IN OUT LISTENING
IN A summary of what I hear
Commodities run out (especially water) – how can we regenerate energy? By adopting to change!
Strategic planning ‘Going blind into the future’, looking into the rear mirror (knowledge, by applying wisdom.
Creativity = knowledge + something (lateral thinking) will beat all the competition.
Active people, who know that they don’t know are go-getters. ‘Lazy’ people who know that they don’t know, are wise.
Knowledge can be dangerous and science can be complex. We live in the shadows of several revolutions – with the technological revolution being amidst us (even in ToysRUs). If the bigger picture is lost & globalization influence us too much, staccato-thinking & various versions of the truth.
All my acorns in the left brain.
I am the river bank – I guide, nurture and hope to know more.
What is in the hills? What can the hills tell us – they are ancient and wise.
If I create furrows I can water my crops. Rotate my crops for all seasons.
Where is the sea? I am the sea.
The evolution of knowledge from the banks of the river the stone to taming the wild animals to help with work.
Knowledge comes to best when full utilized.
Knowledge needs to be shared all over generations.
Wisdom needs to be shared.
Think about knowledge – needle of compass.
Knowledge is pasting things together.
Share wisdom.
Information all around us.
Enjoy the past – design the future.
Knowledge/wisdom/creativity.
Radical/incremental creativity.
People knowledge is important.
Focus knowledge against wisdom.
Van der Spuy is a knocker: keeping money back a la Agliotti versus Selebi.
Knowledge is timeless.
Wisdom takes responsibility in applying it – stay humble.
Intellect does not guarantee success.
Knowledge + creativity + wisdom is based on logic.
People are winners and losers only in their minds.
Humankind is one, not by chance, but with purpose.
Information must become knowledge or vice versa.
Change and change alone will move humans forward.
Rules are policies, they can be broken.
Four types of people: go getters, destroyers, the wise, passengers.
Data, information, knowledge, insight = wisdom.
Kings surround themselves with big people.
Most important resource: water.
Knowledge: value added information.
Knowledge = power.
Information → knowledge → wisdom.
Knowledge compensates for limitations.
Knowledge bought – wisdom can’t.
Knowledge sharing important.
End of commodities – not knowledge.
Connectivity.
Applied knowledge important.
Banks of river.→ knowledge → guiding.
Knowledge can be bought – wisdom cannot.
Emotionally fit to use knowledge.
Wisdom needs to be shared!
Making our kids stupid.
More lonesome than ever.
Find way between what’s true.
Having all the knowledge of being a wizard with it → win.
Emotionally fit to use knowledge (not like tyrants) – use it for good.
See 5 adds a day.
Truths / Not? Knowledge skewed.
Human beings first.
Scenarios: be ready and adapt.
Companies should share knowledge.
Be positive (contribute nothing if negative).
IN What does this mean to us?
Wisdom = desirable = constantly useful.
Adapting (improvising) your level of relevant, useful & applied knowledge via planned/incremental lateral thinking, which could enhance/regenerate your sustainability & personal wealth.
Try to be a dynamic, lifelong knowledge worker, by utilizing people (laughing, reading & thinking).
Knowledge = trees. Wizards in the shade of the knowledge tree.
Agility
Knowledge should be argued – from the positive side for added contribution.
If I need more knowledge – need to add and add – wisdom you need to subtract and subtract.
Discover your own individuality.
Scenarios.
Knowledge.- Wisdom - Wealth.
The ingredients should be healthy and present.
Wisdom is nothing without others – is it?
Timeliness is important.
We need to think a lot more: we know so little.
How far should honesty go?
We must think differently – we are a unique species.
We need knowledge, but with wisdom – deep insight eg past, present, future.
We need to embrace change.
Spend but save important – save for rainy day for when we old.
We all different.
T.R.U.S.T
Share knowledge.
Knowledge must be developed.
Leave a legacy of knowledge.
Be more positive: about country, technology, etc.
OUT A summary of what I think
Knowledge can be bought? I don’t think so – knowledge can only be constructed by the self.
Information can be bought ….Knowledge = giving personal meaning to public information (my view).
The Laziness-Wisdom link sounds unlogical. ‘Lazy is not the antecedent of being active!
How can one adequately distinguish various kinds of knowledge from the real truth? The truth gets to us via filtered (and overtly blown up) versions, because it’s information – and information = subjective & non-constructed (or re-constructered versions of the truth.
What are we doing now that we will hate ourselves for in 50 years?
Watch out for the coconut!
We knew it – but how can we recombine it?
It is important to be vigilant and alert.
Knowledge is within, requires one to identify and become innovative.
Knowledge needed is already there – should rethink approach.
Scenarios important.
Investors: humility, openness, positive.
Work together – Put together – Show how to – Do/Apply differently.
Is it good or bad to be exposed to ‘bad’ (read, see, hear)?
Walk silent – yet bold.
What is success – is it important? Yes.
Coconut = what you think.
Need to read more – spend time alone!!!
Tread softly – care for your environment – tread carefully – look softly @ people.
Knowledge has limitations.
Knowledge: true or false (news).
Mankind – resilient.
Creativity important – innovation to win.
Knowledge exists but we need to take cognicence.
Fast eats slow.
Rules can only change if known!!!
Knowledge must be uplifting.
Skills shortage danger.
Developing knowledge important.
Society is pulling apart.
Thought improves / destroys society.
Be ready for knowledge and adapt accordingly.
Work on your wealth but work with people you trust.
John Lennon – imagine.
Back to basics – too much technology etc → destroying children’s imagination – creativity.
Knowledge is already there, everyone can do it.
Prius is overrated! Cape Town!
Be ready for when economy turns around.
De la Rey → clever, focus – enemy’s weaknesses.
Don’t save all your money in one place (squirrel) to wisdom and wealth.
Teach each other.
OUT Wows!
The “guarantees” of strategic planning scenarios (there are none)
Active
Go-getter
Destroyer
Lazy
Wise
Passenger
Know they don’t know
Think they know
The many interesting and humoristic examples (e.g. Koos de la Rey) and tongue-in-the-cheek metaphors (tie around the neck).
Creativity is the only legal way I can beat the competitors.
AIM
I am
Pos
i
t
i
move, give, love, save ve rb
Wealth is about leaving a legacy.
Needed knowledge exist already.
Wizardly – improvising.
Applied knowledge.
Introduction.
Visuals and venue.
Lovely metaphors and examples.
Broadens thinking and inspirational.
Listening.
Waking up in Johannesburg – wow!
We are part of ecology.
Scenarios: be ready to adapt (important).
Wisdom!!
Why knowledge managed?? – where is knowledge?
Be positive – be different.
Surround with big people!
Sensationalism versus truth.
JAZZ model
Wealth = legacy (personal).
Water is commodity of future.
Knowledge we need to do something great is already there!
To manage your wealth like you’re one of the ants.
John Lennon – Imagine! Nice words.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Speakers notes
“Knowledge, Wisdom and the new Decade”
An overview of knowledge and creativity in the context of today and the challenges facing us the next few years. Fifty contributors from all walks of life gave their views on knowledge and what it really means. This is integrated with theory and modern scenario principles to cast a view on the year 2015 and leave you with concepts to use in practice.
© VDS Brink 2009
University of Johannesburg Public Lecture 15 October 2009
MR CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, *1
GUINNESS, (1750). BURNT FLAVOUR ROASTED BARLEY. THICK CREAMY HEAD MIXED WITH NITROGEN WHEN POURED. €2 BILLION> GUINESS KNOWLEDGE MADE REALITY. GUINESS + NOT ME: TALL, DARK AND HANDSOME!
AGENDA * 2
ZUMA STORY
UNDERSTAND KNOWLEDGE, HUMAN PSYCHE. *3
CAR, VALUES, TATTOO, READ, GYM, WORK FOR,
TYRANTS, BULLIES, WISEASSES, DOORMATS *4
KINGS, WARRIORS, WIZARDS, LOVERS
IN/OUT *5 *6
PLATO DEFINE, *7 FORMAL, RIVER METAPHOR,*8 STONE, STIRRUP, COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, BE BOUGHT, WISDOM NOT BOUGHT
NEEDLE OF THE COMPASS, KEY TO SURVIVAL
COMBINE, ADAMS AND GOOSE STEP
EQ, SI, HUMAN SKILLS
SCARS OF LIFE, SURROUND BY GREAT PEOPLE
OGILVIE
SHARE GENERATIONS, BLAST FURNACE
UGLY, VICTIMS OF SCIENCE. BRAAI TALK, COMPLACENCY
CRIME AND
BRIDGE MALMESBURY *9
TODAY
ORWELL GENERATIONS
SHADOWS OF REVOLUTION HITLER, GEUVARA, STALIN, LENIN, MBEKI.
MADIBA, WATT, CASTRO
5000 ADS, GPS DEMO
ENGLISH EDUCATION
ECONOMY, CRASHED BACK, WE INNOCENT, MBA’S AND MCOMMS, FEAR AND GREED, GILTS, BONDS, WARRANTS, CFD, SSF, CARPETS, COINS TUSCAN,
MECCANO & LEGO, STORIES AND IPHONE
HOT AIR, SELL NOTHING, POOR SUFFERS AGAIN,
HOOKER STORY *9
VISUAL VS WORD
REMOTE DISTRACTED BAND AID FIX, DIET – AND COOK BOOKS
STACCATO THINKING, ELLIOT ON TV, TWITTERED AND GOOGLED
BAT-, SUPER- SPIDER, STUPIDMAN.
GLOBAL COOLING, COCONUTS, 3TYPES OF NEWS
NEWS: NAPOLEON ON HISTORY. NEWS: I DO NOT TAKE A SINGLE NEWSPAPER, NOR READ ONE A MONTH, AND I FEEL MYSELF INFINITELY THE HAPPIER FOR IT. -- THOMAS JEFFERSON
BRIDGE
ANGRY POOR, SOCIAL IMPLOSIONS, WE WILL EMERGE AGAIN, GOING HOME, END OF COMMODITIES *11
FORK **
DE BONO ON ANALYZE PAST
DARWIN *12
SAATCHI
CREATIVITY 95 – 25 – 3
A, AT, CAT, COAT, ACTOR. RADICAL VS EVOLUTION, 1850-1910, DOTCOM,
H2 FUSION & BATTERIES
JUDGEMENTAL *13, PARALLEL THINK *14; CREATE, JUDGE, HEART, +, ORGANIZE, GET INFO
JAZZ MODEL * 15 SOLIST SUPPORTED. SOLIST BUILDS, RULE, CHANGE STRUCTURE, OVERBLOW, SMASH EXPECT, SAME SOLO NOT REPEAT - IMPROVISE
DINOKENG SOMERBOSCH*16, SUNTER MODEL*17
BRIDGE TIE STORY
KNOWLEDGE WORKS AT IT’S BEST IF WE CAN DROWN THE MIND, GIVE IT TIME TO INCUBATE FOR THE NEW ANSWERS. LOUIS PASTEUR: “INTUITION COMES TO THE PREPARED MIND
INCUBATION RED BARON.*18 MAGERSFONTEIN *19 , PLANES *20 DESEMBER,. WATERLOO
APPLY IN MEETINGS
FORCE OFF THE NEGATIVE,
WEALTH IS.. G BROWN, LOSING MONEY *21, GOLDEN RULES *21, ITS PERSONAL *23 NUTRIENTS *24
SOCRATES: ”FELLOW CITIZENS, WHY DO YOU TURN AND SCRAPE EVERY STONE TO GATHER WEALTH AND TAKE LITTLE NOTICE OF YOUR CHILDREN TO WHOM ONE DAY YOU MUST RELINQUISH IT ALL? KNOWLEDGE IS ACQUIRE WITH ALL SENSES AND FEELING, EYES, HANDS, HEART, EARS, FEET, SMELL, TASTE..
BRIDGE
MANAGE, STRUCTURE OUR MINDS AROUND CONCEPTS, TELL STORIES, *25 JUDI
CHOICE: WINNER: KING, WIZARD, LOVER, WARRIOR
FORCE THEM OFF THE NEGATIVE: * 26 IT IS ALWAYS EASIER TO ARGUE FROM THE NEGATIVE SIDE-- AND THAT IS WHY MOST PEOPLE WILL OPT FOR THIS. IT TAKES EFFORT AND THOUGHT TO ESTABLISH A POSITIVE POSITION. IT TAKES LESS EFFORT TO WORK ON WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DONE
COMBINE WITH HUMAN SKILLS
BURN, LOOT, DISMANTLE
WINNERS * 26 FRIEDMAN & JOBS: KNOW SO LITTLE, HUNGRY FOR MORE, CURIOUS
• CAN WORK WITH OTHERS,
• PUT DIVERSE KNOWLEDGE TOGETHER IN A CREATIVE WAY,
• DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY,
• APPLY THE KNOWN DIFFERENTLY,
• CARES FOR OUR EARTH,
• SEES LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES AND
• CAN DO IT IN BY PUTTING THEMSELVES IN THE SHOES OF OTHERS.
• DO FOR A LEGACY
IMAGINE NO POSSESSIONS I WONDER IF YOU CAN NO NEED FOR GREED OR HUNGER A BROTHERHOOD OF MAN IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE SHARING ALL THE WORLD YOU MAY SAY THAT I'M A DREAMER BUT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE I HOPE SOMEDAY YOU'LL JOIN US AND THE WORLD WILL LIVE AS ONE
ORWELL CURIOUSITY
LAU TSU -2600 ADD FOR KNOWLEDGE, SUBTRACT FOR WISDOM
REMEMBERED, WILBERFORCE, MADIBA ON CHILDREN
NARNIA
“MY CHILDREN,” SAID ASLAN, FIXING HIS EYES ON BOTH OF THEM, “YOU ARE TO BE THE FIRST KING AND QUEEN OF NARNIA.”
THE CABBY OPENED HIS MOUTH IN ASTONISHMENT AND HIS WIFE TURNED VERY RED.
“YOU SHALL RULE AND NAME ALL THESE CREATURES, AND DO JUSTICE AMONG THEM, AND PROTECT THEM FROM THEIR ENEMIES WHEN ENEMIES ARISE. AND ENEMIES WILL ARISE, FOR THERE IS EVIL IN THIS WORLD.”
THE CABBY SWALLOWED HARD TWO OR THREE TIMES AND CLEARED HIS THROAT. “BEGGING YOUR PARDON SIR,” HE SAID, “AND THANKING YOU VERY MUCH I’M SURE BUT I AIN’T NO SORT OF CHAP FOR A JOB LIKE THAT”
“WELL,” SAID ASLAN, “CAN YOU USE A SPADE AND A PLOUGH AND RAISE FOOD OUT OF THE EARTH?”
“YES, SIR, I COULD DO A BIT OF THAT SORT OF WORK.”
“CAN YOU RULE KINDLY AND FAIRLY, REMEMBERING THAT THEY ARE NOT SLAVES FREE SUBJECTS?”
“I SEE THAT , SIR,” REPLIED THE CABBY. “I’D TRY TO DO THE SQUARE THING BY THEM ALL.”
“AND YOU WOULDN’T HAVE FAVOURITES EITHER AMONG YOU OWN CHILDREN OR AMONG THE OTHERS, OR LET ANY HOLD ANOTHER UNDER OR USE IT HARDLY?”
“I NEVER WOULD ABIDE SUCH GOINGS ON, SIR, AND THAT’S THE TRUTH. I’D GIVE ‘EM WHAT FOR IF I CAUGHT ‘EM AT IT,” SAID THE CABBY
“AND IF ENEMIES CAME AGAINST THE LAND AND THERE WAS WAR, WOULD YOU BE THE FIRST IN THE CHARGE AND THE LAST IN THE RETREAT?”
“WELL, SIR,” SAID THE CABBY VERY SLOWLY, “A CHAP DON’T EXACTLY KNOW TILL HE’S BEEN TRIED. I’D TRY – THAT IS, I ‘OPE I’D TRY – TO DO MY BIT.”
“THEN,” SAID ASLAN, “YOU WILL HAVE DONE ALL THAT A KING SHOULD DO.”
Knowledge Quotes
If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things. -- Rene Descartes
Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in. -- Leonardo da Vinci
Be curious. Read widely. Try new things. I think a lot of what people call intelligence just boils down to curiosity. - Aaron Swartz
History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon. -- Napoleon Bonaparte
Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth. -- Mahatma Gandhi
Anything too stupid to be said is sung. – Voltaire
The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for. -- Oscar Wilde
Say not, 'I have found the truth,' but rather, 'I have found a truth.' -- Kahlil Gibran
Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. - Oscar Wilde
Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it. -- George Orwell
The 200 years ago British educated their stars in Philosophy, Literature, Greek and Latin, Physics and Astronomy. They conquered 30 % of this earth. Today their do focused MBAs and are sinking in the mud..
He not busy being born is busy dying. -- Bob Dylan
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck - Dalai Lama
"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision." Muhammad Ali
Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place. -- Abigail Van Buren
“Creativity is the only legal way to secure an unfair advantage” Maurice Saatchi
Humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain. - Edward de Bono
Whoever walks with the wise will become wise; whoever walks with fools will suffer harm. (Proverbs 13:20 The Bible)
I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it. -- Thomas Jefferson
To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge. -- Benjamin Disraeli
Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock. -- Ben Hecht
I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. ALEXANDER the Great
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." - Albert Einstein
"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education." - Albert Einstein
“Wisdom is knowledge with understanding and perspective." - Eolake Stobblehouse
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. – Aristotle
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein
"Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of every fear is freedom." - Marilyn Ferguson
In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind. -- Louis Pasteur
olding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life. -- Joan Lunden
In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted. -- Bertrand Russell
Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in. -- Leonardo da Vinci
Be curious. Read widely. Try new things. I think a lot of what people call intelligence just boils down to curiosity. - Aaron Swartz
History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon. -- Napoleon Bonaparte
Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth. -- Mahatma Gandhi
Anything too stupid to be said is sung. – Voltaire
The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for. -- Oscar Wilde
Say not, 'I have found the truth,' but rather, 'I have found a truth.' -- Kahlil Gibran
Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. - Oscar Wilde
Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it. -- George Orwell
The 200 years ago British educated their stars in Philosophy, Literature, Greek and Latin, Physics and Astronomy. They conquered 30 % of this earth. Today their do focused MBAs and are sinking in the mud..
He not busy being born is busy dying. -- Bob Dylan
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck - Dalai Lama
"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision." Muhammad Ali
Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place. -- Abigail Van Buren
“Creativity is the only legal way to secure an unfair advantage” Maurice Saatchi
Humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain. - Edward de Bono
Whoever walks with the wise will become wise; whoever walks with fools will suffer harm. (Proverbs 13:20 The Bible)
I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it. -- Thomas Jefferson
To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge. -- Benjamin Disraeli
Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock. -- Ben Hecht
I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. ALEXANDER the Great
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." - Albert Einstein
"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education." - Albert Einstein
“Wisdom is knowledge with understanding and perspective." - Eolake Stobblehouse
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. – Aristotle
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein
"Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of every fear is freedom." - Marilyn Ferguson
In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind. -- Louis Pasteur
olding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life. -- Joan Lunden
In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted. -- Bertrand Russell
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Development of the presentation
We received 45 responses, some 20000 words and the greatest stuff.
So for now the presentation will be on the 15th at 13:30:
1 The university will send out an invitation widely next week. You will also get one and it will be posted on the blog.
2 Key messages from your work was Postit-ed and stuck on a large sheet of brown paper and combined into several key contexts to be built out further.
3 The presentation will be in the following main focuses:
Opening and scene setting
The view from the pavilion: all the input you gave us
Looking forward to 2015. Scenarios, what might happen and the role of knowledge in it
What does in mean in practice.
Sum up
Conclude
4 We will create (thanks Hugo from Third Circle!) a flyer summarizing the event and highlighting the work of the department. It will also be uploaded on the blog.
5 The whole presentation and the (few) visuals will be uploaded on the blog in a week’s time.
You will never know what this mean to us, no words to thank you..
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Final version: Contributions from Collaborators
F, Professional writer and story coach
Wysheid is ‘n potpourri van kleure, geure en teksture wat elkeen op sy eie geidentifiseer kan word, maar saam, ‘n nuwe, meer omvattende entiteit vorm. Wysheid kom deur osmose– nie deur kritiese denke, analitiese sisteme of blote kennis van die verlede of die hede nie. Wysheid is die integrasie van diep insigte (sommige ingebore en ander oorgelewer), oorgedraagde kennis, en kreatiwiteit in samewerking met eenders- en veral, andersdenkendes. Om wysheid te hê is ‘n gawe van die siel terwyl kennis ‘n gawe van die verstand is.
~ 57, F, Physiotherapist, artist
Levels of Knowledge:
Basic
General – Usefull, un- usefull
Basic – necessary for work
Specialist – Spesialist application
Intensive - super specialist
Acquisition of Knowledge:
Using all senses (best way)
Own method: eye-eye, hand-eye, foot-hand, hand-ear, eye-foot and itnegrae with the dominant brain is crucial for learning.
Try and hit, deductive, experimental, create own method
MBTH, Personality (Kolbe)
To will, combine
Knowledge is to take what we learn and to integrate it.
Knowledge is power to take to to where you want to be.
Knowledge does not come by itself, you need to work
Integration is needed
Knowledge leads a maturity on the topic and personality development
It has an effect on the objective and visa versa
Application depends personality, integration and experience
Experience ia also knowledge
Knowledge is diverse
It increase relative to the “effort”
Lerning never stops because their parent want to learn them.
