Hello List!
Must introduce myself as a long time lurker working as an independent in
manufacturing trying to help the shop floor do what is good for business.
Have been lured out by Roy Benford's bait, he wrote:
> In my view of the world, there is data, information, knowledge and wisdom
I have had a piece of paper Blue-tacked to my printer for a while with the
hierarchy: Data-Information-Understanding-Knowledge-Wisdom on it. It's
getting a little dog-eared now. I have used it in training sessions, but
found myself thinking "this isn't quite right". That disquiet has been
dormant for a year, but the talk about KM in this list has stirred up all
those thoughts again.
I like Eli Goldratt's definition of Information: "the answer to the
question asked". But on what basis do you ask questions? It seems to me
that our questions are based on our own (tacit) knowledge. The
consultant, then, uses his knowledge (about manufacturing, say) to get the
client to pose questions which he has led the client to pose, so that the
appropriate DATA is collected. Armed with this INFORMATION, the client
then UNDERSTANDS (explicitly) and takes WISE action. However, it all
started with the consultant's KNOWLEDGE.
Sounds like leading them on. Should the consultant feel guilty? Does it
make him/her a Knowledge Manager?
P.s. Having blown a trumpet on the KM bandwagon, am not too sure I want
to stay on it myself!
--James La Trobe-Bateman "reMODEL" Tel + fax +44 1222 407412 email: jameslatb@net.ntl.com Web site: http://websites.ntl.com/~jameslatb
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