Gurteen Knowledge Letter
Issue 295 – January 2025
Welcome to 2025—a new year, a fresh chapter, and countless opportunities waiting to unfold.
For me, 2024 was a relatively quiet year, shaped by a significant personal challenge: in April, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. That was the bad news. The good news is that it was caught early. Following hormone treatment and a course of radiotherapy in November, I should now be in the clear. Amazingly, the side effects of the treatment have been minimal, and although the treatment process isn’t entirely behind me, I’m ready to bounce back in 2025.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to dive back into my work. My first online Knowledge Café of the year is planned for the end of January, followed by a Knowledge Café workshop at the end of February. I also aim to restart my face-to-face London Knowledge Cafés in March, which I’ve missed.
If you haven’t experienced a Knowledge Café before, I encourage you to join us at one of these events. They are not only engaging but also a cornerstone of my work, fostering meaningful dialogue and shared learning. People love them, and I think you will, too.
Here’s to a year of connection, conversation, and discovery. Let’s make 2025 one to remember!
Contents
- Knowledge Café Workshop February 2025
Learn to design and host conversations that matter - Lessons From Google’s 20% Policy
Fostering creativity through employee autonomy - Knowledge Summit 2025 in Dublin
Trinity College Dublin 23 - 24 June - Chatbots as Critical Thinking Partners Video
Bibliotheca Alexandrina - The House of Wisdom
An Islamic beacon of innovation and collaboration - Chatbots and Critical Thinking
Exploring chatbots as partners in critical reasoning - Finding Value in the Unexpected
The hidden power of serendipity in our lives - Help Keep My Work Alive
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Knowledge Café Workshop February 2025
Learn to design and host conversations that matter
I will facilitate a Gurteen Knowledge Café Workshop on Thursday, 27 February 2025, from 15:00 to 19:00 GMT (London time). This online session, held via Zoom, will teach you how to design and host a Knowledge Café. The cost is GBP 150.00.
As I hope you already know, the Knowledge Café is a simple yet effective method for fostering meaningful conversations. During the workshop, you’ll learn practical skills, hear real-world examples, and explore how this approach can be used to share knowledge, generate ideas, and improve decision-making.
This workshop is ideal for managers, facilitators, and anyone looking to encourage purposeful conversations in their teams or organizations.
For more information and to register, visit https://conversational-leadership.net/event/kcafe-workshop-feb-2025/
Lessons From Google’s 20% Policy
Fostering creativity through employee autonomy
In the early 2000s, Google introduced its famous 20% time policy, allowing employees to dedicate one day a week to their own projects. This initiative encouraged innovation while employees continued to fulfill their primary responsibilities. Although managing the policy became challenging as the company expanded, it resulted in groundbreaking products like Gmail and AdSense. Google's approach demonstrated how granting employees creative freedom can drive innovation within an organization.
Although this is a well-known story, I believe it offers valuable lessons, which is why I’ve written about it in a post in my blook as part of a collection of stories on innovation.
Knowledge Summit 2025 in Dublin
Trinity College Dublin 23 - 24 June
The Knowledge Summit at Trinity College Dublin is returning in 2025. My experience at the 2024 event was memorable for its insightful speakers, diverse participants, and emphasis on practical discussions. Held at Trinity College, the summit provided a thoughtful space for exchanging ideas and exploring knowledge management practices.
In 2024, I co-facilitated a Knowledge Café with John Hovell, where discussions sparked valuable ideas and new connections.
The 2025 edition aims to build on these strengths, offering a platform to discuss emerging trends such as the strategic use of AI—when to rely on AI and when human judgment is essential—and tackling workforce turnover through effective retention of critical knowledge.
Other key themes will include surviving global business shocks with robust knowledge management practices and participating in focused tacit knowledge exchange sessions designed to solve real-world challenges. Attendees can engage in organized discussions and group problem-solving to address their specific issues.
Visit the Knowledge Summit website for more details and to register. Use the promo code Gurteen to enjoy a 10% discount. I hope to see you there.
Chatbots as Critical Thinking Partners Video
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
This is a pre-recorded video talk Chatbots as Critical Thinking Partners that I presented at the AI Challenges & Adaptations Conference hosted by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. The slides have been translated into Arabic.
You can find the ideas behind my talk in the chapter of my blook, Chatbots as Critical Thinking Partners.
The House of Wisdom
An Islamic beacon of innovation and collaboration
During the Islamic Golden Age, diverse cultures and disciplines converged in Baghdad's House of Wisdom, creating a unique hub for knowledge that bridged ancient traditions and fostered innovation through collaboration. Exploring its history reveals how shared efforts can drive transformative advancements in science, philosophy, and society.
Chatbots and Critical Thinking
Exploring chatbots as partners in critical reasoning
I am starting my online Knowledge Cafés again in 2025 after a pause last year. The first Café will be at the end of January, and we will explore the role that chatbots can play in critical thinking. You can find more information and register here.
Finding Value in the Unexpected
The hidden power of serendipity in our lives
In a post in my blook, I explore the unexpected yet pivotal role serendipity can play in our lives. Serendipity is about stumbling upon valuable discoveries or connections by chance while pursuing unrelated goals. It's more than mere luck - it can be influenced and encouraged through specific attitudes and behaviors.
In the post, I share the origin story behind the word itself, first coined in the 1700s from an old Persian fairy tale. I then dive into the nature of serendipity and how we can increase its probability, especially in meaningful encounters with new people.
The outcomes of serendipity can be life-changing - new collaborators, innovations, or simply a broader perspective. But you have to savor the unexpected and be receptive when those hidden gems present themselves.
Serendipity shows that some of the most valuable discoveries occur when we step outside our comfort zones. In my post, I explore how leaders can embrace this mindset and use it to drive innovation.
Check out the full post here to learn more about the power of serendipity and how to harness it.
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