You can not loose it
Either it is in depth knowledge or general knowledge.
Success is to be curious, a will, opportunity
Sensomotoric: to know all out of the body, e.g. to be able to swim and ride a bike after 20 years.
Metaphysical: to just know intuitively.
Environmental: kids learn because their parent want to learn them
~50, Former Chief Economist of a large bank
Hier is my stuiwertjie in die armbeurs:
Kan kennis gekoop word? Waarskynlik ja, maar dit kom steeds nie sonder investering (in tyd) nie. Kan insig of wysheid gekoop word? Dis ‘n moeiliker vraag, en mens sou seker wou sê “nee”. Maar miskien kan kennis tog na insig omgeskakel word, mits jy nog meer tyd investeer en dit met (praktiese) ervaring gekombineer word. Maar wat is dan die verskil tussen insig en wysheid? Waarskynlik maar ‘n dun lyn ... so dalk is wysheid tog te koop ...
Maar wat is kennis werd? Dien dit enige doel as dit net in jou kop gaan sit en jy niks daarmee doen nie? Jy kan dalk jou vriende by ‘n braai te beindruk met jou kennis oor die paringsgewoontes van reuse seeskilpaaie, maar dit dien weinig meer doel tensy jy beplan om om by ‘n marinelewe navorsingspan aan te sluit. Maar miskien hou jy net van die interessantheid van die onderwerp. Dan is jy ‘n gelukkiger mens omdat jy kennis daaroor opgedoen het. So kennis dien dan steeds ‘n doel, al “doen” jy niks daarmee nie!
~28, PHd Student Communication Pathology, F
Iemand het een keer gesê hoe meer jy leer hoe meer weet jy hoe min jy eintlik weet. Dit is dalk my mees prominente ervaring van kennis. Kennis kan jou leer om nederig te wees, maar net as jy dit versigtig vermeng met ‘n stukkie insig en wysheid, leer jou om nederig te wees. Te dikwels leer ‘n mens ‘n klein stukkie waarheid oor ‘n nuwe onderwerp en loop dan wyd en syd daarmee te koop, net om met die latere inwin van verdere kennis tot die ontnugterende besef te kom dat jou stukkie kennis eintlik net die oppervlak skraap, of net die een kant van die munt is. Ten spyte van die bewerings van postmodernisme glo ek steeds dat waarheid absoluut is en ook geken kan word. Ek dink byvoorbeeld nie dat die tannie agter die glas in die bank met my gaan saamstem as ek haar probeer oortuig dat my bankbalans ‘n relatiewe waarheid is en dat sy nou maar vir my die 3 miljoen randjies moet gee want EK glo daar is soveel geld in my bankrekening nie… Terselfdertyd is ek oortuig dat ons met nederigheid en leerbaarheid moet deelneem aan die proses van kennis inwin en uitdeel, altyd bewus van ons eie feilbaarheid en die feit dat ons hierdie kant van die graf net “ten dele ken”.
~24, M, final year student Industrial Engineering
"The act of doing something enhances knowledge gathering compared to sitting behind a desk trying to learn some mindless facts. Learning by doing results in knowledge being placed into context therefore wisdom is being formed. The ultimate reward is wisdom and not being a walking encyclopaedia."
~40,M,PHd, Electronic Engineering
Grysbaarde, melkbaarde, doeners en denkers
Hierdie is my storie by Iscor voor die draai van die millinium.
Iscor se uitvoerende bestuur het onder leiding van Hans Smit op die tyd, in hulle poging om maatskappy winste te verhoog, alle persone bo 50 te laat gaan. Die storie in die gange was gewees, die ervare manne kos te veel geld en volgens die ondernemingsbestuurshandboeke van die tyd en die goed betaalde konsultante vanuit die keiserryk, ook bekend as die Vereenigde State van Amerika, kan jy staalmakers en myners vars op die straat vang wat dieselfde werk kan doen met dieselfde papiere, met die verskil dat hulle baie goedkoper is.
Die grysbaarde pakkette geneem en plek gemaak vir die melkbaarde. Die belansstate het begin goed lyk en die produksie het gestyg! Almal was tevrede en dit het gelyk of die maatskappy herstruktuering kan werk. Vonkelwynproppe het geskiet, duur konsultante is betaal, die bestuur het vet bonusse ontvang en die produkte wat by die hekke van die aanlegte moes uit na kli-ente het geval na 2% van die totale vervaardigde produk in 1998/99. Dit blyk toe met nadere ondersoeke dat die voeling wat die grysbaarde gehad het vir die hartklop van 'n aanleg of masjien, was dit wat die produkte by die hekke uitgekry het. Die melkbaar het dit reggekry om 98% skroot te vervaardig en Iscor het een van die grootste skroot vervaardigers in die bedryf geword.
Prosessingenieurswese op hoofkantoor was getaak gewees om van die probleme by aanlegte en myne op te los. 'n Tipese senario was dat die nodige kwaliteit nie gehaal was by 'n aanleg nie. Dit het gewoonlik die impak gehad dat 'n stroomaf aanleg die produk verwerp het en op die ou einde 'n lae opbrengs die werke verlaat het as kwaliteit produkke waarmee kli-ente te vrede sou wees. Die aanlegbestuurder of -ingenieurs het ons gewoonlik gekontak, gewoonlik met verskriklike ingewikkelde teori-e oor wat verkeerd sou wees op die aanleg. Ons moes dan dit bevestig en met 'n oplossing vorendag kom. Die aanlegoperateurs se mening was gewoonlik nie gevra nie, en na 'n groot gesukkel kon ons gewoonlik toestemming kry om ook met hulle te mag praat. Al die kere wat ons moes probleme oplos het ons agtergekom dan die aanlegingenieurs baie selde op die aanleg gekom het en nog minder met die aanlegoperateurs en proseskontroleerders gepraat het. Die teoretiese verduidelikings was ook dikwels ver verwyder van die praktiese ervaring van die manne op die produksielyn. Dit het dan ook gereeld gebeur dat ons data analise en modellering dit ook uitgewys het dat die ingenieurs verkeerd was en die operateurs reg, alhoewel die operateurs nie die teoretiese kennis of tegniese woordeskat gehad het om 'n probleem volledig te kon beskryf nie. Later het ons geweet om die ingenieurs, proseskontroleerders en aanlegoperateurs se verskillende weergawes van 'n probleem aan te hoor voordat ons enige verdere werk doen. Eers nadat ons al die stories na ingenieurstaal toe vertaal het, het ons verdere aksies geformuleer en analises begin doen. Ons het dan ons bevindinge met almal weer gedeel om te bevestig dat ons reg gewerk het. Ons het gereeld verskynsels ge-identifiseer in ons analises wat dan deur die proseskontorleerders en aanlegoperatuers bevestig is.
Nie alle probleme kon ons met analises, teori-e en melkbaard operateurs en kontroleerders uitsorteer nie. Die meer ingewikkelde probleme het soms geverg dat ons grysbaarde met hoed in die hand moes nader om te hoor wat hulle ondervinding was om wel kwaliteit staal te kon maak.
Die kennisintegrasie van die grysbaarde-wysheid, die melkbaarde-waagmoed, die operateursondervinding gekorreleer met ordentlike ingenieursteori-e het gelei tot die tydige oplossing en voorkoming van prosesprobleme om seker te maak dat kwaliteitprodukte die werke verlaat.
~24, M , Masters student in Engineering Management, fund manager, entrepeneur
There are 4 levels of knowledge.
1) You don't know, you don't know
2) You know, you don't know
3) You don't know , you know
4) You know, you know
From the readings of Malcolm Gladwell in his book "Outliers", the common connection between those who have achieved success is the path they followed to attain the key piece of knowledge within their field. This path is by no means easy nor is there an alternative easier route.
Those individuals who strive for success without attaining the right knowledge survive in a state of denial and can only look forward to the inevitable collapse of their scheme. These are the individuals who approach and boast to people the venture or business they are going to start and what a success it is going to be within the short time period they suggest. These individuals are in the first level of knowledge and it often takes an event or person to act as an intervention and enlighten them to the fact that they don't know that they don't know what they are doing or talking about.
Once this step is taken I believe a person is on his way to enlightenment and so they progress to the second level of knowledge. Individuals who still wish to achieve success will educate themselves and attain the relevant knowledge to make their venture a success.
Often times things start to go right, plans work out and strategies fall into place and the individual is confused as to the likeliness of the events exclaiming notions like " how could I have been so lucky. This however is not luck, the individual has progressed to the 3rd stage and doesn't know that the knowledge he has attained and the work he has done has set him up for this success.
The final stage of 'enlightenment' is achieved after success has been attained and the individual who has been immersed in the quest to attain the necessary knowledge takes account of what he has done. These individuals publish biographies and have become respected figures within their fields. These individuals know - that they know.
Enlighten yourself - don't be a Jack of all trades and a master of none - otherwise you will remain just that , a JACK
~43, M , Electrical Engineer turned Busniess consultant, MBA, Coach
Maybe we should widen the question to include wisdom and intelligence as well. Knowledge is really nothing, worthless, useless, it just is… UNLESS you can apply it, do something with it, make it practical, useful, contributing. So then, shouldn’t we be talking about knowledge being a building block, a pre-requisite, a pre-cursor or requirement for WISDOM. Maybe we should be talking about wisdom management as opposed to knowledge management.
Another notion: Knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, how much of it is born into us (nature), and how much of it is taught or experienced into us (nurture)? This is part of the age old nature vs. nurture debate. I think it is however very relevant in the case of knowledge management and the creation, extraction, application, use of wisdom. I personally think most of it is nurture, although a small percentage (maybe 10% or less?) is on-born, part of nature, in the DNA, instinct…
Another question: How much of the nurture is REAL EXPERIENCE?, versus, how much of it is just told/taught to us, as being the truth…? (Think Apartheid, etc.) This means that it is possible that a huge percentage of what we take/accept as knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, experience, could actually be FALSE, not true, not the best option, not the only option, just somebody else’s experience of whatever the issue is… This is really scary man! It means that a whole lot of who I am, …of what I believe to be the truth, or valid… could be somebody else’s life (or lies?)! Unless I examine what I take to be the truth, or my perception of the truth… I could be living an absolute illusion, a lie!
Now, what does all of this mean for the organization? If we think back about the experiment done by the guys at MIT with the 5 monkeys in the cage, with the water spray behind the bunch of bananas, and how the monkeys were removed, to be replaced by “new” “fresh” monkeys, after a while monkeys that had NEVER been sprayed with water, didn’t even attempt to go and get the bananas!! This is a very simple metaphor for organizational culture and the INCREDIBLE power of culture! I have a premise, a thought, a suggestion… that at least 80% of what we believe, do, accept, acknowledge as the “rules of the game” in organizations, is due to UNTESTED / UNEEXPERIENCED beliefs, which then form the culture of the organization, the way we do things around here… It is not our own experiences, they are not PROPER experiences, they are only stories, anecdotes, indications, teachings, suggestions, from those that have been around the place for much longer! It is almost unbelievable that the most intelligent (I am not sure of this?!) being on planet earth, can operate like this, just simply, blindly, accepting untested “truths” as gospel! Does this imply that organizations could be “mad” / “crazy” as defined by the psychology fraternity, because the basic beliefs, references are NOT RATIONAL!? A scary thought, isn’t it! I truly believe that there must be a way in which we can get new employees to “experience” the culture (the real thing) and build upon it, in order to improve on it… that will lead to true experience as opposed to just “hearsay”. This will mean that we are going against the “immune system” / “antidote for anything new” in an organization, which will prove to be very challenging indeed, but I think it can be done…
Another thought: How much of knowledge is Emotional versus Rational (Cognitive). I think fundamentally that most of what we refer to as knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, (more than 50%...) is actually emotionally driven, and NOT rational / cognitive… As organization, we do not even consider the emotional side of the human being as being important, although it is clearly part of knowledge and wisdom. I think we are missing a huge opportunity here. Is it not maybe, a primal process, as opposed to a rational/cognitive process…
I am not sure that I have helped anything with the initial question of what knowledge is… But maybe we need to consider these issues from a different angle every now and then! Hope this stimulates some thinking and maybe some debate somewhere, and that you can use it is putting something really exciting together. Thanks for the opportunity to add a little to this process.
Another “overnight” thought, for those left brainers you might connect with!
Data becomes information when it is arranged or manipulated in a useful way (like reporting, etc)
Information becomes useful when it can be applied and means something in practice
Knowledge is information including some form of experience, or learning
Intelligence is knowledge applied, including the experience, AND the appropriate attitude
Wisdom, I think is the ultimate, it is intelligence, with the emotional / gut feel part, it is a process of “making it your own” - integrating intelligence into your armoury (your make-up, the way you do things), into your way of doing things, it is “knowing” / “feeling” (gut feel) what is right versus calculating (intelligence) what is right.
The same Engineer below with the technology top 100 company did a Technology Leadership Program (TLP) similar to an MBA or MBL and race bikes - circuit and offroadand have a 2nd Dan in Kyokushin Karate
Knowledge remembered by reminiscing and also triggered by our senses, whether it be by smells, sounds, sensations, feelings or what we see. It's actually frightening to realise or know how much we forgot, and it's not that we forget but rather the inability to access what we already know. By reminiscing, different peoples' perceptions of the past trigger our past memories, knowledge or experiences, and often people remember just what they want to remember, whether it is a conscious choice or not. This is normally a reflection of our perception or frame of reference of the knowledge and it is not necessarily based on truth. Thus there are no guarantee for knowledge to be a truth, rather our personal experience of the our knowledge is our own truth or reality.
Our senses very often trigger past memories, like traveling back in time at supersonic speed. Immediately one can vividly remember a situation many years back.
When in fight or flight mode is, I think, our knowledge is cumulatively based on genetic instinct, our Magnetic or Universal consciousness, beliefs (not religion, just what we believe), personal experience, training and knowledge and our time / space perception and interpretation of a threatening situation. Our resultant intuitive survival is brought about by using a combination of all these knowledges in assessment of the threat and how to best survive whether we decide to flee or fight or do a combination thereof.
When we have all these knowledges working in symphony for firstly our own preservation and secondly to minimise the cost to others it reflects a summary of all our knowledges and resultant triumph of SQ. The wisdom of applied knowledge and intuition to do the "right" thing.
When driving, riding or racing it's is our mastering of our time / space perception (so the brain perceives in slow mow thus has more time to process all the info), our ability to overcome our survival reactions (these SRs are often the reason for a crash) and then, where we decide to spend our attention (ovoid target fixation at best). The knowledge used for this type of mastery and survival is also well illustrated with the repetitive training and execution of martial arts techniques. Visualisation has a great part to play in the successful application of these "knowledges" with any mentally and physically extreme sports / activities.
Ek sien meeste mense het sport ook as kwaalifikasie of passie. Dit maak eintlik sin om sulke ondervinding of kwalifikasies by die skrywes te sit want dit gee lesers 'n beter ideë van die skrywers se verwysings raamwerke en agtergrond. From this we can have different analogies too.
~25, Civil Engineer and Power Station constructor, M
My persepsie van Inligting wat ek nou die dag half met ‘n skok agterkom:
Die raaisel: hoe ek as Ingenieur en Projekbestuurder al my projekte kan kwantifiseer, en dit kan wissel van die bou van ‘n muurtjie tot ‘n R 120 miljard nuwe Medupi kragstasie - maar hoe dit eintlik onmoontlik is om kennis te kwantifiseer. Omtrent alles wat deur die mens in die lewe gemaak is het ‘n waarde, maar kennis…
1 bar 9 ct goud: (12.5 kg = 400 onse): $ 944 * R 8.16/ $ 1 * 400 onse = R 3,081,216.00
Gautrain projek: R 12 miljard: (R12,000,000,000.00)
Medupi kragstasie: R 120 miljard: (R 120,000,000,000.00)
1 leë vel papier: R 0.10
500 leë velle papier: R 42.99 (by CNA)
1 pen: Parker: R 69.99 (by CNA)
1 leë boek met pen: R 112.98 (R 42.99 + R 69.99)
1 lyntjie ink op 1 vel bladsy: R 0.10 + 0.1 sent
23 lyntjies ink op 1 vel bladsy: R 0.10 + R 0.02 = R 0.12
En na ‘n bietjie shuffling van die 20 lyntjies…
E=MC2…Priceless (veral as jy die E met I vervang ;-)
There are some things in life money can’t buy (like knowledge) – for everything else there’s Mastercard
~35,Mechanical Engineer, MBA, arms industry, M
Dis net na een op ‘n snikhete Vrydag middag. Ek is saam met al die onderwysers en beoordeelaars wat “KENNIS” moet evalueer. Glo dit as jy wil – ek is ‘n beoordeelaar by die 2006 Noord Transvaalse “Wetenskap Ekspo”. Ons is in die L.C. De Villiers gebou by Tukkies se sport gronde. Ek het ‘n bietjie heimwee – ek het baie van my “KENNIS” hier opgedoen – meer van die informele (sagte) kennis as die harde (vak kundige) kennis. Kennis, nie te min.
Ek kyk deur die lys van deelnemers – Waterkloof, Boys High, Affies (meisies en seuns). Ek voel skoon geintemedeerd, ek was nooit op so ‘n “fancy” skool nie. Hier en daar chit chat ek met die onderwysers. Kan nie rerig een van hulle peil nie. Watse KENNIS dra hulle oor? Watter KENNIS het hulle? Kan hulle KENNIS oordra?? Hoe beoordeel hulle KENNIS??? Hoe meet hulle KENNIS? Hoe lyk ‘n top preseteerder in KENNIS??? Ek hoor net so tussen deur (ek is nie deel van die conversation nie) dat die wiskunde en wetenskap ding hoogty vier. Die jag na onderskeindings in wiskunde en wetenskap is alive and well. Net so alive and well soos in my tyd (Matriek in wat jy nie politiek korrek meer kan verwys na nie as die goeie ou Suid Afrika). Ek verwys spesefiek na die ou Suid Afrika omdat ek elke dag hoor hoe die standaarde verander het (vir die slegte natuurlik) en agteruit gegaan het van daardie tyd.
Ek stap uit vir bietjie vars lug en stap om die dam. Ek sien vir D en sy ma aankom. So paar weke gelede het ek vir D (en sy ma en sy juffrou van Hoerskool Waterkloof) gehelp met D se projek. Jy kon met ‘n stok aanvoel dat D nie net geen gevoel en/of belangstelling in sy Wetenskap en Wiskunde taak gehad het nie maar ook dat hy teen wil en dank deur juffrou en ma gemaak is om in te skryf vir hierdie kompetisie. Nog een van die wiskunde en wetenskap victims. Ma en jufffrou glo dat good grades in wiskunde en wetenskap die ultimate is. KENNIS word gemeet in terme van Wiskunde en Wetenskap punte en/of onderskeidings.
Dit neem my terug na September 1992 (in die goeie ou Suid Afrika). Ek het Phytagoras boeke (opsommings van vorige jare se eind wiskunde vrae stele), ek het one on one klasse by tannie L in die Wiskunde. Behalwe dit het ons (al drie hoerskole in Sasolburg) ook nog Saterdag na Saterdag ekstra klasse van tannie F (van die Tegniese college) om ons te help met Wiskunde. Drie efforts om die inhability van die “goeie onderwys stelsel” te rectify. Anyway, het toe my onderskeiding vir Wiskunde gekry, boek prys gekry vir Wiskunde (en Wetenskap en Engels). EK lag net so in my mou as die “bewaarders van die sedes en die goeie stelsels” vir my vertel hoe sleg die huidige onderwys stelsel is. EK vertel gou vir hulle die wiskunde storetjie. Almal is dan die duiwel in vir my. Anyway – KENNIS soos deur hulle gemeet beteken vir my niks.
EK staaf my teorie met ene R, 38, (Phd van Potch – in Engineering natuurlik). R kan somme maak wat ek nie eers kan uitdink nie. Hy wil sy bestaan regverdig met sy “KENNIS”. Sy Kennis vat hom drie weeke om tot die nde graad en die 700 ste desmiaal ‘n som te maak wat ek op EXCEL in 10 minute maak. Hoewel hy die wit waks uit my irriteer is ek tog baie jammer vir die maat. Hy is ‘n victim van die “ Wiskunde en Wetenskap KENNIS”. Ek moes saam met R sit en vir hom leer hoe maak jy finansiele somme, hoe werk jy rentes uit, hoe werk jy budgets uit, wat is die invloed van die verskil tussens kredietkaart rente en rente op ‘n vaste eiendom. R het oor die 100k se kredietkaarts skulde en geen vaste eiendom nie. Hy kan al die somme maak en sien wat die invloed is nie.Sy problem is die implementasie – wat doen ek as ek die antwoorde van die somme het om my finsnsies te verander. Vir my persoonlik gaan dit daaroor dat Kennis gaan oor die applikasie van die kennis, hoe implementer jy. Mr Rufus KENNIS (soos gedefinieer deur skool en kerk) beteken niks nie as jy nie kan implementer nie.
