Replying to LO23783 --
Hi, John
Tell me, where is knowledge bred, or in the heart or in the head? (sorry
Bill S).
The underlying question of where organizational knowledge resides remains
mysterious, but my guess is that it's at a kind of subterranean,
bred-in-the-mitochondria level because most members of organizations are
too busy carrying out their roles and tasks to give much conscious heed to
the adaptations that shape organizational knowledge. JC Levinson used to
say "until it's written down, it's not a thought." Yet the kind of
thought you're describing is almost never written down until one of "us"
comes along.
That said, perhaps our role in life is to convert organizational knowledge
to organizational learning, much as you describe yourself doing in your
early practice. Shades of work-out!
As a practitioner, the challenge of building organizational knowledge into
organizational learning both delights and frustrates me. Delights, because
it's fun, rewarding work with the possibility of better worklife for all,
and because I know it always needs to be done over again; frustrates
because it always has to be done over again.
People (and organizations) function far more below the waterline of
consciousness than they ever do above it, and it is such hard work
bringing the gunk out of the hold and organizing it so it's useful!
Regards,
Eric Hatch, President
Hatch Organizational Consulting, Inc.
"Enabling Positive Change"
You can call us at 1 800 586 1487 or 513 683 2265
You can write us at
HOC
6812 Stagge Rd
Loveland, OH 45140
Or you're welcome to visit our website at
http://www.hocinc.com
--eric hatch <hocinc@earthlink.net>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>
"Learning-org" and the format of our message identifiers (LO1234, etc.) are trademarks of Richard Karash.