissatisfaction with the silos that created we also took the view
value is eroded in the space where expertise groups interact - or
don't to be more precise. We merged the 106 CoP's into 3 and
bingo it massively increased the flow of information and
attracted an unprecedented amount of new members...

...we just intuitively believed this must be a better way than
hundreds of small communities. The interesting fact is that this
is counter many of the modern models of CoP's - small trustworthy
groups who meet regularly - our CoP's never meet, they are just
to big, trust does come but it just takes a little longer (just
like in life).'

http://www.knowledgeboard.com/discussion

KM JOBS

There are currently 45 KM vacancies listed in our jobs
directory. Here are a just a selection of the positions which
have been recently posted:
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/jobs

Chief Knowledge Officer(UK - South)
GBP 70000 to 80000 Per Annum / Ref: KB14690

Professional Support Lawyer (Spain/Germany)
GBP 30000 to 60000 Per Annum / Ref: KB14565

Knowledge, Communications Manager (UK - Bedford)
GBP 28000 to 30000 Per Annum / Ref: KB14716

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GBP 29000 to 33000 Per Annum / Ref: KB14840

RECRUITERS/EMPLOYERS - ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCY!
Jobs added to our jobs listing will also be featured in the
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KM EVENTS

More information on the following, and a full list of KM events:
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/events

August is always a quiet month so there is nothing scheduled in
the diary until September, then the pace picks up with no less
than 14 events advertised. In the meantime, we hope you are all
enjoying your summer break.

2nd September: KMSS2002 - The Second European KM Summer School
(Sophia Antipolis, France)
This unique event will be supported by contributions from
prominent academics, knowledge professionals and European
Commission experts.
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/item/76084

2nd September: Theory and Applications of KM
(Aix-en-Provence, France)
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/events/13275

3rd September: Sustainability in the New Economy
Badajoz (Spain)
http://www.knowledgeboard.com/events/12600

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