Terug by die wetenskap ekspo begin die beoordeling – LC is vol stalletjies van patente en inventions ens. Dit is obviously duidelik waar pa en/of ma en/of iemand anders gehelp het en waar die skolier dit self gedoen het. Ek doen die judging en kom agter dat daar ‘n groot afwagting/nuuskierigheid is by die onderwysers wie se kinders uitgestal het. After all, die kind se prestasie reflekteer op juffrou. En die hartseer deel daarvan (wat ek eers baie later en na baie wrakke wat ek agtergelaat het agterkom) is dat dit werklik die som total van daardie juffrou se wereld is. Kennis moet die jufforu se wereld maak werk (irrespective van wat met die kinders gebeur). Ek het die (voor)reg om eksterne eksaminator te wees by ‘n paar “universities of technology” en universiteite. My KENNIS (gebasseer op my ondervinding en blootstelling) gee my ‘n heeltemaal ander uitkyk oor KENNIS. Ek het vrede of iemand 80% kry en of hy dit nie maak nie. My objective is om seker te maak hy/sy oorleef in die regte wereld as hy/sy klaar is met studies. My KENNIS het my geleer en/of ge-evolve om nie my prestasie of waardigheid te meet aan iemand anders se prestasie nie. Een van die mees kosbaarste se goed wat ‘n swart stoorman my gegee het was die volgende “Moenie jou hartjie by die werk hou nie” – na aanleiding van Naas wat himself opwerk oor probleme by die werk. Klink baie eenvoudig, Nou sit jy in ‘n bestuurs posisie en my mense presteer nie. My hartjie voel seer, ek voel ek kry nie reg om die mense te lei en inspirer nie. Lekker om te kritiseer – nie so lekker as dit met jou gebeur nie.
Ek wil amper se my enigste redding is die feit dat ek my teorie bevestig het (en dis baie meer pyn vol vir my as wat ek hier kan beskryf) – KENNIS gaan oor implementasie – ek kan elke management en leadesrship boek lees en klas bywoon en business breakfast bywoon. Daar waar ek moet implementeer en al die KENNIS moet toepas en mense moet laat presteer deur toepassing van kennis word die mans van die seuns geskei, die wat wil van die wat kan, die met potensiaal van die met capability. Vir my gaan KENNIS oor die implementasie (dis my uitkyk en ek kan verkeerd wees).
Terug in 1992, my beste pel (op daardie stadium) P en ek vang vis in die Vaal rivier. Ons pa’s het saam by SASOL begin in 1969 as vakleerlinge (appies). Van dag een af was engineeers van die duiwel. Engineers kon niks reg doen nie. Langs die braaivleis vure, as ons op pad was, as ons by die huis was het ons gehoor dat engineering not the way to go was. Later aan het die twee vaders albei eers in die teken kantoor en toe later op Technikon geswot en nie te slegte jobs gehad nie. Nog steeds was engineers van die duiwel.
Deur die jare het my pa besef dat alhoewel hy engineers haat, hy graag sal wil he dat ek gaan engineering swot. Sy verwysings raamwerk op daardie stadium in tyd (en binne sy verwysings raamwerk) het vir hom gese dat finansieel sal dit baie beter wees om engineering te gaan studeer as nie. (My pa was nie baie groot op die studie ding op skool nie, dus geen universiteits vrystelling ens – iets wat hy sy lewe lank oor spyt was). Anyway, hy het dit besef dat alhoewel hy engineers haat – dit vanuit sy point of view (en met inagneme van sy verwysings raamwerk) vir my en my broer die beste sal wees om engineering te gaan swot.
Die KENNIS wat hy op daardie stadium gehad het het hom gemotiveer om ons aan te moedig om engineering te gaan swot. Daarby het hy ons gedurig aangemoedig om akademies te presteer – weereens om nie die pad te loop wat hy moes loop nie. My pa het ongelooflike opofferings gemaak, veral finansieel om voorsiening te maak dat ek en my broer kon gaan studeer. Is dit nie KENNIS nie???? Alhoewel jy die “tipe” haat het jy die clarity van mind om te besef dat jy jou eie vooropgestelde idees en experiences agter te laat en in my beste belang ‘n besluit te maak. Dis mos nou KENNIS.
P– my beste pel op skool het SASOl beurs gekry en is Potch toe – het Eerste jaar twee maal gedruip en werk nog (as to this date) as operator by SASOL. Die prentjie van Engineers wat van duiwel is wat geskets is sy lewe lank het hom by gebly. Hy het net nie in die regte groep menmse beweeg om dit af te skud nie. Ons het albei baie dieselfde groot geword, tog het enkele fasktore on KENNIS radikaal anders laat verloop (Sy KENNIS is waarskynlik meer as myne). Na baie jare het ek dit uit gefigure. Sy pa het nooint die KENNIS gehad om te besef dat hy sy eie vooropgestelde idees moet verander ten einde te verseker sy kind se lewe gaan anders nie
Michelle Harding (CEO van Petzakis Africa) se tydens ‘n praatjie dat die grootste problem in SA nie meer in nagclubs is nie – die die tipe talk wat langs die braaivleis vure gepraat word. Jong mense word negatief beinvoed en het nie lus om aan te gaan nie. . Die gewaar wording van P se verhaal was een van die pynvolste ervarings wat ek ooit gehad het. P staan voor my, gebroke. Hy vra aan my die vraag. Hy verstaan dit nie. Sy lewe lank is daar aan hom die prentjie voorgehou dat jy nie op engineering vlak moet werk nie – jy moet op die “tools” wees. Hy het bloot vir sy pa probeer wys (in ‘n poging om aanvaarding van sy pa te kry) dat hy sy pa se seining eerbieding. Hy het engineering gedruip en werk op die tools soos sy pa hom geleer het. Nou is sy pa die een wat vir hom die duiwel in is omdat hy nie engineering doen nie. Wat antwoord ek hierop?? Ek wens sy pa kon dit hoor.
Uiteindlik was ek Dux leerling (met net twee onderskeidings – natuurlik wiskunde ingesluit) in my skool. Een van my grootste openbarings (en frustrasies) was die feit dat met respek gese “al wat kak en hare is” deel wou wees van hierdie Wiskunde Punt. Almal wou op een of ander manier ‘n aandeel gehad het in my prestasie. Almal het van die kant af gekyk. Niemand het voor gestap en die leiding geneem nie. Almal het my gekritiseer en van die kant af geslaan en kon ‘n inset lewer oor my prestasie sonder date en van hulle dit ooit self kon doen nie. Ons kom terug hierna.
Ons rival skool het twee leerlinge gehad wat albei ses onderskeidings gehad het – en toevallig ook op Tuks gaan studeer het – ons kom later by hulle.
Met groot gejuig (en as hero van al wat wiskunde onderwyser was in my skool) is ek toe Tukkies to vir jaar een engineering. Ek was baie confident – after all, ek was darem Dux leerling. My eerste jaar was biejie van ‘n ontnugtering – daar was baie ouens wat net net engineering gemaak het – D + in matriek gehad vir Wiskunde en net die keuring gemaak. Anyway – hier doen hierdie perre baie beter as ek met baie minder studie as ek. Hulle is op die jool komitee, speel rugby, social en is net die aand voor die tyd voor die boeke. KENNIS vir hierdie perre was self KENNIS en KENNIS van hoe om ‘n network van pelle en studente te gebruik om hulle self te help om te pass. Ek moes gou groei van boek (Wiskunde) kennis na self KENNIS.
Ek was blootgestel aan mede studente wat groot geword het in ‘n omgewing waar EQ belangriker was as IQ. Ek het in ‘n IQ omgewing groot geword. Met genade van bo het ek op wonderbare wyse (wat ek tot vandag toe nog nie kan verklaar nie) gou die EQ ding genap. Interessant genoeg was daar van my klas maats wat glad nie oop was vir EQ kennis nie – hulle het aangehou met die IQ ding – PhD geswot en nog gedink dat jy kan donner en bliksim soos in Boksburg Tegniese Hoerskool (even after graduating with a PhD). IQ KENNIS het hulle nie noodwendig suksesvol gemaak in die samelewing nie.
Ek kom terug na die vraag vroeer – how do you define success related to knowledge? Does knowledge equal success?? My ervaring is dat dit glad nie related was nie. R – een van die ses onderskeiding studente van my buur skool wou gaan medies swot op Tuks, kon nie gekleur word nie en het toe gaan fisio swot. Nie seker of sy tioe klaar gemaak het nie. D – saam met my Engineering begin – twee onderskeidings in matriek het jaar twee histories met eerste jaar academies medies begin op Tuks en werk nou in Kanada – binne sy 6 jaar klaar gemaak. F – die ander ses onderskeidings kandidaat van my buur skool was na jaar ses nog nie klaar met engineering nie (ek was na 5 jaar en die manne met die D’s vir Wiskunde na 4 jaar – die een perd bly in ‘n moerse huis in Boardwalk Meander en is ‘n direkteur van ‘n consulting engineering company – het ook sy MBA gedoen). Dus Kennis in die tradisionele konteks het niks te doen gehad met sy sukses nie.
Een van die mees irriterende gevolge van ons famous onderwys stelsel is die feit dat baie kinders die idée kry dat hulle net aan die kant wil staan en kritiseer. Die stelsel se gevolg is dat jy kan kritiseer sonder dat jy self die KENNIS het om enigsins engie iets self te doen. Ek sien dit elke dag en is al op ‘n vlak waar ek direk vir iemand vra wanneer het jy dit gedoen dat jy op ‘n vlak is om te kritiseer. “Herhinner my gou weer wanneer jy dit gedoen het” of “Maar kom doen jy dit gou” – dan sien jy hoe val die helde.
Ietsie wat ek gelees het in Fin 24 ‘n paar weke terug was die vergelyking tussen REMGRO en Checkers. Whitey Basson sit in Parrow (as ek reg onthou) en REMGRO in Stellenbosch. As jy egter gaan kyk na value for investors is Whitey vir REMGRO ver voor. Weereens, watter KENNIS is reg. KENNIS wat toegepas word om investor value te add of KENNIS van ‘n BRAND???
Laastens, ons lees gereeld baba en kleuter tydskrifte. Een van die beste stories geskryf deur ‘n joernalis wat in die baba en kleuter omgewing werk was die volgende. “Jou kind se sukses gaan nie bepaal word deur sy IQ of punte op skool nie, maar deur sy vermoee om met mense oor die weg te kom”. Dis mos KENNIS – sonder PhD’s in wiskunde en who knows what eles.
SUMMARY
Kennis in die eerste deel van meeste mense se lewens is IQ based. Ongelukkig is ons onderwys stelsel (en ongelukkig ons universiteits stelsels ook) hierop gefokus. Baie mense, meeste mense met wie jy in aanraking gaan kom het hierdie uitkyk. Hier praat ek spesefiek van ingenieurs en IT mense. Hulle wil beloon word vir IQ kennis want dis waaraan hulle gewoond is. Baie min mense het gevorder na die volgende vlak. Ek definieer die volgende vlak as een van twee opsies.
EQ is ontwikkel of die begrip van wat ek moet doen met my IQ is ontwikkeld. Dit klink baie snaaks om te se wat doen ek met my IQ (of die feit dat ek actually ‘n graad het). Persoonlik het ek die meeste people management probleme met mense wat nie hulle IQ kan toepas en implementer of execute nie. In die nuwe ekonomiese omgewing gaan jy baie meer focus kry op jou mense wees – jy as persoon gaan lei of gelei word. Onthou net, as jy dit nie ballanseer met execution nie gaan jy gou aangespreek word. Leer jouself hoe om jou IQ toe te pas. Saam met die toepassing van IQ gaan verantwoordelikheid. Vat verantwordelikheid vir jou werk. Jy gaan uitstyg bo jou “peers” as jy verantwoordelikheid kan vat en kan toepas. Jy moet jou IQ kennis saam met jou ondervindings kennis gebruik.
Selfs as jy nog nie EQ ontwikkel het nie – gebruik net jou ondervinding. Kry vir jou ‘n “peer” group van mense wat op hierdie vlak is en wat besig is om te ontwikkel en te groei in die execution vlak in. Ek het pelle wat in IT (Accenture) werk, pelle wat Grond water konsultasie doen (Groundwater consulting services) en Projek bestuurders by verskillende engineering firmas. Die pyne is identies. Dit help jou as individu net baie as jy met hierdie mense kan praat en pyne en idees kan uitruil oor die probleme, gevoelens ens. Iemand wat as coach of mentor kan optree help jou ook baie hiermee. Kies dit net baie sorgvuldig en kies ook iemand buite jou omgewing en maatskappy.
As jy op ‘n bestuurs/leierskaps vlak kom omthou net – mense het verskillende begrippe van kennis. Mense voel gevalue deur deur die kennis wat hulle het – al is die kennis wat hulle het nie toepasbaar nie, jy as leier moet hierdie kennis gebruik. Jy moet besef dat mense uit verskillende agtergronde kom en onthou ook dat die sisteem waarin hulle gewerk het dalk IQ kennis beloon het sonder om enigsins te execute en te produce. ‘n Goeie voorbeeld hiervan is die WNNR waar daar die een doctor na die ander doctor is maar nie een van hulle kan die job klaarmaak en invoice nie.
Sekere mense bereik net baie gouer in hulle lewens Spirutiele Intelegensie (SI). Met sprituele intelegensie bedoel ek ‘n lewnens doel vir myself. Ek reis uit bokant die verwagtinge van my samelewing en besluit wat ek wil doen, wat gaan ek doen wat my gaan gelukkig maak. N, DJ op Goodhope FM is so persoon. SY het in ‘n job gesit waar sy nie uit die bed kon kom om te gaan werk nie soveel het sy dit gehaat (dit was een of ander beleggings bestuur tipe job) sy het net besluit om dit alles op te gee en haar hart te volg.
My golf afrigter, Johan het dieselfde pad gestap. Ingenieurswese gestudeer en net op ‘n stadium besluit hy gaan sy passie volg – alles gelos en die PGA kursus gaan doen en vandag so gelukkig, jy kan dit nie glo nie. Hy gaan op vakansie en sien uit daarna om te gaan golf speel. Is dit nie KENNIS van jouself nie ??? Kennis van jouself wat veroorsaak dat jy elke dag doen wat jy passievol oor is. Terwyl ek hieraan dink, Mike Joubert, MD van Levi jeans in S.A. was in management consulting voordat hy sy passion vir fashion gaan uitleef het.
Hoe sien ek my kennis en of wysheid. Vir my groei my wysheid deur die kombinasie van kennis en ondervinding, Hierby kom EQ, SI en my Christelike waardestelsel.
Die beste gaan wees om dit te verduidelik. Ek was baie gefrustreerd (sommer vroeg op universiteit al) met die juffrouens wat altyd so die wiskunde ding gery het. Ook met die feit date ek nooit blootgestel was aan die opsie om in ‘n finansiele rigting te gaan studeer nie. Hoe kon die mense dit aan my doen??? Soos ek ouer geword het het die kennis en ondervinding my ingehaal.. Ek het begin besef dat binne die verwysings raamwerk van my ouers en onderwysers het hulle die beste gedoen wat hulle kon op daardie stadium. Ek moes die som total van kennis, wysheid en waardes gebruik om by hierdie antwoord te kom. Die ondervinding het my ook baie geleer oor die mense saam met wie ek werk.
Baie van hulle het ook nie blootstelling gehad wat ek al gehad het nie. Hulle dink nie op dieselfde vlak as ek nie. Ek het geleer dat my EQ hierdie agtergrons en/of vooropgestelde persepsies in ag moet neem. DIs ‘n baie fyn lyn tussen sensitiwiteit vir mense se agtergronde en ondervindingsvelde en hulle performance. Employees kan baie maklik hierdie agtergronde en ondervinding (of lack thereof) gebruik om treurige performance te regverdig.
Om op te som. Kennis (IQ) is goed om te verwef. Wees egter daarop bedag dat EQ jou baie meer gaan help. Hou net in gedagte dat jy baie goed ontwikkel kan wees in EQ kennis en nog steeds baie ongelukkig in jou werk kan wees. Jy gaan werk tussens mense wat jou haat omdat jy dit het. Groei tot op SI en ‘n vlak van volwassenheid waar jy ook jou values (Christelik) kan kombineer om hierdie pot van Kennis tot voordeel en genot van jouself en ander aan te wend.
~40, minister of religion, golfer,
Toe ek begin gholf speel het, het ek vir ure aanmekaar geoefen om die perfekte swaai te probeer ontwikkel. Die perfekte swaai kom natuurlik nooit nie. Want êrens tussen die eerste en die 18de putjie kom jy agter dat jou lyf uniek is. Sekere van jou wesenskenmerke maak dat die bal ander dinge doen as jy dit slaan as wanneer ‘n ander ou dit op dieselfde manier slaan. Daarom maak die meeste amateurs sekere aanpassings in ‘n swaai. Iets wat uniek is aan jou. Dalk is dit ‘n greep wat bietjie onkonvensioneel is of jou voetplasing wat anders lyk as wat dit behoort te lyk. Elke amateurspeler doen dinge anders as wat die boek sê om ‘n hou so naby as moontlik aan die skoonveld te kry.
Maar die basis bly nog steeds die elementêre beginsels wat jy aan die begin geleer het. Kop af, voete wat wys waarheen die bal moet gaan, terugswaai in ritme, oë op die bal en deurswaai.
In die lig van hierdie analogie is kennis dus volgens my iets wat vroeg ingedril word. Iets wat jy uit die bestudering van baie boeke kry. Maar op die ghofbaan van die lewe kom jy agter dat aangeleerde kennis nie presies so toegepas kan word as wat jy geleer het nie. Situasies dwing jou om dinge soms anders te doen as wat jy geleer het.
Iets van hierdie beginsel word vir my geïllustreer in die fliek Doc. Hollywood. Die storie vertel van ‘n jong opkomende dokter in die stad wat ‘n ongeluk in ‘n klein plattelandse dorpie maak op pad na sy nuwe werk in ‘n ander stad. Hy word tot gemeenskapsdiens gestraf deurdat hy die plaaslike ou dokter moet bystaan in sy praktyk. Die gemeenskap is nie welvarend nie en meeste mense kan nie mediese dienste bekostig nie. Daarom maak die ou dokter gedurig onkonvensionele planne om die dorpie se mense help. In een toneel diagnoseer die jong dokter (Michael J. Fox) iemand met diabetes en hy wil onmiddellik die beste medisyne voorskryf op grond van sy kennis wat hy uit boeke opgedoen het. Hierdie persoon kan egter nie die medisyne bekostig nie. Die ou dokter gee toe vir die persoon ‘n blikkie Coke. Dit lei tot ‘n interessante gesprek tussen die twee dokters oor die toepassing van hulle kennis. Die jong dokter met sy uitstekende boekekennis en die ou dokter met sy kennis vanuit die praktyk.
Information Science & Mother & House Wife, ~40, F
Ek bring gou my bydrae hier net voor afsnytyd! Ek skryf vanuit ‘n huis met hope wasgoed (terwyl dit reen), oorslaapmaats, etes wat beplan moet word, Eisteddfod-optredes, konsertoefeninge, kerkdinge, oumabesoeke, ……………………! Dit hou net nie op nie, maar dis lekker en ‘n voorreg!
Ek is kort en kragtig, maar dis die gedagte wat van die begin af by my opgekom het en ek voel steeds dis my idee van kennis. So hier’s dit: Werklike kennis is vir my die som van al ‘n persoon se ondervinding en aangeleerde kennis op enige gegewe tydstip in sy/haar lewe.
Ek besef net meer en meer hoe belangrik ondervinding is. Dis praktiese kennis wat absoluut uniek is aan elke persoon. Ons elkeen se ondervinding verskil a.g.v. ons uniekhied as mense. Dis ook om hierdie rede dat ons hierdie “ondervinding”-kennis met mekaar moet deel, want daaruit vloei meer kennis. Ek kan nog filosofeer maar is nou net te vaak.
~23, Masters student, Engineering Management, M
Knowledge is powerful, it just depends in which jockey's hands it is.
I am in a stage where my learning is accelerated. Where one day soon, a company will tap into what I have learned and my own view thereof (knowledge) and hopefully turn it into a profit.
The foundations are still being laid down, and the fear of realising you know nothing as you get to learn more sets in. I sit here wondering what might be applicable in the industry when I look at my dissertation. How do you retain your own knowledge which is a form of your character whilst being moulded into what a company wants and thinks it needs?
The word 'know' has come up a lot. It is all about what you know. What you know helps you prepare for the future challenges. Intangible things are impossible to measure accurately, being subjected to examination for a dissertation in which you put your heart is cruel, but what is it tested against? Research methodology? Addition to the field? Or a culmination of many factors?
A young student is scared of this thing called knowledge. I know a lot less than I need to know.
~30, F, Creativity coach, Belgian
There is wide consensus amongst creativity experts that 98 percent of all human beings between the ages of 0-3 demonstrate creativity at a superior level. At the age of ten this figure drops to 32 percent and eventually only two percent of adults over the age of 25 still seem to exhibit creativity at a superior level.
For me, knowledge is about gathering knowledge beyond the ordinary, to look at facts with a fresh pair of eyes, to reconsider a question’s first answers, to use one another’s expertise and combine different kind of knowledge in a new way... TO KNOW IS NOTHING AT ALL, TO IMAGINE IS EVERYTHING, Anatole France
Information manager, ~ 40, M
My gedagtes rakende kennis. Ek het gewonder wat ‘n kan ek se van kennis wat nie al reeds tot die nste graad nagevors is nie. Ek dink toe laat ek praat van hoe kennis in my lewe ‘n rol speel.
Eerste begrip: Kennis van die boom van goed en kwaad
Dit is so oud soos die mensdom maar in my leeftyd het ek gesien dat dieselfde kennis toegepas word vir goed en kwaad. Dis immers waar die mensdom eerste gertruikel het. Ons mag al die wonderlikste metodes en gereedskap he om kennis te bestuur, maar dit bepaal nie noodwendig dat die aanwending.
