Jamie Conklin on "Knowledge Management"

—written by Amandi Esonwanne, Education Manager

Wine and Cheese night

STC Toronto’s annual wine and cheese event took off to a flying start on the evening of February 13, 2000. With Valentine in the air and a desire to meet people in everyone’s heart, the delicious and aesthetically arranged veggie trays and cheese and crackers gradually disappeared between sips of wine, gulps of tea and coffee and animated discussion.

It was an event graced by most members and some of the chapter’s heavyweights, like Roy Hartshorn (who taught me the principles of technical communication), a senior fellow, and Jane Aronovitch, our latest associate fellow.

Discussions that filtered into my ears ranged through latest industry practices, new job experiences, job hunting, SIGs, tools (yes, there was an animated discussion at my table about the merits and demerits of good old Mac and avant garde PC). People mingled around, glasses tinkled and red and white wine shimmered in the light. It was a collegial environment. The night was so good that someone even tried to recruit me for a job!

Nevertheless, it was a night that was about to get more interesting. The speaker for the day, James Conklin, an associate fellow of the STC and president of IDT Information Development and Training Inc. based in Manitoba, delivered
a talk that was appropriately suited to the prevailing ambience.

Conklin started his talk with a game that tapped into, as well as added to, the mood of the night. In this game, entitled “Do You Know Who?,” participants were required to move around the room and find people who fit 25 descriptions listed on a sheet of paper. These descriptions included workaday things like: Do you know who

• Has a new baby in the family?
• Knows how to prune a fruit tree?
• Has repaired a lawnmower?
• Changed a flat tire?

And nerdy things like: Do you know who

• Can state the Pythagorean Theorem?
• Can add two names to this list: Plato, Aristotle, and Hegel?
• Knows why Picasso painted Guernica?
• Knows the difference between igneous and metamorphic rock?

By the end of this game, participants had moved around to other tables and talked to strangers to find answers to the questions. It was, as Conklin put it, an icebreaker-—a fun icebreaker.

Conklin launched into his talk by first debunking some knowledge management myths one of which is that people have a natural tendency to hoard knowledge. He opined that it is not people that hoard knowledge but the structures of the organization within which they function that encourage them to do so. Another myth he debunked is the notion, obsolete in today’s world, that technical communicators are the bridge between the scientists and technical workers and the users of their out put.

Conklin insists that the days of the passive technical communicator are long gone. Technical communicators are not passive conduits of information but rather active participants in the production and dissemination of information. They are actively involved in the collaborative process of creating knowledge. Therefore, as producers and managers of knowledge, they are at the vanguard of today’s knowledge based economy in which the real value of any organization is its “intellectual capital.”

To make the intellectual capital of an organization work for it, the knowledge manager must ensure that the knowledge generated is storedand shared within the organization.

Managing knowledge, Conklin warned, is not as easy as it sounds. For one, company management may throw around the buzzword but not really understand what is involved. For another, knowledge managers may be under-appreciated
— and usually are. To do the job, the knowledge manager may have to “crash the party” to get his or her ideas to where they are of consequence in the organization.

James Conklin concluded his talk by exhorting knowledge managers to keep on top of things in their field so as to remain relevant. They must be well informed about recent development and best practices. The way to do this is to read books and professional journals; learn new tools and generally keep abreast of emerging technologies; and have a burning desire to expand their horizons whenever they have the opportunity. What knowledge managers need to do is get better at what they are already good at doing, not learn new skills.

After Conklin’s talk, the social aspects of the night continued. Animated discussions filled the room once again as more cheese and crackers and wine facilitated dynamic interaction. The networking opportunities were excellent.

In view of the success of the night, I would suggest that we have two wine and cheese events in every year. I am not sure if this is borne out of the gustatory effects of the wine and cheese and crackers or the excellent talk we heard or the networking opportunities. One thing that can be said with some certainty is that the mix is not a bad one.

For more on knowledge management read Rhonda Sussman’s article in the March, 2001 newsletter, Page 6 (PDF).