Gurteen Knowledge Letter
Issue 252 – June 2021
Introduction
Last month I included an item in this newsletter titled “Social Reasoning”, in which I wrote about “The Argumentative Theory of Human Reason”.
I feel it is such an important idea that I wish to draw your attention to it if you missed it.
The theory proposes that reason did not evolve to help us improve our knowledge as individuals but to reason socially. It’s a fascinating idea that explains why our reasoning ability is so flawed and why conversation is such a powerful sense-making tool.
I have written more about it in my blook, including a couple of engaging video talks that should help you get your head around the subject. Take a look.
Why has it taken me so long to discover this theory, and why is it never talked about in Knowledge Management circles? Understanding how we reason and make decisions should be at the heart of KM.
Contents
- Gurteen Knowledge Café Workshop August and September 2021
Conversation is King. Content is just something to talk about - Virtual Random Café
A simple networking method in times of COVID - We must stop trying to do things to each other
And encourage engagement and ownership - Embedding text from Wikipedia
Importing text dynamically from Wikipedia - Are people untrustworthy?
Or is it just our bad judgement? - In a Complex World How Do You Minimize, Maximize or Optimize Anything?
You can't! - Help Keep My Work Alive
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- Gurteen Knowledge Letter
Gurteen Knowledge Café Workshop August and September 2021
Conversation is King. Content is just something to talk about
I ran my first Knowledge Café Workshop of 2021 in February and another more recently in May. Both workshops were well attended, and I had some excellent feedback.
I am rerunning the workshop on 10th August 2021 for EMEA/Asia/Pacific time zones and again on 21st September 2021 for EMEA/Americas time zones.
You can find more information and register here.
Virtual Random Café
A simple networking method in times of COVID
The Virtual Random Café is a simple conversational method that has much in common with randomized coffee trials and speed conversations.
It was developed by Obhi Chatterjee and Miruna Stamate of the European Commission to substitute for the quick informal chats we used to have before COVID with people when we bumped into them in streets, shops, corridors, lifts, office cafeterias, bars, and cafés.
Sometimes, these encounters would lead to follow-up conversations, introductions, networking, and collaboration.
The method can be used on Zoom, MS Teams, or any similar platform that supports break-out rooms. It is quick and easy to run and only takes 30 minutes once a week.
Courtesy of Obhi, I have added the story to my blook along with a simple design template. Take a look here and if you decide to run them yourself, let me know how you get on.
We must stop trying to do things to each other
And encourage engagement and ownership
If we are to boost engagement and ownership, not buy-in, we must stop trying to do things to each other.
So many of the problems we face in our organizations and society revolve around the fact that we are always trying to do things to each other - to change or manipulate them.
I wrote this post on Stop doing things to each other some years ago and have incorporated it into my blook. Take a look.
Embedding text from Wikipedia
Importing text dynamically from Wikipedia
WordPress automatically creates a tag page for each tag that I use in my blook. Each of these tag pages dynamically lists all the pages on my site that I have been given that specific tag and like most blog sites, I have a tag cloud page that lists all the tags on my site to aid navigation.
So if you wish to see all the pages on my site that have been tagged with say the word belief — all you need do is go to the belief tag page
If I wished, I could manually add descriptive information on each tag page. It would be a great deal of work, however, given I have over 500 tags.
But, most of my tags such as dialogue, debate, trust, etc. have entries in Wikipedia. So I have written a little bit of code that I have embedded in each tag page that dynamically communicates with Wikipedia and imports the first section of the corresponding Wikipedia page into my tag page when it is displayed.
Take a look. It is a nice feature that significantly enhances the reading experience of the site and works for the majority of my tag pages.
Are people untrustworthy?
Or is it just our bad judgement?
I love Anthony de Mello's perspective on human nature when he says that if someone lets us down, we should not blame them for being untrustworthy but blame ourselves for our bad judgment.
Here is what he says in his book Awareness:
A young man came to complain that his girlfriend had let him down, that she had played false. What are you complaining about? Did you expect any better?
Expect the worst, you're dealing with selfish people. You're the idiot - you glorified her, didn't you? You thought she was a princess, you thought people were nice.
They're not! They're not nice. They're as bad as you are - bad, you understand? They're asleep like you. And what do you think they are going to seek? Their own self-interest, exactly like you. No difference.
Can you imagine how liberating it is that you'll never be disillusioned again, never be disappointed again? You'll never feel let down again. Never feel rejected.
Want to wake up? You want happiness? You want freedom?
Here it is: Drop your false ideas. See through people. If you see through yourself, you will see through everyone. Then you will love them.
Otherwise you spend the whole time grappling with your wrong notions of them, with your illusions that are constantly crashing against reality.
You may initially disagree but reflect on it a little.
In a Complex World How Do You Minimize, Maximize or Optimize Anything?
You can't!
When reading business articles and marketing materials, I have difficulty with terms such as maximize, minimize, and optimize. In a complex world:
- How do you maximize the return on investment?
- How do you minimize staff turnover?
- How do you optimize team performance?
How do you ever know if you’ve maximized, minimized, or optimized anything? You can’t. All you can do is measure whether things have increased or decreased. Significantly or otherwise.
- "Simple strategies to maximize profit" should read "Simple strategies to increase profit."
- "The best ways to minimize cost overruns" should read "Some possible ways to reduce the cost of overruns."
- "How to optimize employee performance." should read "Some potential ways to improve employee performance."
You can optimize a machine, but you cannot optimize a complex system.
Furthermore, in a complex environment, what is not so readily apparent unintended consequences of your actions?
Help Keep My Work Alive
Sustaining 25 Years of shared learning and conversation
For almost 25 years, I've been sharing the Gurteen Knowledge Letter each month, and many of you have been reading it for five years or more. My Knowledge Café also reached a milestone, celebrating its 20th anniversary in September 2022.
If my work has made a difference to you, I'd be grateful if you could consider supporting it. A small monthly donation or any one-off contribution would greatly help cover some of my website hosting costs.
Thank you to the 50+ patrons who have already supported me - your generosity means a great deal.
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The Gurteen Knowledge Letter
A monthly reflection on Conversational Leadership and Knowledge Management
The Gurteen Knowledge Letter is a free monthly email newsletter designed to inspire thinking around Conversational Leadership and Knowledge Management. You can explore the archive of past issues here.
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David Gurteen
Gurteen Knowledge
Fleet, United Kingdom