Tweede begrip: Aangename kennis
In my lyn van werk is daar nie ‘n te kort aan “bodies of knowledge” nie. Die bedoeling van die “bodies of knowledge” is om “beste” praktyke wat oor jare saamgestel is, saam te vat vir die industriee, sodat dit kan gebruik word om die praktyke in hulle eie organisasies te vestig. Maar dit wil voorkom dat die” beste” praktyke in die meeste gevalle nie die gewenste uitwerking het om suksesvolle vestiging te help bewerkstellig nie.
Hoekom? Die antwoord is dat ons verleer het om kennis toe te pas en ook nie meer wil dink nie.
So jy sal vra hoekom noem ek die tweede bergip aangename kennis. Wel ek en Jan het gepraat en het gedink dat as jy kennis die eertse keer bekom dan is dit soos om iemand vir die eerste keer te ontmoet “aangename kennis”. ‘n kennis kan net goeie vriend word as jy hom goed leer ken en julle mekaar leer verstaan en wee twat julle goeie en sterkt punte is.
So kennis bly kennis totdat jy dit begin leer ken en denkend toepas en dan word dit ‘n vriend.
Information Manager, F,~35
Vir my is kennis iets wat ek graag gister al wou weet om vandag makliker te maak. As ek kyk na die projek waarop ek tans werk, is ons baie reaktief, omdat ons nie vooruit weet wat al hulle verwagtinge en beplanning is nie. Kennis dus, help met vooruit beplanning.
Verder maak kennis dit ook makliker dat ander mense jou nie maklik ‘n rat voor die oë draai nie. Kennis bemagtig jou om beter besluite te neem omdat jy meer feite het en die verskillende opsies met mekaar kan vergelyk. Soos hulle sê, kennis is mag.
Kennis kom ook uit ondervinding, meestal slegte ondervindings. J
Kennis maak mense interessant en gee jou ‘n breër uitkyk op die lewe en maak dat jy ander mense en dinge makliker verstaan.
~23, F, Master student, Industrial Engineering
Ek het bietjie oor kennis nagedink, en omdat ek op die oomblik hard aan die swot is het ek agterkom dat as 'n student mens die kennis het van hoe om te swot. Die vak wat ek nou doen is Financial Management, by die besigheidsskool, 'n MBA vak, en ek weet ons studente doen altyd baie beter as al die 'fancy' exec's want ons weet hoe om effektief te swot, en ons het die 'akedemiese fiksheid' om lank te sit en swot en konsepte maklik te verstaan.
Ek sukkel om op die oomblik meer kreatief te wees, is so bietjie van 'n 'mummy' met al die leer, so ek hoop jy kan dit gebruik!
Medical Doctor and Medical Aid manager, MBA, ~35, M
KENNIS vs WYSHEID
Ek het onlanks 'n wonderlike aanhaling gehoor ... "knowledge is understanding that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is understanding that you don't add tomato to fruit salad ...". Ek wens opreg om van daardie soort te wees wat die tamatie uit die vrugteslaai los!
Soveel keer in die lewe kom ek mense tee" wat al die kennis in die we^reld het maar regtig nie verstaan hoe om dit effektief aan te wend nie. Dis in my oppinie omtrent soveel werd as om by 'n boksgeveg op te daag met nuwe boks handskoene maar nie te weet hoe om dit vas te maak nie. Dis waarskynlik gevaarlik aangesien dit 'n vals gevoel van sekerheid skep. En dalk dodelik as jou vals bravade (die blaf sonder die byt) jou in die moeilikheid bring.
Sekerlike die beste voorbeeld hiervan in die film we^reld is Karate Kid. Die mentee ken al die katas, is fisies in top kondisie, het al die wil in die we^reld en moet volgens alle redelike en rasionele mates elke geveg met sy opponent wen. Die sensei, in teenstelling, is oud en grys, minder fiks en heeltemal vergenoegd met sy situasie. Maar die ondenkbare gebeur - die sensei hou met minimale inspanning die mentee op 'n afstand, weet presies op watter van sy opponent sy swakhede om te konsentreer en wen eindelik lag-lag die geveg. Die lewens les hier is duidelik om te weet watter gevegte om aan te vat en watter om te laat vaar.
My doel is om dieselfde te vermag - ek wil meesterlik my kennis inspan in die regte situasie, weet watter situasie om te laat vaar, en weet watter om bloot te aanvaar. Daar is natuurlik geen reg of verkeerd antwoorde hier nie. Want 'n absolute reg of verkeerd klassifikasie sou hierdie vaardigheid na blote kennis verlaag.
Ek het onlanks 'n Kevin Spacey fliek gesien met 'n storielyn van die Bush vs Gore verkiesings dramas in Florida. Aan die einde van die fliek vra Kevin Spacey (wat die Gore veldtog ondersteun) aan Gore, "So how do you know when to give up". Die wonderlike antwoord van Gore was as volg "You give up when you know that you can't win even if you are right". Mag elkeen van julle die kennis ontwikkel om die swaard meesterlik te hanteer en daarmee saam die wysheid kry om te weet wanneer jy dit nie moet gebruik nie. AGM
~35, Plant Engineer, M
I was confronted with writing what comes up when one hears the word “Knowledge”. The first one that came to mind was the insignia of the Special Air Service of Great Britain that states “Knowledge conquers fear”. The second one that came to mind was “The pen is mightier than the sword”. In these two statements one gets a hint of the power of knowledge and one gets an idea that it (knowledge) is being opposed to fear, warfare and ruin. Thus knowledge is to some extent defined by its antithesis.
Now one needs to ask oneself why is knowledge so powerful that it has a conquering nature to the one hand and a peacemaking nature on the other hand. My answer to that is that the development of mankind in every level or in every transgression to the next phase was pre- emanated by the discovery of a piece of knowledge that was applied with rigour by those who came to the light. The development of the stirrup conquered the equine animals that led to advantages at transport, agriculture and, of course, warfare. The development of the principle of two sided accounting (led by the simple equation of assets equal debt plus owners’ contribution) led to the modern financial system being developed. The discovery of penicillin led to antibiotics that led to an understanding of hygiene that led operations that led to mankind being able to live with each other’s heart. Then again knowledge led us to propel arrows that led to rifles and (not to open the debate of hunting for sport and rifle owners) that led to more carnaged warfare and genocide. In our discoveries – the application with vigour always had power, but the power was there for the choosing we could do it to the good or to the bad. To the good it conquers fear- it defeats warfare. Knowledge is the needle of the compass, its north pole defines the south and vice versa.
Since the rise of business schools terms like knowledge management came to light along with strategic, Pareto principles and wants and needs. Knowledge in itself cannot be managed – from its realization to its death (yes knowledge can die – how many can still fire a front loader rifle?), it is not the knowledge itself that is managed, but the application thereof. It is clear in our world that the 80% idea that sells is better than the 100% idea that does not – thus thousands of trees in the Amazon has been exported to the United States in order to make the 80% idea advertised, marketed, lobbied and the world still turns out the bad ideas. Thus in our application of knowledge management, we are to make sure that we get the 100% idea that will sell, that is the first principle. Secondly we need to know how are we going to apply the 100% idea that will sell to be the right pole of the compass?
I am asking the question once we have innovated, how are we going to ensure that this new innovation is going to help mankind (if it is the latest thing since the personal computer), our business (if it is the latest thing since the laptop) or only purely ourselves, our family and our society.
In the 1930s Jannie Geldenhuys (later to be the Head of the Defence Force of South Africa during the Angolan War) witnessed a soccer player teaching one of his friends how to really kick a rugby ball by taking the goose step line up and not the (as to then) traditional straight punt approach that was used in rugby. The soccer player’s technique only came to in use about a decade later. The question is why so long? My answer to that is that rugby was at that stage more an Afrikaans sport and soccer English. Afrikaners had to get beyond the psychological block of learning from an Englishmen and from a soccer player. Now the big question is (except for Percy Montgomery), how many rugby players still use the straight approach? – and the answer is – (you have guessed it) – none! That is purely because if you are using the straight approach – you will not even make your school’s first team – the benefits of the goose step so far outweighs the straight one that nobody thinks about it anymore.
Knowledge is managed by one principle, it is called the newspaper principle – knowledge is (along with newspapers) increasing in value, the more it is shared! (Unfortunately the idle knowledge distributes itself via the grapevine and via the gossipers – however in that it also proofs the power of knowledge!) Thus in knowledge management one question must always be answered and that is “How do we share this knowledge – because the better it is shared, the more value it will unlock. Imagine that every HIV positive person in South Africa and that is on anti-retrovirals can have a way in which to take that absolute rigid and complex drug regime every day. Imagine that the whole of the voters is properly informed on what the pros and the cons of a specific political ideology are and what the implication of that will be? Now that is managing knowledge – that is conquering fear and that is mightier than the sword.
We want more goose steppers! And we want stadiums full – not of supporters – but full of kids that want to learn how to better kick a ball. They will become tomorrow’s goose steppers. In knowledge management we not only need the idea – we need people to show the obvious positive results of gaining that knowledge – 3 points can win a world cup as Joel Stransky can say. He, himself a goose stepper, learned from the others before him. In knowledge and the management thereof, we not only need the inventions, but also the first appliers thereof and that is the challenge.
Once we have that we understand the conquering nature of knowledge.
~60,M,world citizen, networker across continents
Jy moet weet dat my kennis van die onderwerp "Kennis" maar 'n bietjie vaag is.
Wat wel vir my interessant is sonder dat ek die teorie ken, is hoe die mens se kumulatiewe kennis asimptoties toegeneem het in die laaste millisekonde van die geologiese tyd van die laaste 4000 miljoen jaar.
En dat baie van die kennis wat ons nou het en as nuut beskou, reeds lank gelede bestaan het...
En ook dat baie van die kennis wat die vroee mens gehad het "uitgesterf" het...
En verder dat baie van die "kennis" wat ons nou het, verkeerde kennis is, of altans gebaseer is op verkeerde feite/interpretasies; soos bv dat Columbus Amerika ontdek het.
En dan die Westerse beheptheid met "wetenskaplike" kennis en die onderbeklemtoniong van die metafisiese, die spirituele...
Is 'n saak wat nie wetenskaplik bewys kan word nie kennis?
Ag nou ja... ek moet nog baie leer hiervan.
Entrepeneur, Industrial Engineer, ~25, M, Own business.
Soos bespreek as jy MRS Balls kan gebruik as voorbeeld, hulle bestaan al so lank en weier om die resep te verander wat dus nuwe produkontwikkeling onderdruk.
Lecturer in Innovation, PHd, ~35, F
Kennis kom van allerhande plekke - mens kan vreeslik baie daarvan raakloop op universiteite, in biblioteke en ensiklopidiee, maar insig en wysheid dis iets anders, slegs lewenservaring en seerkry gee jou daardie besef, wanneer jou kennis die harde werklikheid ontmoet.
Wisdom Preserver and Connection Specialist, ~60, F
Technological change is accelerating. We are now beginning an era in which peoples knowledge and approach can become obsolete before they have even begun a career for which they have trained.We are living in an era of run away inflation of knowledge and skill, where the value of what one learns is always slipping away.
The age of "virtual" relationships is upon us with people changing careers, uprooting themselves, moving their families to follow new opportunities and constantly forming new but ever more transient relationships..
The traditional concept of community as a localized experience is giving way to a social model that looks more like an airport than a village.
I believe that even the most wired and wireless still experience the craving for a sense of personal connectedness. As artificial and virtual communities become more common, our need for a real sense of community will deepen, not lessen. Ironically the digital age will demand greater social competence of us- not LESS.
This is from the forward of a book called Social Intelligence by Karl Albrecht.
Social Intelligence
Key life compentency.
The ability to get along well with others and to get them to co-operate with you.
Two extremes
Toxic- feel devalued, inadequate, intimidated, angry, frustrated or guilty
Nourishing – valued, capable, loved, respected, and appreciated
People with high social intelligence – magnetic to others
Low SI – anti magnetic
Learn to collaborate and influence others effectively.
Managers need to understand and connect with people they appoint to lead.
SI can reduce conflict, create collaboration, replace bigotry and polarization with understanding and mobilize people towards common goals.
Civilization is more and more a race between education and catastrophe. H G Well
SI may be one of the most important ingredients for your survivial.
~45, M, ex surveyor, full time politician
Article from From: L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.
KNOWING AND BEYOND MERELY KNOWING
“So, what do you think?”
“Oh, I know all of this stuff.”
“Really? That’s great and surprising because while I authored it, I’m still learning heaps every day about it and feel that I only know a small portion of what’s in these books.”
“No ... [pause] ... that’s impossible. How can that be?”
“Well, that’s because there is knowing, and then there is knowing about knowing and then knowing in your body and well, many levels and dimensions of knowing.”
Well, that hooked him and off we went on a pretty intense conversation for the next five minutes. Part of what I shared with him are the following seven distinctions about “knowing.” Here’s to your knowing, to your knowing about your knowing (your meta-knowing) and your knowing holistically in every dimension.
As you know we now live in “the information age.” We entered into that age sometime in the mid-twentieth century. Since then information has been increasing at exponential rates and continues to. With the world-wide web, information has exploded via the internet. Information is not only growing at incredible rates, the inter-change of information is taking it levels previously unimagined. Now what once would have taken weeks or even months of study and research to find now takes moments at a keyboard and Google or other search engines.
Yet information isn’t our biggest need, more than that we need knowledge. Nor is that our biggest need, more than that we need wisdom. A dictionary is full of information, has very little knowledge, and absolutely no wisdom at all. “Knowledge” arises from the way we put information together and use it. Knowledge emerges from the structures that form and mold the data so that we can now “know” something in a given domain.
Actually, in terms of getting things done, in terms of taking effective action, in terms of using data for improving performance or moving it to the level of experience, information itself is often the problem. Information itself can become a significant contributing problem to getting things done. How often do we may think that the solution to our problems, to releasing our current potential, to experiencing more effectiveness, is more information. Another book. Another training.
The actual problem may be information incompetence. That’s because knowing more without knowing what to do with that information leaves you helpless. At that point, you are only one step beyond ignorance. Actually this is a form of information incompetence. Knowing more without the ability to translate that knowledge into action leaves you knowing-what, but not knowing-how. And that can actually create confusion in you. Confusion, after all, refers to the fusing together (“con”) of things that need to be distinguished. You “know” something and confuse the knowing of some particular what with the practical knowledge of how to implement and how to execute.
If there is such a thing as information incompetence, then is there an opposite? What is it? Is it possible to develop information competence? Is it possible to expand your “knowing” to other dimensions to make it more holistic? How do you develop that? What does that involve?
1) Distinctions of Relevance
This is the awareness of what information is needed and relevant. With anything and everything there’s lots of information that is simply irrelevant. There is information that doesn’t make any difference and that only clutters up your desk and your mind. In the area that you’re working with, what distinction/s do you need to order and structure the information? What patterns and categories will help classify the information? What is relevant? How do you know? What criteria are you using to make that determination?
2) Accuracy
This refers to the quality of the information that you experience and it comes in many different degrees. Is the information accurate? How accurate? How distorted? Distorted in what way and to what degree? How much accuracy do you need? How much looseness of information can you tolerate? Since information like other things is always changing, how current is your information? What is new or different with the information that you’re using and relying upon?
3) Contexts
Context refers to the environments and places where you will use the information. Information is relevant and accurate according to various contexts. In what context do you need information? What information do you need in that context? For what purpose?
4) Know-how knowledge
Some information is about content, other is about practice and application. Know-how knowledge is information regarding how-to apply the information to a specific situation and in a specific application. What know-how information do you need? How much of that know-how knowledge do you already have? What strategy do you already know? What information is missing that you need? What know-how knowledge would you like to have that would make a transformative difference?
5) Embodiment
We usually call the information that’s we have in our head “intellectual” knowledge. It is the know-about information that we learn academically. When you develop the ability to translate what you know in your mind into muscle memory, you close the knowing-doing gap. You then transform the information into intuitive knowledge so that you know it in your neuro-pathways and can perform the knowledge. Now your body “knows.”
6) Implementation
Once you translate information into your muscles for muscle memory, now you have the ability to apply that information. You can now execute what you know and close the knowing-doing gap by taking appropriate and effective action. You now actualize the information in your everyday actions.
7) Monitoring
Implementation is not the end of the story. The next step is to monitor the information that you have applied to see how well it works out. Is the information effectively translated into action? How well? What’s missing? How are you monitoring it? What feedback mechanisms are in place to hold you accountable for the effective actions? When do you check it out? How often? With such monitoring, you can then continually refine and hone the information, keep revising it, and develop a continuous improvement loop or kaizen.
Since all of this refers to a core capacity—that of information competence, then how competent are you in turning information into knowledge and perhaps even wisdom? How skilled are you with taking the information that comes your way via television, radio, internet, books, magazines, conversations, and so on and competently use, apply, embody, implement and monitor that information? How much more would you like to be? For translating mind into muscle, meaning into performance
Entrepeneur, Magazine editor, F, ~35,
Ek kan nie eintlik help nie, maar iets wat ek weet is dat die beste leiers/besluitnemers verseker die is met die meeste kennis, want as mens 'n moeilike besluit moet neem, sal die een wat die meeste weet van daardie onderwerp of situasie die beste besluit kan neem. Hoe meer ek weet van my veld, hoe beter kan ek besluite neem. Ek dink hierdie kennis is gewoonlik nie noodwendig boekekennis nie, maar ervaring.Boekekennis + ervaring - kry soveel moontlik kennis oor jou veld.
In die Groot Aanhalingsboek die gekry: " Ons weet so te sê niks nie van nagenoeg alles. Dit is egter nie nodig om alles van alles te weet nie. Al wat belangrik is, is dat ons WIL weet. Beskawings bestaan nie agv spesifieke kennis nie, maar weens die onstuitbare SOEKE na kennis." GEORGE ORWELL (1903 - 1950)
BAIE BAIE DANKIE VIR ONS HEERLIKE SJOKOLADE. EK IS MOS 'N VOLSLAE SKOKOLIS!! EN HET HEERLIK GESMUL!.
Information manager, ~40, M,
1. Hoekom voel ek beter in die Karoo?
2. As ek eendag iets vir die die mense kan "los" - wat is die manier om te bepaal wat regtig waarde het?
3. Hoekom het ek mense om my nodig?
4. Hoekom kan die mens "een word" met die "aanleg"? Hoekom kan ek hoor as daar fout is met die 1400 Nissan en die Isuzu?
Want as ek dit kan doen sonder te veel moeite, wat moet ek doen om 'n groot bydrae te lewer
5. "Waarheen moet ek gaan" as ek 'n goeie duuntjie of mooi woorde wil skryf wat saamgevoeg word en dan mense prikkel (dit wat byvoorbeeld Metallica reg kry)
6. As ek te min kennis het gaan ek mos iets "ontdek":
a. ek gaan nice yster erts kry waar niemand nog gekyk en geglo het nie
b. ek gaan uitfigure hoe om by mense se "breine" in te "tune" - want ek kan dan by "ander golwe" in "tune"
c. ek gaan ontdek om in tyd te beweeg
d. ek gaan ontdek hoe om iemand se gees te beheer of te identifiseer of mee te kommunikeer
e. ek gaan uit iets elektrisiteit maak
f. of ek gaan dit wat ons elektrisiteit voor nodig het kry uit ander bronne, so ek sal hitte, koue, lig en ander maak sonder elektrisiteit
7. Wat moet ek my kind voer om 'n Bakkies, Os, Federer, Schumager, Contador, Lance te word?
8. Hoekom teel ek nie vir my 'n beter ras nie? Hoekom doen ek dit met beeste en honde maar nie met mense nie?
So wat moet ek doen om die beter ras te teel?
9. Hoe kry ek mense om 'n besigheid te hanteer soos hulle eie? Klim uit die stroom en doen die belangrike dinge om suksesvol te wees
10. Hoekom wil ek 'n idee nommer tien gee en dan koebaai skryf?
11. Hoekom gaan 'n geoloog weg uit sy professie om snaakse dinge te doen, terwyl ek weer dink geologie is die beste ding ooit?
12. Wat sal die reels wees? ek vir ander vrouens kyk, myne is dan die beste?
13. Hoekom sukkel die mens om te anvaar dat ek vrouens vir pals wil he?
14. Hoe kan iemand soos Tiger Woods so aanhoudend dieselfde ding doen sonder om gatvol te word? Of is hy gatvol.
15. Denial is nie die rivier daarbo in Afrika nie, dis 'n vieslike gogga wat ek mee moet "deal" anders gaan ek nie "supermine" implementeer nie
16. Brainwashing is wat SAP reg gekry het. Hoe gaan ek dit FIX?
17. Om die Cheetahs na groot hoogtes toe te vat - sal my kos om al die mynbou besighede in SA se hoofkantore te skuif Bloemfontein toe
Wat moet ek doen om dit reg te kry? Moet ek TAX relief reel?
Wat sal die reels wees?
Scientist, M, ~30, Antartic Explorer, PHd student
Kennis. Ek weet nie baie van kennis af nie, al is daar 'n paar dinge wat ek weet.
Die een ding wat ek weet is dat deeglike kennis net oorgedra word deur harde werk. Vir die een wat dit het is dit harde werk om dit oor te dra, en vir die een wat dit moet kry is dit harde werk om dit te ontvang. Gelukkig is ouers lief vir hulle kinders, daarom kan die oordrag van kennis wat ons "opvoeding" noem plaasvind ten spyte van die harde werk.
Industrial Pshycologist, ~35, F,
Kennis is ‘n erge ding. Al gedink aan al die dinge wat ons anders sou gedoen het as ons dit Dan geweet het? Verwys – die Kennis van die Boom van Goed en Kwaad – eintlik ‘n onskuldige bystander wat ingesleep is ‘n storie wat die hele mensdom se gedrag verander het, albeit gebasseer op ‘n klomp afleidings en aannames wat regerings na selfs oorlog gelei het – nog steeds doen – want almal dink dat hulle die regte kennis het. En in dit ook opgesluit, ook die goud daarvan – kennis wat reg gebruik word se onmeetbare waarde – mense wat dinge van dinge af weet, kan soveel ander help. Kan soveel hartseer vermy en kan soveel bydrae in die samelewing. Mense wat die kennis wat hulle dink hulle het, nie reg gebruik nie, onmeetbare hartseer. Vraag? Hoeveel keer weet ons regtig wat ons nie weet nie – aanvaar ons dit net as realiteit?
Hoeveel hoop word nie gekoester in die afwesigheid van kennis nie – op ‘n emotionele vlak. Kennis van ‘n afwesige realiteit bring soveel berusting in juis dit – die afwesigheid van wete, kennis.
Kennis word van soveel bronne in die samelewing na soveel dimensies van die samelewing deurgegee en daardeur bou dit ‘n netwerk van sirkels. In elke sirkel, kennis van ‘n realiteit wat belangrik is vir daardie spesifieke sirkel..., maar binne daardie einste sirkel ook baie keer die onvermoe om die ander sirkels se andersheid te respekteer – juis omdat hierdie sirkel mos reg is – hierdie sirkel Weet mos – het die kennis – hulle dink, en so gaan die sirkels aan – verwys sosiale sirkels, godsdiens, politiek, etc, etc.
Kennis bring verantwoordelikheid, dit bring die voorwaarde dat dit met emosionele volwassenheid hanteer sal word, dat ten spyte van alles, dit saam met respek gaan. Die oomblik wat ‘n persepsie van kennis met ‘n onvermoe om ander insette/opinies te respekteer saamgaan, begin ‘n problem. Miskien daar waar die gesegde van “hoe meer jy weet, hoe meer weet jy hoe min jy weet” vandaan kom!
Ek moes op ‘n projek ‘n paar Bedryf-Sielkundiges lei wat male sonder tal vir my laat verstaan het dat hulle nie hierdie of daardie werk gaan doen of met hierdie of daardie mense gaan gesels nie, want hulle Weet wat moet gebeur – gaan nie luister wat die ander het om te se nie, want ‘n M-graad vat baie jare se studeer en as die ander mense dit nie het nie, watter waarde kan hulle byvoeg. Scary!! Groot les: Kennis, sonder respek, tyd om te luister en ‘n “open mind” is nie veel werd nie. Kennis met daardie basiese menslike beginsels (wat elke mens kan he – geleerdheid nie nodig) het die potensiaal om gedeel te word – en in die deel van kennis is die goue waarde opgesluit!
Ex GM of several large industries, keen gholfer, ~60, M
Ek het eers geworstel met die ware betekenis van die woord kennis. Kennis moet noodwendig iets meer wees as inligting, al is die twee woorde verwant aan mekaar. Sonder om my op die gebied van die taalkundiges te begewe, is daar vir my tog ‘n wesentlike verskil tuseen die twee woorde. Volgens die woordeboeke is kennis “ …..die feite, gevoelens en ervaring (ondervindinge) bekend aan ‘n persoon of groep mense”, terwyl inligting “….die kennis verkry deur ondervinding of studie” is. Vir my as leek lê die wesentlike verskil daarin dat kennis ontwikkel uit (onder andere) inligting wat verwerk en geinterpreteer word deur ‘n persoon. Die hoofbron van inligting is die Mens se omgewing, wat insluit bloodstelling aan ander mense, kulture en die ander bronne van inligting, soos die media, boeke, ensovoorts. Eers nadat die inligting verkry, verwerk en gestoor is, word dit kennis. Telkemale ondervind ek dat sommige mense die betekenis van die twee woorde verwar. Kennis is veel wyer as inligting en omvat onder andere, soos die definisie sê, feite, gevoelens en ervaringe.
‘n Persoon benut dus sy kennis om inligting te interpreteer binne sy verwysingsraamwerk, en hoe breër sy kennis is, hoe beter kan hy die inligting interpreteer, verwerk en toepas. Anders gestel, hoe groter ‘n persoon se bloodstelling in ‘n spesifieke omgewing is, hoe beter behoort hy sy kennis te kan toepas. In baie gevalle ontbreek hierdie bloodstelling. Prakties is daar baie voorbeelde hiervan:
• Jong, onervare staatsamptenare met geen kennis van hul “nuwe” omgewing nie, slaag daarin om dramaties foutiewe besluite te neem, nie omdat hulle nie die nodige inligting het waarop die besluit baseer kan word nie, maar omdat hulle kennis ( feite, gevoelens, ervaring in verwerkte en gestoorde vorm) waarop die besluite baseer moet word, ontbreek
• Stadsrade met beperkte strategiese besluitnemingvermoëns, neem besluite op grond van hul gebrek aan kennis , al is die nodige inligting tot hulle bekikking vir effektiewe besluitneming, met gepaardgaande verval van infrastuktuur en dienste.
Vergewe my simplistiese siening in hierdie verband, maar myns insiens is bogenoemde tog een van die redes vir die verval in die voorbeelde. Die persone betrokke beskik sekerlik oor die vermoë om goeie besluite te neem, maar die kennis ontbreek om effektiewe besluite te kan neem. Ek dink dat die beste besluite geneem word op grond van beide inligting en kennis.Die kennis aspek is die reeds verwerkte inligting, vroeër verkry, en maak deel uit van ‘n persoon se ervaringsveld.
Genoeg hiervan. Vir my as persoon was (en is) die verkryging van kennis nog altyd ‘n aspek wat op sekere fondamente rus. Die vernaamste hiervan is nuuskierigheid. Sonder nie nodige behoefte aan kennis is dit nie werklik moontlik om die inligting uit jou omgewing korrek te verwerk, te klassifiseer en te stoor vir latere herverbruik nie. Ander gestel, ‘n gebrek aan nuuskierigheid inhibeer die verwerking en stoor van inligting. Deur iemand van kindbeen af bloot te stel aan die die bronne van kennis, soos byvoorbeeld boeke, prikkel en ontwikkel so ‘n kind se nuuskierigheid en drang na meer en meer kennis.
Die behoefte aan kennis is my geval terugherleibaar na die prikkelinge in my vormingsjare, wat my nuuskierigheid meer en meer laat ontwikkel het (vandag nog kan ek dit nie verdra dat die telefoon ophou lui voordat ek dit kon antwoord nie, ek gaan dood van nuuskierigheid oor wie dit kon wees wie na my gesoek het!). Die belangrikste prikkeling in my kleinwees en jeugjare, was die liefde wat my moeder by my gekweek het om te lees. My moeder se geloof dat niemand sonder lees kan klaarkom nie en haar toewyding om my van kindsbeen af bloot te stel aan boeke, het ‘n natuurlike nuuskierigheid in my geprikkel tot ‘n leeftyd van soeke na kennis. Een van die aangenaamste komplemente wat ek in werksverband gekry het, het gekom van ‘n kollega, 25 jaar my junior. Na ‘n heeldagsessie van gedagtewisseling oor ‘n mynbouprojek waarby ‘n groot groep kundiges betrokke was, het hy my gevra: ”hoe kry jy dit reg om teen die einde van die dag nog altyd aan te hou vrae vra, ek was teen daardie tyd al doodmoeg en byna aan die slaap!”
Ek dink dit help om ‘n algemenis van aard te wees. Dan besef jy al te deeglik hoe gebrekkig jou kennis is, en is dit makliker om jou drang na kennis te bevredig. Dit is ook makliker om te onderskei tussen inligting wat van waarde is en en wat nie, sodat jy slegs dit van waarde verwerk, stoor en meet teen jou verysingsraamwerk. Te veel detail knak die vermoë om sinvol te interprteer, en plaas onnodige druk op jou geheue.
Jy het my gevra om iets te skryf oor kennis. Dit is ‘n onderwerp wat vèr buite my ervaringsveld lê, maar van een ding is ek seker: was dit nie vir my liefde vir lees en my gepaardgaande nuuskierige geaardheid nie, sou ek maar ‘n baie beperkte kennis van die wêreld gehad het!
Engineer ever since he ‘used’ estate agent’s boards to build expansion boxes for two stroke M/bikes which we ‘souped’ up at school. He owns a technology top 100 company
Gosh, this is a most interesting subject, the object of knowledge. And so many a truth has already been said.
I for one was always puzzled with the "fact" that we were taught that there were a finite number of wise people, namely three, The Three Wise Men. What made them so special? It took me about 30 years to write my own definition. Up to that time it never even struck me to look in the Oxford dictionary, what wise meant. Understanding the meaning of words often has a direct relationship to our knowledge or perceived knowledge of something or someone else's knowledge or perceived knowledge (trust / rapport factor).
I still have my definition of wisdom written down with a sketch of a rainbow (I found the pot of gold!), somewhere in a diary and it still bears an Eureka feeling. Something to the effect of, Wisdom: Is the positive future application from knowledge gained from a negative situation. Negative both meaning a negative vibe that forced one to be understand your knowledge or relisation of an unintended outcome from a decision due to lack of knowledge or misinterpretation of knowledge or using knowledge in an inappropriate context.
I.o.w. wisdom is applied knowledge.
I then thought there seems to be at least two kinds of wisdom, that which I call V6 wisdom, and insightful / enlightened / experienced and felt wisdom. To explain, V6 wisdom is like looking at how someone fitted an engine from a different vehicle into a new recipient, normally with a fair amount of modification. The point is, one can fairly much go and look at what someone else did, and then duplicate it (providing you already possess or are willing to acquire the necessary knowledge, skill and tools to do such a modification in the first place).
Then there is the wisdom or deeper understanding of knowledge that can only be gained by personal experience such as learning the difference between hot and cold. Nobody can explain it to someone else, maybe demonstrate the effects of it, but the only way to really have understanding is burning a blister on a hot stove or freezing your tong to a freezer's door, etc. Then we try and seek the compromise, the luke warm. The balance between the extremes. As all design or practical application contains compromise. The deeper the understanding of what we trying to achieve the less compromises there could be. We are only motivated by two things Pain and Pleasure, thus our knowledge is often learned and remember to gain pleasure or to avoid pain. The fight or flight principal or instinct.
Often the only way we end up understanding one thing, is by studying the opposite. Like a black hole, is defined be the surrounding phenomenon. Thus understanding paradoxes gives us valuable insight of how, especially, the unseen works.
It is also very interesting to observe that man mostly only applies knowledge for innovation when his back is against the wall. Most history books talk of the rise and fall of a certain nation, clan or group. Yet I think they fail to mention complacency. So I rather see it as the rise, the complacency and the fall. Our recent highs and now lows in the economy is a classic example.
There is one thing I know, every day we need to reinvent ourselves. As survival dictates that every day the slowest buck / antelope needs to run faster than the fastest lion and everyday the slowest lion must run faster than the slowest buck / antelope. The best sportperson today is not necessarily the best tomorrow as it is also relative to own performance and others' performance.
While playing around with my new DStv installation (I do these things out of curiosity and to limit my dependence on others) I realised that one should also have the necessary curiosity to want to know more and must be willing to invest time into acquiring such knowledge and here is where we often stand on the shoulders of giants. Further more, the more we move into the digital age the more external equipment we need (often sub contracting it or hiring it) to test and apply one's knowledge.
A great element of gaining knowledge that is remembered is through mucking about and having fun and games. The Eureka moments normally only come to us through, let's call it intuition, and that is normally when we relax. Repetition also assists in gaining knowledge and remembering our knowledge. Martial arts is a good example.
I have found that when I for instance have a new solution to think out or come up with to solve an problem, is to gather as much information as possible, digest it, and then just leave it while my subconscious does the processing, often giving answers in about two weeks (not without thoughT in that time). But then too often the solution has a much more urgent need or rather perceived need, especially in business or when there is a personal crisis. Never the less, the more diverse one's knowledge the quicker one arrives at a solution often more innovative, as ideas from a completely foreign branch of science or engineering is applied in a totally different situation.
Testing or verifying one's knowledge before application is also important. i.e. Measure twice, cut once.
Lastly we also need to remember that our reality is based on what we see and think, and does not necessarily contain any truth. Also the more we know the greater our responsibility.
Anyway genoeg vir know.
Father of the Ex. SAAF pilot, Mechanical Engineer and Knysna resident
Thanks for your note and thank you for your esteem. I don't have anything to add - you seem to have expressed it well, brief, succinct, for a huge concept. There is currently a noticeable explosion in knowledge, or so it seems due to the help of computers to store and retrieve. Something like our roads - we build more roads but in no time we have too many cars and need more roads. I think the internet will crash soon with a congested liver. Sad.
Ex. Air Force pilot, Mechanical Engineer. Iin charge of fixed wing test flying
Knowledge is all powerful but in the seeking thereof one should not forget (as often reminded by my father) that “you don’t know what you don’t know”.
Knowledge is also bound by universal laws of statistics. This simply means for the millions of us with normal IQ that “you can only be exact regarding little or know exactly little about a lot” but very few of us are capable of both.
There is a time dimension to the value of knowledge. As they say the “when can be as important as the what”. I have found the value of immediate or quick look data available minutes after a test can be of more value to a full blown report 2 months later but at the same time a rapid decision based on limited knowledge can have a huge impact easily avoided if proper analysis was done before decisions made.
Is information = knowledge ? I think experience is more important an ingredient for knowledge than information. A human needs to feel to really learn. The challenge today at the pace we live and work is to learn through the experience of others as there is no time to do it all on yr own.
On the collective knowledge issue - this is the fundamental reason why most major task / design etc still requires meetings.
There is a management truth I read the other day - “No one knows enough”.
Industrial Engineer, F, ~40,
gedigte is soms mooi metafore. Mens sal moet soek, maar daar is heel waarskynlik al gedigte geskryf oor kennis.
Iets van Yehuda Amichai:
AT RIGHT ANGLES
Hebrew Quatrains
The frogs of expectation leaped out of me and came back.
My water is shallow. The world is not bad. On track.
With Columbus’s eye, I discover a flower in the daily hack.
With an engineer’s hand, I draw my life in poetry, there and back
Former Air Force pilot,Industrial Engineer, Manager of a private school, M, ~40
We seem to be losing both the skills/experience based knowledge, as well as the realization that we’re busy losing it. For example, I believe that this is one of the factors that contributed to SA’s deterioration of infrastructure.
There are so many spheres touching our lives where this is critical. There is also the element of collective knowledge that has enables us to progress as a society. For example we know about computers, but I cannot build one. In fact left to your own devices in the bush, there is actually very little that we could devise individually.
My take on knowledge is basic. I am a natural hoarder and am filing verskrik. I think it’s driven out of fear of not being able to find the right thing at the right time. The fact that I seem to need that little screw or gizmo a day after throwing it out of my garage after it lying there waiting for it’s use to arrive, fuels this incessant obsessive behaviour. I sometimes think that Murphy really exists and that he lives in my garage waiting to see the look on my face when I make this realisation.
So how does this impact on my take on knowledge? Data that’s not available and useful at the time that you need it is useless, no matter how much of it you have stashed away somewhere. So knowledge in its crudest form represents to me data transcribed to become information which has been processed (value added) to become knowledge. I suspect that there will be as many opinions on how to define and manage knowledge as there are management consultants, but this is practically how I would advise:
Firstly, align with a credible body of information. E.g do you link with a sports science department or your old PT teacher if you’re concerned with the latest developments in exercise & training. I don’t think it’s necessary to qualify credible - verifiable, peer reviewed etc.
Have a system or process that you trust to turn the data into useful information. E.g. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration transmits global weather forecast data 24/7. Only good processing can turn the data into useful information. (Weather forecast)
Have a management system (archive, retrieval, version control, integrity, display, dissemination) which allows for the actual use, be it management information or on selling value added information.
17 July 2009 01:22 Asset Manager, ~50, Male
Knowlegde – something that you don’t realise you have until you see others who don’t have it. I mean, how many times have you shouted in your car : “Idiot, don’t you know where how to drive?” But realising that you have a certain area of knowledge is only one part of it. The other part is how you apply it. So here is my story:
Qualified as a metallurgical engineer and spending time in a coal beneficiation plant for more than 10 years is not everyone’s definition of the perfect job. Neither was it for me, having realised over time that Metallurgy has a dark side as well. For one, you can’t choose your location, the mine and plant is where it is. Over time I got interested in process control and programming, which led to a job in technology management.
It was a short hop to business development and project evaluation. Living in the city and seeing great projects in exotic places, now THAT was real fun! And, over the years I required a skill set without knowing it. Let’s forget the Metallurgy part, but think about project evaluation. You need to figure out if this project is going to fly.
If so, what are the risks? Where is the fatal flaw? This is what brought me in contact with Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). Now this is a big word for a very simply concept: Life is full of surprises. And whatever the reported IRR of NPV of the project is the day it is taken to the company board for approval, we know that the actual values will differ. So, with MCS one can anticipate these surprises and present to decision makers somewhat more than a single figure. Suddenly, one can truly paint an optimistic, pessimistic, blue sky, best case and worst case scenario. You have probably seen best case and worst case scenarios before.
The best case is usually so good that nobody believes it. And the worst case scenario is so bad that nobody even wants to contemplate it, let alone present it to the board of directors. So the numbers get massaged and a skewed version is presented. But MCS allowed me to quantify the probabilities of a worst case scenario to occur. It really is a fascinating topic. But so what, you may ask?
Let’s fast forward a few years. Goodbye Metallurgy. Hello Asset Management! A dramtic change in my life occurred but for the better. Owning your own company is great fun and while the going may be tough at times, it has its perks. Like getting up at 09:00 and driving to the office in 2 minutes (after all, being the boss you are allowed to choose where your offices are!).
The downside is that you find it hard to stop. There is a good reason why you fill in a leave form. Yes, to tell the HR department to deduct the leave from your allocation is maybe the official reason, but to me the biggest reason is to tell everybody else that you are on leave. Including yourself. Capeesh? But I am digressing.
The financial industry is vastly different from the mining industry. Yet there are similarities too. For one, both industries require some form of tertiary educution. The usual stuff – professors, lecturers, text books. Standard practice. Although I did my CFA I quickly realised that this is not the way how I think about investments. This is how you are supposed to think. I found that I am applying engineering logic to financial challenges.
And with my knowledge of Monte Carlo simulation I realised that the whole financial industry has got it wrong. Very far wrong. For one, the standard definition of risk is wrong. Volatitility. Bumpiness of the ride if you don’t understand the term. The whole industry is built around reducing volatility, adding shock breakers to the ride. Yet it turns out (to me at least) that the industry as a whole is simply too short-sighted.
Fund managers compete to get the best performance over a quarter. Financial analysts look ahead one year, maximum. Financial advisors are only concerned about selling the product with the highest commission (i.e. how much they can make THIS MONTH). With my MCS simulation I came to the conclusion that the whole pension fund industry revolves around a 2 year horizon. And investors are happy with that. Pension fund trustees as well. Everybody is happy.
Yet, the true definition of risk is not the bumpiness of the ride. This may be the emotional part of the risk equation. For instance, if an investment loses money, the financial advisor stands to lose a client. And the fund manager may expect withdrawals from his fund. And so on. So there are a number of vested interests in protecting the “emotional risk” component. It is not unimportant. However, with my MCS and engineering lenses on, I came to the conclusion that the true definition of investment risk is the “probability of not meeting one’s expected return over the investment horizon”.
There is no point in paying the bank an effective 4% of your capital per year to keep your money safe if you need a positive return after tax and inflation to reach your targets. Armed with this new definition of risk I discovered that most investors take far too little risk with their retirement assets. They are advised by experts with a 2 year investment horizon. But when armed with a 10 year or longer horizon, the picture changes. Effectively, a conservative investor should invest in balanced funds, an investor with a balanced risk profile should invest in aggressive funds. And an aggressive investor should not even bother with a regulated pension fund, he or she should invest 100% in equities. This is the picture that evolves when one accepts a 10 year or longer investment horizon.
Another startling discovery I made was Alpha. Let’s simply call this the degree of outperformance given a certain risk level (yes, you have it, volatility risk!) More than 90% of all fund managers underperform the trivial solution (being a combination of an investment in the equity market, i.e. satrix40, and the balance in a riskfree investment, like a moneymarket fund). And they even charge a fee for their “skills”! The same holds true for pension fund managers. This is a consistent fact, and holds true for all countries.
A MCS that I did revealed that obtaining alpha (outperformance) is five times more important than any other driver when it comes to the amount of capital one will have upon retirement. Far more important than the contributions you make, the returns of the market and even the risk profile chosen. Yet few people know this. Not even pension fund trustees know this. Obtaining a positive alpha is more worth than the entire amount that one will earn during a lifetime of employment! But employees don’t care. They simply accept that their pension fund will be adequate one day. What one doesn’t know can’t bother you! So I came to the conclusion that I have a message to spread. To anyone who is going to retire one day and who has ears.
This brings me to my final point on knowledge – passion. But let’s summarise first.
Point 1: Integration of knowledge sources (Metallurgy, MCS and investments) brings together the bundle of skills. The more unique the blend, the more valuable this bundle becomes.
Point 2: Applying this bundle of skills is important. The trick is to leverage this process into the scalable universe of Extremistan (to borrow a term from Nassim Taleb’s book, “The Black Swan”), away from the world of Mediocristan. And finally,
Point 3: Know why you are doing it. If your true motivation is derived from passion, you will have the energy to pursue this process, to pursue life. I have developed a passion to tell young investors how NOT to invest their money (older investors are somewhat hard hearing, so I concentrate on the younger ones). Discovering one’s true purpose in life is a journey, a process, but one that releases a powerful alchemy of skill, knowledge and motivation into pure raw energy. Now you know why I work until 02:30 in the morning. And don’t have leave forms to sign.
Here is my magic formula:
1. Bundle your skills in an unique blend.
2. Apply this knowledge in a scalable way.
3. Know why you are doing it!
Dr Morne Mostert, founder of Leadership Options and the creator of Systemic Leadership Learning Theory (SLL Theory) as part of his PhD thesis.
The model (from my PhD thesis) is known as the Knowledge Transience Map. It examines the relationship between what we already know and what we will know. We can take any aspect of knowledge and subject it to the options in the quadrants, with corresponding questions and potential actions that will emerge from each option.
Event organizer, entrepeneur, F, ~30,
In order for humans to develop a more productive relationship with knowledge, it would help us if we shifted our dominant culture from one of competition to one of collaboration. Why do we insist on pitting our intelligence against each other, rather than harvesting the sum of our collective intelligence to produce better decisions?
Here is my 5 cents for you.
Knowledge can be a stone in the head. In these fast-paced and changing times it is no longer simply sufficient to know things. It is also not sufficient to simply act on the things we know either. Many people are recognizing a need to find a way to slow-down and reflect before acting on knowledge.
In order to negotiate the many of the ills faced in the world today (the current global recession, the costs of rampant consumerism to earth's ecology, a loss of a sense of community etc) we need to start thinking and feeling through things before we act. Clearly it cannot be left to only the bankers, leaders or governments to be discerning.
As knowledge workers, we are at the coal face. If we engage our faculties of discernment and get more voluble about consequences which we can foresee, we can effect positive change and become part of the solution to the global problems that we as humanity are facing. We need to start thinking for ourselves and teaching our future generations to do so too.
The siloed mechanistic approach that served us through the industrial revolution is clearly not working any longer. In order to solve the problems we face globally, we need to take a more holistic approach that recognizes the interconnectness of things. In our universities and schools this might start with breaking down the barriers that exist between subjects and disciplines. Imagine Engineers collaborating with Linguists, with Accountants, with Theologians, with Psychologists.
We are caught up in competition and economic bottom lines. These things sidetrack us from what is really important. If we use the power of our collective intelligence, the result will be so much greater.
Industrial Engineer, F, ~40,
My terugvoer oor kennis (’n poging, ek weet daar is waarlik niks nuuts onder die son nie!):
Geen kennis is nuut nie, maar relevante toepassings van kennis is waarskynlik onuitputlik, die sg. weduwee se kruik.
Vanoggend oor RSG word natuurlik oor die maanlanding 40 jaar gelede gepraat. En o.a. word die vraag aan ’n persoon van die Astro-fisika (as ek reg onthou) departement by Potch gevra: is dit die moeite werk om al die tyd en mannekrag op iets so ver verwyderd van almal se daaglikse lewens te spandeer?
Sy lang lys van tegnologieë wat ’n direkte uitvloeisel van die maanlanding was, sal enige skeptiese persoon oortuig (behalwe die wat glo dat die maanlanding self ’n groot bluf was...)
Voedsame, verrykte babakos
Koordlose gereedskap
Smering vir enjins (spesiale smering moes ontwikkel word vir toestande sonder gravitasie)
Gevriesdroogde kos
Nierdialise tegnologie
Meer oor relevansie. Ek stap in die veld en sien nie die giftige swart mamba voor hy my sien nie. Nou ja, daar bestaan boeke vol inligting oor slangbyt, laboratoriums vol antiserum; spreekkamers vol slim dokters...maar alles help niks in die veld onder ’n doringboom 200km anderkant die Limpopo rivier nie.
Nog ’n vorm van relevansie is die regte ‘vorm’ van kennis vir die regte toepassing. Bv. ‘spiergeheue’ (muscle memory) – na 4 jaar se klasse en eksamens sal ek nie viool of tennis kan speel as ek dit nooit geoefen het nie. Kennis oor die versorging van siekes is belangrik, maar hoe ek dit toepas gaan baie bydrae tot sukses. Empatie is nodig, anders as (na bewering) sekere personeel in staatshospitale. Daar is waarskynlik ’n verband tussen sukses van verpleegpersoneel en hulle vlakke van empatie.
’n Slimmigheid wat iemand by die skryfskool kwytgeraak het wat aanhaak by relevansie: Geloof, hoop en liefde. En die grootste hiervan...moet jy self besluit
Asset Management, CEO, ~ 55, Male,
Ek het op die een gebroei! ‘n Lang storie kon ek nie uitdink nie maar hier is my probeerslag:
Kennis is orals en almal het een of ander kennis oor ‘n klomp onderwerpe maar wat kennis waardevol maak is as jy sekere elemente van die kennis kan bymekaarsit om iets waardevols te skep wat bruikbaar is vir ander mense en die bree gemeenskap. Meeste mense het die vermoe om dit te doen en in hulle koppe te hou as hulle idees. Dan is daar die mense wat wel aksie neem en hulle kennis aanwend totdat die 10 de probleem opduik . Hulle besluit dan hulle om by die eerste groep aan te sluit. Dan is daar die mense wat te stupid is om op te hou en dit word deursettingsvermoe genoem.
Normaalweg word die derde groep deur mense erken as ‘n oornag sukses. Terwyl die dikvellige stupid mense gewoonlik hulle sukses behaal na 14 jaar.
Minister of Religion, ~30, M,
Ek kan net dink hoeveel vreugde dit moet wees om voor soveel mense te praat. Geniet elke oomblik.
Ek doen gereeld blokkiesraai en die teenoorgestelde vir kenner is SOT. Enige iemand wat dus nie
weet hoe afhanklik hulle van kennis is en waartoe kennis jou kan in staat stel is wraggies ‘n SOT.
Ek weet, nie die mees opbouende inligting rakende kennis nie, maar ‘n
goeie verwysing nie te min. Dag dit sou net so ietsie wees uit die monde van ander.
Deel dit met ‘n tong in die kies en my oë op skrefies
Industrial Engineer, ~35, Sydney, Mining Venture Capital, Male
Kennis is vir my ‘n baie praktiese konsep. Ek sukkel om dit aan een of ander teoretiese blokkie te Koppel. Seker omdat ek ‘n praktiese mens is. Ek streef daarna om te weet wat ek doen, en te doen wat ek verstaan. Daarom is die praktiese toepassing van kennis vir my baie belangrik. Kennis het weliswaar begrippe, teorie, konsepte en allerlei ander goeters, maar vir my moet dit iewers ‘n verskil maak of dit het geen toepassing in my lewe nie.
Ek hoop dit help iewers.
17 July 2009 01:22 Asset Manager, ~40, Male
Wel, wat is lekkerder as om so lekker in die rede geval te word ? Kan nou nie eers onthou waarmee ek besig was nie !
Kennis – my vrind Kahlil Gibran het baie hieroor te sê gehad. Gerus ‘n verwysing werd. Gehoor van die spietkop van sy toets gedruip het ? Hy’t die stopstraat gespot en toe kry hy die toegee-teken … Ken-nis … om te ken. ] maar “ ‘n kennis” is nie ‘n vriend nie.
Nis – nis in die muur / nismark ] “weet van ‘n bepaalde area” - dis nou my eie afleiding. (Het nie ‘n HAT hier nie)
Kennis vs Ervaring
Kennis kan opgedoen / opgelees / vergeet / verloor word = gou… / crash course.
Ervaring kan nie opgelees / vergeet / verloor word nie = neem tyd om vergader te word.
Baie kennis kan mense help (wetenskap, medisyne, sielkunde, ens)
Baie kennis kan mense NIE help Nie (mense sterf aan kanker, VIGS, maak slim oorlog, mense manupuleer, ens)
Baie kennis (grade, titels, posisies) maak mense minder mooi – groot egos, groot koppe, verwaand, onrealisties.
Kennis vs Wysheid
Kennis kan jonk opgedoen word – ‘n 3 jarige is onlangs lid van MENSA – kon weet nie hoeveel wereldstede noem nie. Die meisietjie is nie wys nie!
‘n Ongeletterde Indiaan is baie wys – verwys na “Where did the White man go wrong” (
Kennis is weet – die jongman weet hy doen verkeerd, maar doen dit tog.
Wysheid – om nie dieselfde fout 2x te maak nie ; As jy dit wel doen – geniet dit ten minste !!
Wysheid kom met die Grysheid (kyk na VdS … “maar ek het ten minste nog hare !” Dis blote kennis !)
Kennis, Ervaring en Wysheid, en die grooste hiervan is die Wysheid …
Sê vir daai proffies, ek sê hulle het nog ‘n ent om te gaan !
Hoop dit help ?
Sent: 17 July 2009 01:14 Chartered Accountant, Entrepeneur, Industrialist, ~40,male
Kennis is inligting wat jy kan gebruik.
Inligting is data wat sin maak of georden is.
Iets wat bruikbaar is het 'n sekere nut - ekonomies, geestelik ens.
Voorspoed met die aanbieding.
Wysheid is ‘n potpourri van kleure, geure en teksture wat elkeen op sy eie geidentifiseer kan word, maar saam, ‘n nuwe, meer omvattende entiteit vorm. Wysheid kom deur osmose– nie deur kritiese denke, analitiese sisteme of blote kennis van die verlede of die hede nie. Wysheid is die integrasie van diep insigte (sommige ingebore en ander oorgelewer), oorgedraagde kennis, en kreatiwiteit in samewerking met eenders- en veral, andersdenkendes. Om wysheid te hê is ‘n gawe van die siel terwyl kennis ‘n gawe van die verstand is.
~ 57, F, Physiotherapist, artist
Levels of Knowledge:
Basic
General – Usefull, un- usefull
Basic – necessary for work
Specialist – Spesialist application
Intensive - super specialist
Acquisition of Knowledge:
Using all senses (best way)
Own method: eye-eye, hand-eye, foot-hand, hand-ear, eye-foot and itnegrae with the dominant brain is crucial for learning.
Try and hit, deductive, experimental, create own method
MBTH, Personality (Kolbe)
To will, combine
Knowledge is to take what we learn and to integrate it.
Knowledge is power to take to to where you want to be.
Knowledge does not come by itself, you need to work
Integration is needed
Knowledge leads a maturity on the topic and personality development
It has an effect on the objective and visa versa
Application depends personality, integration and experience
Experience ia also knowledge
Knowledge is diverse
It increase relative to the “effort”
Lerning never stops because their parent want to learn them.
You can not loose it
Either it is in depth knowledge or general knowledge.
Success is to be curious, a will, opportunity
Sensomotoric: to know all out of the body, e.g. to be able to swim and ride a bike after 20 years.
Metaphysical: to just know intuitively.
Environmental: kids learn because their parent want to learn them
~50, Former Chief Economist of a large bank
Hier is my stuiwertjie in die armbeurs:
Kan kennis gekoop word? Waarskynlik ja, maar dit kom steeds nie sonder investering (in tyd) nie. Kan insig of wysheid gekoop word? Dis ‘n moeiliker vraag, en mens sou seker wou sê “nee”. Maar miskien kan kennis tog na insig omgeskakel word, mits jy nog meer tyd investeer en dit met (praktiese) ervaring gekombineer word. Maar wat is dan die verskil tussen insig en wysheid? Waarskynlik maar ‘n dun lyn ... so dalk is wysheid tog te koop ...
Maar wat is kennis werd? Dien dit enige doel as dit net in jou kop gaan sit en jy niks daarmee doen nie? Jy kan dalk jou vriende by ‘n braai te beindruk met jou kennis oor die paringsgewoontes van reuse seeskilpaaie, maar dit dien weinig meer doel tensy jy beplan om om by ‘n marinelewe navorsingspan aan te sluit. Maar miskien hou jy net van die interessantheid van die onderwerp. Dan is jy ‘n gelukkiger mens omdat jy kennis daaroor opgedoen het. So kennis dien dan steeds ‘n doel, al “doen” jy niks daarmee nie!
~28, PHd Student Communication Pathology, F
Iemand het een keer gesê hoe meer jy leer hoe meer weet jy hoe min jy eintlik weet. Dit is dalk my mees prominente ervaring van kennis. Kennis kan jou leer om nederig te wees, maar net as jy dit versigtig vermeng met ‘n stukkie insig en wysheid, leer jou om nederig te wees. Te dikwels leer ‘n mens ‘n klein stukkie waarheid oor ‘n nuwe onderwerp en loop dan wyd en syd daarmee te koop, net om met die latere inwin van verdere kennis tot die ontnugterende besef te kom dat jou stukkie kennis eintlik net die oppervlak skraap, of net die een kant van die munt is. Ten spyte van die bewerings van postmodernisme glo ek steeds dat waarheid absoluut is en ook geken kan word. Ek dink byvoorbeeld nie dat die tannie agter die glas in die bank met my gaan saamstem as ek haar probeer oortuig dat my bankbalans ‘n relatiewe waarheid is en dat sy nou maar vir my die 3 miljoen randjies moet gee want EK glo daar is soveel geld in my bankrekening nie… Terselfdertyd is ek oortuig dat ons met nederigheid en leerbaarheid moet deelneem aan die proses van kennis inwin en uitdeel, altyd bewus van ons eie feilbaarheid en die feit dat ons hierdie kant van die graf net “ten dele ken”.
~24, M, final year student Industrial Engineering
"The act of doing something enhances knowledge gathering compared to sitting behind a desk trying to learn some mindless facts. Learning by doing results in knowledge being placed into context therefore wisdom is being formed. The ultimate reward is wisdom and not being a walking encyclopaedia."
~40,M,PHd, Electronic Engineering
Grysbaarde, melkbaarde, doeners en denkers
Hierdie is my storie by Iscor voor die draai van die millinium.
Iscor se uitvoerende bestuur het onder leiding van Hans Smit op die tyd, in hulle poging om maatskappy winste te verhoog, alle persone bo 50 te laat gaan. Die storie in die gange was gewees, die ervare manne kos te veel geld en volgens die ondernemingsbestuurshandboeke van die tyd en die goed betaalde konsultante vanuit die keiserryk, ook bekend as die Vereenigde State van Amerika, kan jy staalmakers en myners vars op die straat vang wat dieselfde werk kan doen met dieselfde papiere, met die verskil dat hulle baie goedkoper is.
Die grysbaarde pakkette geneem en plek gemaak vir die melkbaarde. Die belansstate het begin goed lyk en die produksie het gestyg! Almal was tevrede en dit het gelyk of die maatskappy herstruktuering kan werk. Vonkelwynproppe het geskiet, duur konsultante is betaal, die bestuur het vet bonusse ontvang en die produkte wat by die hekke van die aanlegte moes uit na kli-ente het geval na 2% van die totale vervaardigde produk in 1998/99. Dit blyk toe met nadere ondersoeke dat die voeling wat die grysbaarde gehad het vir die hartklop van 'n aanleg of masjien, was dit wat die produkte by die hekke uitgekry het. Die melkbaar het dit reggekry om 98% skroot te vervaardig en Iscor het een van die grootste skroot vervaardigers in die bedryf geword.
Prosessingenieurswese op hoofkantoor was getaak gewees om van die probleme by aanlegte en myne op te los. 'n Tipese senario was dat die nodige kwaliteit nie gehaal was by 'n aanleg nie. Dit het gewoonlik die impak gehad dat 'n stroomaf aanleg die produk verwerp het en op die ou einde 'n lae opbrengs die werke verlaat het as kwaliteit produkke waarmee kli-ente te vrede sou wees. Die aanlegbestuurder of -ingenieurs het ons gewoonlik gekontak, gewoonlik met verskriklike ingewikkelde teori-e oor wat verkeerd sou wees op die aanleg. Ons moes dan dit bevestig en met 'n oplossing vorendag kom. Die aanlegoperateurs se mening was gewoonlik nie gevra nie, en na 'n groot gesukkel kon ons gewoonlik toestemming kry om ook met hulle te mag praat. Al die kere wat ons moes probleme oplos het ons agtergekom dan die aanlegingenieurs baie selde op die aanleg gekom het en nog minder met die aanlegoperateurs en proseskontroleerders gepraat het. Die teoretiese verduidelikings was ook dikwels ver verwyder van die praktiese ervaring van die manne op die produksielyn. Dit het dan ook gereeld gebeur dat ons data analise en modellering dit ook uitgewys het dat die ingenieurs verkeerd was en die operateurs reg, alhoewel die operateurs nie die teoretiese kennis of tegniese woordeskat gehad het om 'n probleem volledig te kon beskryf nie. Later het ons geweet om die ingenieurs, proseskontroleerders en aanlegoperateurs se verskillende weergawes van 'n probleem aan te hoor voordat ons enige verdere werk doen. Eers nadat ons al die stories na ingenieurstaal toe vertaal het, het ons verdere aksies geformuleer en analises begin doen. Ons het dan ons bevindinge met almal weer gedeel om te bevestig dat ons reg gewerk het. Ons het gereeld verskynsels ge-identifiseer in ons analises wat dan deur die proseskontorleerders en aanlegoperatuers bevestig is.
Nie alle probleme kon ons met analises, teori-e en melkbaard operateurs en kontroleerders uitsorteer nie. Die meer ingewikkelde probleme het soms geverg dat ons grysbaarde met hoed in die hand moes nader om te hoor wat hulle ondervinding was om wel kwaliteit staal te kon maak.
Die kennisintegrasie van die grysbaarde-wysheid, die melkbaarde-waagmoed, die operateursondervinding gekorreleer met ordentlike ingenieursteori-e het gelei tot die tydige oplossing en voorkoming van prosesprobleme om seker te maak dat kwaliteitprodukte die werke verlaat.
~24, M , Masters student in Engineering Management, fund manager, entrepeneur
There are 4 levels of knowledge.
1) You don't know, you don't know
2) You know, you don't know
3) You don't know , you know
4) You know, you know
From the readings of Malcolm Gladwell in his book "Outliers", the common connection between those who have achieved success is the path they followed to attain the key piece of knowledge within their field. This path is by no means easy nor is there an alternative easier route.
Those individuals who strive for success without attaining the right knowledge survive in a state of denial and can only look forward to the inevitable collapse of their scheme. These are the individuals who approach and boast to people the venture or business they are going to start and what a success it is going to be within the short time period they suggest. These individuals are in the first level of knowledge and it often takes an event or person to act as an intervention and enlighten them to the fact that they don't know that they don't know what they are doing or talking about.
Once this step is taken I believe a person is on his way to enlightenment and so they progress to the second level of knowledge. Individuals who still wish to achieve success will educate themselves and attain the relevant knowledge to make their venture a success.
Often times things start to go right, plans work out and strategies fall into place and the individual is confused as to the likeliness of the events exclaiming notions like " how could I have been so lucky. This however is not luck, the individual has progressed to the 3rd stage and doesn't know that the knowledge he has attained and the work he has done has set him up for this success.
The final stage of 'enlightenment' is achieved after success has been attained and the individual who has been immersed in the quest to attain the necessary knowledge takes account of what he has done. These individuals publish biographies and have become respected figures within their fields. These individuals know - that they know.
Enlighten yourself - don't be a Jack of all trades and a master of none - otherwise you will remain just that , a JACK
~43, M , Electrical Engineer turned Busniess consultant, MBA, Coach
Maybe we should widen the question to include wisdom and intelligence as well. Knowledge is really nothing, worthless, useless, it just is… UNLESS you can apply it, do something with it, make it practical, useful, contributing. So then, shouldn’t we be talking about knowledge being a building block, a pre-requisite, a pre-cursor or requirement for WISDOM. Maybe we should be talking about wisdom management as opposed to knowledge management.
Another notion: Knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, how much of it is born into us (nature), and how much of it is taught or experienced into us (nurture)? This is part of the age old nature vs. nurture debate. I think it is however very relevant in the case of knowledge management and the creation, extraction, application, use of wisdom. I personally think most of it is nurture, although a small percentage (maybe 10% or less?) is on-born, part of nature, in the DNA, instinct…
Another question: How much of the nurture is REAL EXPERIENCE?, versus, how much of it is just told/taught to us, as being the truth…? (Think Apartheid, etc.) This means that it is possible that a huge percentage of what we take/accept as knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, experience, could actually be FALSE, not true, not the best option, not the only option, just somebody else’s experience of whatever the issue is… This is really scary man! It means that a whole lot of who I am, …of what I believe to be the truth, or valid… could be somebody else’s life (or lies?)! Unless I examine what I take to be the truth, or my perception of the truth… I could be living an absolute illusion, a lie!
Now, what does all of this mean for the organization? If we think back about the experiment done by the guys at MIT with the 5 monkeys in the cage, with the water spray behind the bunch of bananas, and how the monkeys were removed, to be replaced by “new” “fresh” monkeys, after a while monkeys that had NEVER been sprayed with water, didn’t even attempt to go and get the bananas!! This is a very simple metaphor for organizational culture and the INCREDIBLE power of culture! I have a premise, a thought, a suggestion… that at least 80% of what we believe, do, accept, acknowledge as the “rules of the game” in organizations, is due to UNTESTED / UNEEXPERIENCED beliefs, which then form the culture of the organization, the way we do things around here… It is not our own experiences, they are not PROPER experiences, they are only stories, anecdotes, indications, teachings, suggestions, from those that have been around the place for much longer! It is almost unbelievable that the most intelligent (I am not sure of this?!) being on planet earth, can operate like this, just simply, blindly, accepting untested “truths” as gospel! Does this imply that organizations could be “mad” / “crazy” as defined by the psychology fraternity, because the basic beliefs, references are NOT RATIONAL!? A scary thought, isn’t it! I truly believe that there must be a way in which we can get new employees to “experience” the culture (the real thing) and build upon it, in order to improve on it… that will lead to true experience as opposed to just “hearsay”. This will mean that we are going against the “immune system” / “antidote for anything new” in an organization, which will prove to be very challenging indeed, but I think it can be done…
Another thought: How much of knowledge is Emotional versus Rational (Cognitive). I think fundamentally that most of what we refer to as knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, (more than 50%...) is actually emotionally driven, and NOT rational / cognitive… As organization, we do not even consider the emotional side of the human being as being important, although it is clearly part of knowledge and wisdom. I think we are missing a huge opportunity here. Is it not maybe, a primal process, as opposed to a rational/cognitive process…
I am not sure that I have helped anything with the initial question of what knowledge is… But maybe we need to consider these issues from a different angle every now and then! Hope this stimulates some thinking and maybe some debate somewhere, and that you can use it is putting something really exciting together. Thanks for the opportunity to add a little to this process.
Another “overnight” thought, for those left brainers you might connect with!
Data becomes information when it is arranged or manipulated in a useful way (like reporting, etc)
Information becomes useful when it can be applied and means something in practice
Knowledge is information including some form of experience, or learning
Intelligence is knowledge applied, including the experience, AND the appropriate attitude
Wisdom, I think is the ultimate, it is intelligence, with the emotional / gut feel part, it is a process of “making it your own” - integrating intelligence into your armoury (your make-up, the way you do things), into your way of doing things, it is “knowing” / “feeling” (gut feel) what is right versus calculating (intelligence) what is right.
The same Engineer below with the technology top 100 company did a Technology Leadership Program (TLP) similar to an MBA or MBL and race bikes - circuit and offroadand have a 2nd Dan in Kyokushin Karate
Knowledge remembered by reminiscing and also triggered by our senses, whether it be by smells, sounds, sensations, feelings or what we see. It's actually frightening to realise or know how much we forgot, and it's not that we forget but rather the inability to access what we already know. By reminiscing, different peoples' perceptions of the past trigger our past memories, knowledge or experiences, and often people remember just what they want to remember, whether it is a conscious choice or not. This is normally a reflection of our perception or frame of reference of the knowledge and it is not necessarily based on truth. Thus there are no guarantee for knowledge to be a truth, rather our personal experience of the our knowledge is our own truth or reality.
Our senses very often trigger past memories, like traveling back in time at supersonic speed. Immediately one can vividly remember a situation many years back.
When in fight or flight mode is, I think, our knowledge is cumulatively based on genetic instinct, our Magnetic or Universal consciousness, beliefs (not religion, just what we believe), personal experience, training and knowledge and our time / space perception and interpretation of a threatening situation. Our resultant intuitive survival is brought about by using a combination of all these knowledges in assessment of the threat and how to best survive whether we decide to flee or fight or do a combination thereof.
When we have all these knowledges working in symphony for firstly our own preservation and secondly to minimise the cost to others it reflects a summary of all our knowledges and resultant triumph of SQ. The wisdom of applied knowledge and intuition to do the "right" thing.
When driving, riding or racing it's is our mastering of our time / space perception (so the brain perceives in slow mow thus has more time to process all the info), our ability to overcome our survival reactions (these SRs are often the reason for a crash) and then, where we decide to spend our attention (ovoid target fixation at best). The knowledge used for this type of mastery and survival is also well illustrated with the repetitive training and execution of martial arts techniques. Visualisation has a great part to play in the successful application of these "knowledges" with any mentally and physically extreme sports / activities.
Ek sien meeste mense het sport ook as kwaalifikasie of passie. Dit maak eintlik sin om sulke ondervinding of kwalifikasies by die skrywes te sit want dit gee lesers 'n beter ideë van die skrywers se verwysings raamwerke en agtergrond. From this we can have different analogies too.
~25, Civil Engineer and Power Station constructor, M
My persepsie van Inligting wat ek nou die dag half met ‘n skok agterkom:
Die raaisel: hoe ek as Ingenieur en Projekbestuurder al my projekte kan kwantifiseer, en dit kan wissel van die bou van ‘n muurtjie tot ‘n R 120 miljard nuwe Medupi kragstasie - maar hoe dit eintlik onmoontlik is om kennis te kwantifiseer. Omtrent alles wat deur die mens in die lewe gemaak is het ‘n waarde, maar kennis…
1 bar 9 ct goud: (12.5 kg = 400 onse): $ 944 * R 8.16/ $ 1 * 400 onse = R 3,081,216.00
Gautrain projek: R 12 miljard: (R12,000,000,000.00)
Medupi kragstasie: R 120 miljard: (R 120,000,000,000.00)
1 leë vel papier: R 0.10
500 leë velle papier: R 42.99 (by CNA)
1 pen: Parker: R 69.99 (by CNA)
1 leë boek met pen: R 112.98 (R 42.99 + R 69.99)
1 lyntjie ink op 1 vel bladsy: R 0.10 + 0.1 sent
23 lyntjies ink op 1 vel bladsy: R 0.10 + R 0.02 = R 0.12
En na ‘n bietjie shuffling van die 20 lyntjies…
E=MC2…Priceless (veral as jy die E met I vervang ;-)
There are some things in life money can’t buy (like knowledge) – for everything else there’s Mastercard
~35,Mechanical Engineer, MBA, arms industry, M
Dis net na een op ‘n snikhete Vrydag middag. Ek is saam met al die onderwysers en beoordeelaars wat “KENNIS” moet evalueer. Glo dit as jy wil – ek is ‘n beoordeelaar by die 2006 Noord Transvaalse “Wetenskap Ekspo”. Ons is in die L.C. De Villiers gebou by Tukkies se sport gronde. Ek het ‘n bietjie heimwee – ek het baie van my “KENNIS” hier opgedoen – meer van die informele (sagte) kennis as die harde (vak kundige) kennis. Kennis, nie te min.
Ek kyk deur die lys van deelnemers – Waterkloof, Boys High, Affies (meisies en seuns). Ek voel skoon geintemedeerd, ek was nooit op so ‘n “fancy” skool nie. Hier en daar chit chat ek met die onderwysers. Kan nie rerig een van hulle peil nie. Watse KENNIS dra hulle oor? Watter KENNIS het hulle? Kan hulle KENNIS oordra?? Hoe beoordeel hulle KENNIS??? Hoe meet hulle KENNIS? Hoe lyk ‘n top preseteerder in KENNIS??? Ek hoor net so tussen deur (ek is nie deel van die conversation nie) dat die wiskunde en wetenskap ding hoogty vier. Die jag na onderskeindings in wiskunde en wetenskap is alive and well. Net so alive and well soos in my tyd (Matriek in wat jy nie politiek korrek meer kan verwys na nie as die goeie ou Suid Afrika). Ek verwys spesefiek na die ou Suid Afrika omdat ek elke dag hoor hoe die standaarde verander het (vir die slegte natuurlik) en agteruit gegaan het van daardie tyd.
Ek stap uit vir bietjie vars lug en stap om die dam. Ek sien vir D en sy ma aankom. So paar weke gelede het ek vir D (en sy ma en sy juffrou van Hoerskool Waterkloof) gehelp met D se projek. Jy kon met ‘n stok aanvoel dat D nie net geen gevoel en/of belangstelling in sy Wetenskap en Wiskunde taak gehad het nie maar ook dat hy teen wil en dank deur juffrou en ma gemaak is om in te skryf vir hierdie kompetisie. Nog een van die wiskunde en wetenskap victims. Ma en jufffrou glo dat good grades in wiskunde en wetenskap die ultimate is. KENNIS word gemeet in terme van Wiskunde en Wetenskap punte en/of onderskeidings.
Dit neem my terug na September 1992 (in die goeie ou Suid Afrika). Ek het Phytagoras boeke (opsommings van vorige jare se eind wiskunde vrae stele), ek het one on one klasse by tannie L in die Wiskunde. Behalwe dit het ons (al drie hoerskole in Sasolburg) ook nog Saterdag na Saterdag ekstra klasse van tannie F (van die Tegniese college) om ons te help met Wiskunde. Drie efforts om die inhability van die “goeie onderwys stelsel” te rectify. Anyway, het toe my onderskeiding vir Wiskunde gekry, boek prys gekry vir Wiskunde (en Wetenskap en Engels). EK lag net so in my mou as die “bewaarders van die sedes en die goeie stelsels” vir my vertel hoe sleg die huidige onderwys stelsel is. EK vertel gou vir hulle die wiskunde storetjie. Almal is dan die duiwel in vir my. Anyway – KENNIS soos deur hulle gemeet beteken vir my niks.
EK staaf my teorie met ene R, 38, (Phd van Potch – in Engineering natuurlik). R kan somme maak wat ek nie eers kan uitdink nie. Hy wil sy bestaan regverdig met sy “KENNIS”. Sy Kennis vat hom drie weeke om tot die nde graad en die 700 ste desmiaal ‘n som te maak wat ek op EXCEL in 10 minute maak. Hoewel hy die wit waks uit my irriteer is ek tog baie jammer vir die maat. Hy is ‘n victim van die “ Wiskunde en Wetenskap KENNIS”. Ek moes saam met R sit en vir hom leer hoe maak jy finansiele somme, hoe werk jy rentes uit, hoe werk jy budgets uit, wat is die invloed van die verskil tussens kredietkaart rente en rente op ‘n vaste eiendom. R het oor die 100k se kredietkaarts skulde en geen vaste eiendom nie. Hy kan al die somme maak en sien wat die invloed is nie.Sy problem is die implementasie – wat doen ek as ek die antwoorde van die somme het om my finsnsies te verander. Vir my persoonlik gaan dit daaroor dat Kennis gaan oor die applikasie van die kennis, hoe implementer jy. Mr Rufus KENNIS (soos gedefinieer deur skool en kerk) beteken niks nie as jy nie kan implementer nie.
Terug by die wetenskap ekspo begin die beoordeling – LC is vol stalletjies van patente en inventions ens. Dit is obviously duidelik waar pa en/of ma en/of iemand anders gehelp het en waar die skolier dit self gedoen het. Ek doen die judging en kom agter dat daar ‘n groot afwagting/nuuskierigheid is by die onderwysers wie se kinders uitgestal het. After all, die kind se prestasie reflekteer op juffrou. En die hartseer deel daarvan (wat ek eers baie later en na baie wrakke wat ek agtergelaat het agterkom) is dat dit werklik die som total van daardie juffrou se wereld is. Kennis moet die jufforu se wereld maak werk (irrespective van wat met die kinders gebeur). Ek het die (voor)reg om eksterne eksaminator te wees by ‘n paar “universities of technology” en universiteite. My KENNIS (gebasseer op my ondervinding en blootstelling) gee my ‘n heeltemaal ander uitkyk oor KENNIS. Ek het vrede of iemand 80% kry en of hy dit nie maak nie. My objective is om seker te maak hy/sy oorleef in die regte wereld as hy/sy klaar is met studies. My KENNIS het my geleer en/of ge-evolve om nie my prestasie of waardigheid te meet aan iemand anders se prestasie nie. Een van die mees kosbaarste se goed wat ‘n swart stoorman my gegee het was die volgende “Moenie jou hartjie by die werk hou nie” – na aanleiding van Naas wat himself opwerk oor probleme by die werk. Klink baie eenvoudig, Nou sit jy in ‘n bestuurs posisie en my mense presteer nie. My hartjie voel seer, ek voel ek kry nie reg om die mense te lei en inspirer nie. Lekker om te kritiseer – nie so lekker as dit met jou gebeur nie.
Ek wil amper se my enigste redding is die feit dat ek my teorie bevestig het (en dis baie meer pyn vol vir my as wat ek hier kan beskryf) – KENNIS gaan oor implementasie – ek kan elke management en leadesrship boek lees en klas bywoon en business breakfast bywoon. Daar waar ek moet implementeer en al die KENNIS moet toepas en mense moet laat presteer deur toepassing van kennis word die mans van die seuns geskei, die wat wil van die wat kan, die met potensiaal van die met capability. Vir my gaan KENNIS oor die implementasie (dis my uitkyk en ek kan verkeerd wees).
Terug in 1992, my beste pel (op daardie stadium) P en ek vang vis in die Vaal rivier. Ons pa’s het saam by SASOL begin in 1969 as vakleerlinge (appies). Van dag een af was engineeers van die duiwel. Engineers kon niks reg doen nie. Langs die braaivleis vure, as ons op pad was, as ons by die huis was het ons gehoor dat engineering not the way to go was. Later aan het die twee vaders albei eers in die teken kantoor en toe later op Technikon geswot en nie te slegte jobs gehad nie. Nog steeds was engineers van die duiwel.
Deur die jare het my pa besef dat alhoewel hy engineers haat, hy graag sal wil he dat ek gaan engineering swot. Sy verwysings raamwerk op daardie stadium in tyd (en binne sy verwysings raamwerk) het vir hom gese dat finansieel sal dit baie beter wees om engineering te gaan studeer as nie. (My pa was nie baie groot op die studie ding op skool nie, dus geen universiteits vrystelling ens – iets wat hy sy lewe lank oor spyt was). Anyway, hy het dit besef dat alhoewel hy engineers haat – dit vanuit sy point of view (en met inagneme van sy verwysings raamwerk) vir my en my broer die beste sal wees om engineering te gaan swot.
Die KENNIS wat hy op daardie stadium gehad het het hom gemotiveer om ons aan te moedig om engineering te gaan swot. Daarby het hy ons gedurig aangemoedig om akademies te presteer – weereens om nie die pad te loop wat hy moes loop nie. My pa het ongelooflike opofferings gemaak, veral finansieel om voorsiening te maak dat ek en my broer kon gaan studeer. Is dit nie KENNIS nie???? Alhoewel jy die “tipe” haat het jy die clarity van mind om te besef dat jy jou eie vooropgestelde idees en experiences agter te laat en in my beste belang ‘n besluit te maak. Dis mos nou KENNIS.
P– my beste pel op skool het SASOl beurs gekry en is Potch toe – het Eerste jaar twee maal gedruip en werk nog (as to this date) as operator by SASOL. Die prentjie van Engineers wat van duiwel is wat geskets is sy lewe lank het hom by gebly. Hy het net nie in die regte groep menmse beweeg om dit af te skud nie. Ons het albei baie dieselfde groot geword, tog het enkele fasktore on KENNIS radikaal anders laat verloop (Sy KENNIS is waarskynlik meer as myne). Na baie jare het ek dit uit gefigure. Sy pa het nooint die KENNIS gehad om te besef dat hy sy eie vooropgestelde idees moet verander ten einde te verseker sy kind se lewe gaan anders nie
Michelle Harding (CEO van Petzakis Africa) se tydens ‘n praatjie dat die grootste problem in SA nie meer in nagclubs is nie – die die tipe talk wat langs die braaivleis vure gepraat word. Jong mense word negatief beinvoed en het nie lus om aan te gaan nie. . Die gewaar wording van P se verhaal was een van die pynvolste ervarings wat ek ooit gehad het. P staan voor my, gebroke. Hy vra aan my die vraag. Hy verstaan dit nie. Sy lewe lank is daar aan hom die prentjie voorgehou dat jy nie op engineering vlak moet werk nie – jy moet op die “tools” wees. Hy het bloot vir sy pa probeer wys (in ‘n poging om aanvaarding van sy pa te kry) dat hy sy pa se seining eerbieding. Hy het engineering gedruip en werk op die tools soos sy pa hom geleer het. Nou is sy pa die een wat vir hom die duiwel in is omdat hy nie engineering doen nie. Wat antwoord ek hierop?? Ek wens sy pa kon dit hoor.
Uiteindlik was ek Dux leerling (met net twee onderskeidings – natuurlik wiskunde ingesluit) in my skool. Een van my grootste openbarings (en frustrasies) was die feit dat met respek gese “al wat kak en hare is” deel wou wees van hierdie Wiskunde Punt. Almal wou op een of ander manier ‘n aandeel gehad het in my prestasie. Almal het van die kant af gekyk. Niemand het voor gestap en die leiding geneem nie. Almal het my gekritiseer en van die kant af geslaan en kon ‘n inset lewer oor my prestasie sonder date en van hulle dit ooit self kon doen nie. Ons kom terug hierna.
Ons rival skool het twee leerlinge gehad wat albei ses onderskeidings gehad het – en toevallig ook op Tuks gaan studeer het – ons kom later by hulle.
Met groot gejuig (en as hero van al wat wiskunde onderwyser was in my skool) is ek toe Tukkies to vir jaar een engineering. Ek was baie confident – after all, ek was darem Dux leerling. My eerste jaar was biejie van ‘n ontnugtering – daar was baie ouens wat net net engineering gemaak het – D + in matriek gehad vir Wiskunde en net die keuring gemaak. Anyway – hier doen hierdie perre baie beter as ek met baie minder studie as ek. Hulle is op die jool komitee, speel rugby, social en is net die aand voor die tyd voor die boeke. KENNIS vir hierdie perre was self KENNIS en KENNIS van hoe om ‘n network van pelle en studente te gebruik om hulle self te help om te pass. Ek moes gou groei van boek (Wiskunde) kennis na self KENNIS.
Ek was blootgestel aan mede studente wat groot geword het in ‘n omgewing waar EQ belangriker was as IQ. Ek het in ‘n IQ omgewing groot geword. Met genade van bo het ek op wonderbare wyse (wat ek tot vandag toe nog nie kan verklaar nie) gou die EQ ding genap. Interessant genoeg was daar van my klas maats wat glad nie oop was vir EQ kennis nie – hulle het aangehou met die IQ ding – PhD geswot en nog gedink dat jy kan donner en bliksim soos in Boksburg Tegniese Hoerskool (even after graduating with a PhD). IQ KENNIS het hulle nie noodwendig suksesvol gemaak in die samelewing nie.
Ek kom terug na die vraag vroeer – how do you define success related to knowledge? Does knowledge equal success?? My ervaring is dat dit glad nie related was nie. R – een van die ses onderskeiding studente van my buur skool wou gaan medies swot op Tuks, kon nie gekleur word nie en het toe gaan fisio swot. Nie seker of sy tioe klaar gemaak het nie. D – saam met my Engineering begin – twee onderskeidings in matriek het jaar twee histories met eerste jaar academies medies begin op Tuks en werk nou in Kanada – binne sy 6 jaar klaar gemaak. F – die ander ses onderskeidings kandidaat van my buur skool was na jaar ses nog nie klaar met engineering nie (ek was na 5 jaar en die manne met die D’s vir Wiskunde na 4 jaar – die een perd bly in ‘n moerse huis in Boardwalk Meander en is ‘n direkteur van ‘n consulting engineering company – het ook sy MBA gedoen). Dus Kennis in die tradisionele konteks het niks te doen gehad met sy sukses nie.
Een van die mees irriterende gevolge van ons famous onderwys stelsel is die feit dat baie kinders die idée kry dat hulle net aan die kant wil staan en kritiseer. Die stelsel se gevolg is dat jy kan kritiseer sonder dat jy self die KENNIS het om enigsins engie iets self te doen. Ek sien dit elke dag en is al op ‘n vlak waar ek direk vir iemand vra wanneer het jy dit gedoen dat jy op ‘n vlak is om te kritiseer. “Herhinner my gou weer wanneer jy dit gedoen het” of “Maar kom doen jy dit gou” – dan sien jy hoe val die helde.
Ietsie wat ek gelees het in Fin 24 ‘n paar weke terug was die vergelyking tussen REMGRO en Checkers. Whitey Basson sit in Parrow (as ek reg onthou) en REMGRO in Stellenbosch. As jy egter gaan kyk na value for investors is Whitey vir REMGRO ver voor. Weereens, watter KENNIS is reg. KENNIS wat toegepas word om investor value te add of KENNIS van ‘n BRAND???
Laastens, ons lees gereeld baba en kleuter tydskrifte. Een van die beste stories geskryf deur ‘n joernalis wat in die baba en kleuter omgewing werk was die volgende. “Jou kind se sukses gaan nie bepaal word deur sy IQ of punte op skool nie, maar deur sy vermoee om met mense oor die weg te kom”. Dis mos KENNIS – sonder PhD’s in wiskunde en who knows what eles.
SUMMARY
Kennis in die eerste deel van meeste mense se lewens is IQ based. Ongelukkig is ons onderwys stelsel (en ongelukkig ons universiteits stelsels ook) hierop gefokus. Baie mense, meeste mense met wie jy in aanraking gaan kom het hierdie uitkyk. Hier praat ek spesefiek van ingenieurs en IT mense. Hulle wil beloon word vir IQ kennis want dis waaraan hulle gewoond is. Baie min mense het gevorder na die volgende vlak. Ek definieer die volgende vlak as een van twee opsies.
EQ is ontwikkel of die begrip van wat ek moet doen met my IQ is ontwikkeld. Dit klink baie snaaks om te se wat doen ek met my IQ (of die feit dat ek actually ‘n graad het). Persoonlik het ek die meeste people management probleme met mense wat nie hulle IQ kan toepas en implementer of execute nie. In die nuwe ekonomiese omgewing gaan jy baie meer focus kry op jou mense wees – jy as persoon gaan lei of gelei word. Onthou net, as jy dit nie ballanseer met execution nie gaan jy gou aangespreek word. Leer jouself hoe om jou IQ toe te pas. Saam met die toepassing van IQ gaan verantwoordelikheid. Vat verantwordelikheid vir jou werk. Jy gaan uitstyg bo jou “peers” as jy verantwoordelikheid kan vat en kan toepas. Jy moet jou IQ kennis saam met jou ondervindings kennis gebruik.
Selfs as jy nog nie EQ ontwikkel het nie – gebruik net jou ondervinding. Kry vir jou ‘n “peer” group van mense wat op hierdie vlak is en wat besig is om te ontwikkel en te groei in die execution vlak in. Ek het pelle wat in IT (Accenture) werk, pelle wat Grond water konsultasie doen (Groundwater consulting services) en Projek bestuurders by verskillende engineering firmas. Die pyne is identies. Dit help jou as individu net baie as jy met hierdie mense kan praat en pyne en idees kan uitruil oor die probleme, gevoelens ens. Iemand wat as coach of mentor kan optree help jou ook baie hiermee. Kies dit net baie sorgvuldig en kies ook iemand buite jou omgewing en maatskappy.
As jy op ‘n bestuurs/leierskaps vlak kom omthou net – mense het verskillende begrippe van kennis. Mense voel gevalue deur deur die kennis wat hulle het – al is die kennis wat hulle het nie toepasbaar nie, jy as leier moet hierdie kennis gebruik. Jy moet besef dat mense uit verskillende agtergronde kom en onthou ook dat die sisteem waarin hulle gewerk het dalk IQ kennis beloon het sonder om enigsins te execute en te produce. ‘n Goeie voorbeeld hiervan is die WNNR waar daar die een doctor na die ander doctor is maar nie een van hulle kan die job klaarmaak en invoice nie.
Sekere mense bereik net baie gouer in hulle lewens Spirutiele Intelegensie (SI). Met sprituele intelegensie bedoel ek ‘n lewnens doel vir myself. Ek reis uit bokant die verwagtinge van my samelewing en besluit wat ek wil doen, wat gaan ek doen wat my gaan gelukkig maak. N, DJ op Goodhope FM is so persoon. SY het in ‘n job gesit waar sy nie uit die bed kon kom om te gaan werk nie soveel het sy dit gehaat (dit was een of ander beleggings bestuur tipe job) sy het net besluit om dit alles op te gee en haar hart te volg.
My golf afrigter, Johan het dieselfde pad gestap. Ingenieurswese gestudeer en net op ‘n stadium besluit hy gaan sy passie volg – alles gelos en die PGA kursus gaan doen en vandag so gelukkig, jy kan dit nie glo nie. Hy gaan op vakansie en sien uit daarna om te gaan golf speel. Is dit nie KENNIS van jouself nie ??? Kennis van jouself wat veroorsaak dat jy elke dag doen wat jy passievol oor is. Terwyl ek hieraan dink, Mike Joubert, MD van Levi jeans in S.A. was in management consulting voordat hy sy passion vir fashion gaan uitleef het.
Hoe sien ek my kennis en of wysheid. Vir my groei my wysheid deur die kombinasie van kennis en ondervinding, Hierby kom EQ, SI en my Christelike waardestelsel.
Die beste gaan wees om dit te verduidelik. Ek was baie gefrustreerd (sommer vroeg op universiteit al) met die juffrouens wat altyd so die wiskunde ding gery het. Ook met die feit date ek nooit blootgestel was aan die opsie om in ‘n finansiele rigting te gaan studeer nie. Hoe kon die mense dit aan my doen??? Soos ek ouer geword het het die kennis en ondervinding my ingehaal.. Ek het begin besef dat binne die verwysings raamwerk van my ouers en onderwysers het hulle die beste gedoen wat hulle kon op daardie stadium. Ek moes die som total van kennis, wysheid en waardes gebruik om by hierdie antwoord te kom. Die ondervinding het my ook baie geleer oor die mense saam met wie ek werk.
Baie van hulle het ook nie blootstelling gehad wat ek al gehad het nie. Hulle dink nie op dieselfde vlak as ek nie. Ek het geleer dat my EQ hierdie agtergrons en/of vooropgestelde persepsies in ag moet neem. DIs ‘n baie fyn lyn tussen sensitiwiteit vir mense se agtergronde en ondervindingsvelde en hulle performance. Employees kan baie maklik hierdie agtergronde en ondervinding (of lack thereof) gebruik om treurige performance te regverdig.
Om op te som. Kennis (IQ) is goed om te verwef. Wees egter daarop bedag dat EQ jou baie meer gaan help. Hou net in gedagte dat jy baie goed ontwikkel kan wees in EQ kennis en nog steeds baie ongelukkig in jou werk kan wees. Jy gaan werk tussens mense wat jou haat omdat jy dit het. Groei tot op SI en ‘n vlak van volwassenheid waar jy ook jou values (Christelik) kan kombineer om hierdie pot van Kennis tot voordeel en genot van jouself en ander aan te wend.
~40, minister of religion, golfer,
Toe ek begin gholf speel het, het ek vir ure aanmekaar geoefen om die perfekte swaai te probeer ontwikkel. Die perfekte swaai kom natuurlik nooit nie. Want êrens tussen die eerste en die 18de putjie kom jy agter dat jou lyf uniek is. Sekere van jou wesenskenmerke maak dat die bal ander dinge doen as jy dit slaan as wanneer ‘n ander ou dit op dieselfde manier slaan. Daarom maak die meeste amateurs sekere aanpassings in ‘n swaai. Iets wat uniek is aan jou. Dalk is dit ‘n greep wat bietjie onkonvensioneel is of jou voetplasing wat anders lyk as wat dit behoort te lyk. Elke amateurspeler doen dinge anders as wat die boek sê om ‘n hou so naby as moontlik aan die skoonveld te kry.
Maar die basis bly nog steeds die elementêre beginsels wat jy aan die begin geleer het. Kop af, voete wat wys waarheen die bal moet gaan, terugswaai in ritme, oë op die bal en deurswaai.
In die lig van hierdie analogie is kennis dus volgens my iets wat vroeg ingedril word. Iets wat jy uit die bestudering van baie boeke kry. Maar op die ghofbaan van die lewe kom jy agter dat aangeleerde kennis nie presies so toegepas kan word as wat jy geleer het nie. Situasies dwing jou om dinge soms anders te doen as wat jy geleer het.
Iets van hierdie beginsel word vir my geïllustreer in die fliek Doc. Hollywood. Die storie vertel van ‘n jong opkomende dokter in die stad wat ‘n ongeluk in ‘n klein plattelandse dorpie maak op pad na sy nuwe werk in ‘n ander stad. Hy word tot gemeenskapsdiens gestraf deurdat hy die plaaslike ou dokter moet bystaan in sy praktyk. Die gemeenskap is nie welvarend nie en meeste mense kan nie mediese dienste bekostig nie. Daarom maak die ou dokter gedurig onkonvensionele planne om die dorpie se mense help. In een toneel diagnoseer die jong dokter (Michael J. Fox) iemand met diabetes en hy wil onmiddellik die beste medisyne voorskryf op grond van sy kennis wat hy uit boeke opgedoen het. Hierdie persoon kan egter nie die medisyne bekostig nie. Die ou dokter gee toe vir die persoon ‘n blikkie Coke. Dit lei tot ‘n interessante gesprek tussen die twee dokters oor die toepassing van hulle kennis. Die jong dokter met sy uitstekende boekekennis en die ou dokter met sy kennis vanuit die praktyk.
Information Science & Mother & House Wife, ~40, F
Ek bring gou my bydrae hier net voor afsnytyd! Ek skryf vanuit ‘n huis met hope wasgoed (terwyl dit reen), oorslaapmaats, etes wat beplan moet word, Eisteddfod-optredes, konsertoefeninge, kerkdinge, oumabesoeke, ……………………! Dit hou net nie op nie, maar dis lekker en ‘n voorreg!
Ek is kort en kragtig, maar dis die gedagte wat van die begin af by my opgekom het en ek voel steeds dis my idee van kennis. So hier’s dit: Werklike kennis is vir my die som van al ‘n persoon se ondervinding en aangeleerde kennis op enige gegewe tydstip in sy/haar lewe.
Ek besef net meer en meer hoe belangrik ondervinding is. Dis praktiese kennis wat absoluut uniek is aan elke persoon. Ons elkeen se ondervinding verskil a.g.v. ons uniekhied as mense. Dis ook om hierdie rede dat ons hierdie “ondervinding”-kennis met mekaar moet deel, want daaruit vloei meer kennis. Ek kan nog filosofeer maar is nou net te vaak.
~23, Masters student, Engineering Management, M
Knowledge is powerful, it just depends in which jockey's hands it is.
I am in a stage where my learning is accelerated. Where one day soon, a company will tap into what I have learned and my own view thereof (knowledge) and hopefully turn it into a profit.
The foundations are still being laid down, and the fear of realising you know nothing as you get to learn more sets in. I sit here wondering what might be applicable in the industry when I look at my dissertation. How do you retain your own knowledge which is a form of your character whilst being moulded into what a company wants and thinks it needs?
The word 'know' has come up a lot. It is all about what you know. What you know helps you prepare for the future challenges. Intangible things are impossible to measure accurately, being subjected to examination for a dissertation in which you put your heart is cruel, but what is it tested against? Research methodology? Addition to the field? Or a culmination of many factors?
A young student is scared of this thing called knowledge. I know a lot less than I need to know.
~30, F, Creativity coach, Belgian
There is wide consensus amongst creativity experts that 98 percent of all human beings between the ages of 0-3 demonstrate creativity at a superior level. At the age of ten this figure drops to 32 percent and eventually only two percent of adults over the age of 25 still seem to exhibit creativity at a superior level.
For me, knowledge is about gathering knowledge beyond the ordinary, to look at facts with a fresh pair of eyes, to reconsider a question’s first answers, to use one another’s expertise and combine different kind of knowledge in a new way... TO KNOW IS NOTHING AT ALL, TO IMAGINE IS EVERYTHING, Anatole France
Information manager, ~ 40, M
My gedagtes rakende kennis. Ek het gewonder wat ‘n kan ek se van kennis wat nie al reeds tot die nste graad nagevors is nie. Ek dink toe laat ek praat van hoe kennis in my lewe ‘n rol speel.
Eerste begrip: Kennis van die boom van goed en kwaad
Dit is so oud soos die mensdom maar in my leeftyd het ek gesien dat dieselfde kennis toegepas word vir goed en kwaad. Dis immers waar die mensdom eerste gertruikel het. Ons mag al die wonderlikste metodes en gereedskap he om kennis te bestuur, maar dit bepaal nie noodwendig dat die aanwending.
Tweede begrip: Aangename kennis
In my lyn van werk is daar nie ‘n te kort aan “bodies of knowledge” nie. Die bedoeling van die “bodies of knowledge” is om “beste” praktyke wat oor jare saamgestel is, saam te vat vir die industriee, sodat dit kan gebruik word om die praktyke in hulle eie organisasies te vestig. Maar dit wil voorkom dat die” beste” praktyke in die meeste gevalle nie die gewenste uitwerking het om suksesvolle vestiging te help bewerkstellig nie.
Hoekom? Die antwoord is dat ons verleer het om kennis toe te pas en ook nie meer wil dink nie.
So jy sal vra hoekom noem ek die tweede bergip aangename kennis. Wel ek en Jan het gepraat en het gedink dat as jy kennis die eertse keer bekom dan is dit soos om iemand vir die eerste keer te ontmoet “aangename kennis”. ‘n kennis kan net goeie vriend word as jy hom goed leer ken en julle mekaar leer verstaan en wee twat julle goeie en sterkt punte is.
So kennis bly kennis totdat jy dit begin leer ken en denkend toepas en dan word dit ‘n vriend.
Information Manager, F,~35
Vir my is kennis iets wat ek graag gister al wou weet om vandag makliker te maak. As ek kyk na die projek waarop ek tans werk, is ons baie reaktief, omdat ons nie vooruit weet wat al hulle verwagtinge en beplanning is nie. Kennis dus, help met vooruit beplanning.
Verder maak kennis dit ook makliker dat ander mense jou nie maklik ‘n rat voor die oë draai nie. Kennis bemagtig jou om beter besluite te neem omdat jy meer feite het en die verskillende opsies met mekaar kan vergelyk. Soos hulle sê, kennis is mag.
Kennis kom ook uit ondervinding, meestal slegte ondervindings. J
Kennis maak mense interessant en gee jou ‘n breër uitkyk op die lewe en maak dat jy ander mense en dinge makliker verstaan.
~23, F, Master student, Industrial Engineering
Ek het bietjie oor kennis nagedink, en omdat ek op die oomblik hard aan die swot is het ek agterkom dat as 'n student mens die kennis het van hoe om te swot. Die vak wat ek nou doen is Financial Management, by die besigheidsskool, 'n MBA vak, en ek weet ons studente doen altyd baie beter as al die 'fancy' exec's want ons weet hoe om effektief te swot, en ons het die 'akedemiese fiksheid' om lank te sit en swot en konsepte maklik te verstaan.
Ek sukkel om op die oomblik meer kreatief te wees, is so bietjie van 'n 'mummy' met al die leer, so ek hoop jy kan dit gebruik!
Medical Doctor and Medical Aid manager, MBA, ~35, M
KENNIS vs WYSHEID
Ek het onlanks 'n wonderlike aanhaling gehoor ... "knowledge is understanding that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is understanding that you don't add tomato to fruit salad ...". Ek wens opreg om van daardie soort te wees wat die tamatie uit die vrugteslaai los!
Soveel keer in die lewe kom ek mense tee" wat al die kennis in die we^reld het maar regtig nie verstaan hoe om dit effektief aan te wend nie. Dis in my oppinie omtrent soveel werd as om by 'n boksgeveg op te daag met nuwe boks handskoene maar nie te weet hoe om dit vas te maak nie. Dis waarskynlik gevaarlik aangesien dit 'n vals gevoel van sekerheid skep. En dalk dodelik as jou vals bravade (die blaf sonder die byt) jou in die moeilikheid bring.
Sekerlike die beste voorbeeld hiervan in die film we^reld is Karate Kid. Die mentee ken al die katas, is fisies in top kondisie, het al die wil in die we^reld en moet volgens alle redelike en rasionele mates elke geveg met sy opponent wen. Die sensei, in teenstelling, is oud en grys, minder fiks en heeltemal vergenoegd met sy situasie. Maar die ondenkbare gebeur - die sensei hou met minimale inspanning die mentee op 'n afstand, weet presies op watter van sy opponent sy swakhede om te konsentreer en wen eindelik lag-lag die geveg. Die lewens les hier is duidelik om te weet watter gevegte om aan te vat en watter om te laat vaar.
My doel is om dieselfde te vermag - ek wil meesterlik my kennis inspan in die regte situasie, weet watter situasie om te laat vaar, en weet watter om bloot te aanvaar. Daar is natuurlik geen reg of verkeerd antwoorde hier nie. Want 'n absolute reg of verkeerd klassifikasie sou hierdie vaardigheid na blote kennis verlaag.
Ek het onlanks 'n Kevin Spacey fliek gesien met 'n storielyn van die Bush vs Gore verkiesings dramas in Florida. Aan die einde van die fliek vra Kevin Spacey (wat die Gore veldtog ondersteun) aan Gore, "So how do you know when to give up". Die wonderlike antwoord van Gore was as volg "You give up when you know that you can't win even if you are right". Mag elkeen van julle die kennis ontwikkel om die swaard meesterlik te hanteer en daarmee saam die wysheid kry om te weet wanneer jy dit nie moet gebruik nie. AGM
~35, Plant Engineer, M
I was confronted with writing what comes up when one hears the word “Knowledge”. The first one that came to mind was the insignia of the Special Air Service of Great Britain that states “Knowledge conquers fear”. The second one that came to mind was “The pen is mightier than the sword”. In these two statements one gets a hint of the power of knowledge and one gets an idea that it (knowledge) is being opposed to fear, warfare and ruin. Thus knowledge is to some extent defined by its antithesis.
Now one needs to ask oneself why is knowledge so powerful that it has a conquering nature to the one hand and a peacemaking nature on the other hand. My answer to that is that the development of mankind in every level or in every transgression to the next phase was pre- emanated by the discovery of a piece of knowledge that was applied with rigour by those who came to the light. The development of the stirrup conquered the equine animals that led to advantages at transport, agriculture and, of course, warfare. The development of the principle of two sided accounting (led by the simple equation of assets equal debt plus owners’ contribution) led to the modern financial system being developed. The discovery of penicillin led to antibiotics that led to an understanding of hygiene that led operations that led to mankind being able to live with each other’s heart. Then again knowledge led us to propel arrows that led to rifles and (not to open the debate of hunting for sport and rifle owners) that led to more carnaged warfare and genocide. In our discoveries – the application with vigour always had power, but the power was there for the choosing we could do it to the good or to the bad. To the good it conquers fear- it defeats warfare. Knowledge is the needle of the compass, its north pole defines the south and vice versa.
Since the rise of business schools terms like knowledge management came to light along with strategic, Pareto principles and wants and needs. Knowledge in itself cannot be managed – from its realization to its death (yes knowledge can die – how many can still fire a front loader rifle?), it is not the knowledge itself that is managed, but the application thereof. It is clear in our world that the 80% idea that sells is better than the 100% idea that does not – thus thousands of trees in the Amazon has been exported to the United States in order to make the 80% idea advertised, marketed, lobbied and the world still turns out the bad ideas. Thus in our application of knowledge management, we are to make sure that we get the 100% idea that will sell, that is the first principle. Secondly we need to know how are we going to apply the 100% idea that will sell to be the right pole of the compass?
I am asking the question once we have innovated, how are we going to ensure that this new innovation is going to help mankind (if it is the latest thing since the personal computer), our business (if it is the latest thing since the laptop) or only purely ourselves, our family and our society.
In the 1930s Jannie Geldenhuys (later to be the Head of the Defence Force of South Africa during the Angolan War) witnessed a soccer player teaching one of his friends how to really kick a rugby ball by taking the goose step line up and not the (as to then) traditional straight punt approach that was used in rugby. The soccer player’s technique only came to in use about a decade later. The question is why so long? My answer to that is that rugby was at that stage more an Afrikaans sport and soccer English. Afrikaners had to get beyond the psychological block of learning from an Englishmen and from a soccer player. Now the big question is (except for Percy Montgomery), how many rugby players still use the straight approach? – and the answer is – (you have guessed it) – none! That is purely because if you are using the straight approach – you will not even make your school’s first team – the benefits of the goose step so far outweighs the straight one that nobody thinks about it anymore.
Knowledge is managed by one principle, it is called the newspaper principle – knowledge is (along with newspapers) increasing in value, the more it is shared! (Unfortunately the idle knowledge distributes itself via the grapevine and via the gossipers – however in that it also proofs the power of knowledge!) Thus in knowledge management one question must always be answered and that is “How do we share this knowledge – because the better it is shared, the more value it will unlock. Imagine that every HIV positive person in South Africa and that is on anti-retrovirals can have a way in which to take that absolute rigid and complex drug regime every day. Imagine that the whole of the voters is properly informed on what the pros and the cons of a specific political ideology are and what the implication of that will be? Now that is managing knowledge – that is conquering fear and that is mightier than the sword.
We want more goose steppers! And we want stadiums full – not of supporters – but full of kids that want to learn how to better kick a ball. They will become tomorrow’s goose steppers. In knowledge management we not only need the idea – we need people to show the obvious positive results of gaining that knowledge – 3 points can win a world cup as Joel Stransky can say. He, himself a goose stepper, learned from the others before him. In knowledge and the management thereof, we not only need the inventions, but also the first appliers thereof and that is the challenge.
Once we have that we understand the conquering nature of knowledge.
~60,M,world citizen, networker across continents
Jy moet weet dat my kennis van die onderwerp "Kennis" maar 'n bietjie vaag is.
Wat wel vir my interessant is sonder dat ek die teorie ken, is hoe die mens se kumulatiewe kennis asimptoties toegeneem het in die laaste millisekonde van die geologiese tyd van die laaste 4000 miljoen jaar.
En dat baie van die kennis wat ons nou het en as nuut beskou, reeds lank gelede bestaan het...
En ook dat baie van die kennis wat die vroee mens gehad het "uitgesterf" het...
En verder dat baie van die "kennis" wat ons nou het, verkeerde kennis is, of altans gebaseer is op verkeerde feite/interpretasies; soos bv dat Columbus Amerika ontdek het.
En dan die Westerse beheptheid met "wetenskaplike" kennis en die onderbeklemtoniong van die metafisiese, die spirituele...
Is 'n saak wat nie wetenskaplik bewys kan word nie kennis?
Ag nou ja... ek moet nog baie leer hiervan.
Entrepeneur, Industrial Engineer, ~25, M, Own business.
Soos bespreek as jy MRS Balls kan gebruik as voorbeeld, hulle bestaan al so lank en weier om die resep te verander wat dus nuwe produkontwikkeling onderdruk.
Lecturer in Innovation, PHd, ~35, F
Kennis kom van allerhande plekke - mens kan vreeslik baie daarvan raakloop op universiteite, in biblioteke en ensiklopidiee, maar insig en wysheid dis iets anders, slegs lewenservaring en seerkry gee jou daardie besef, wanneer jou kennis die harde werklikheid ontmoet.
Wisdom Preserver and Connection Specialist, ~60, F
Technological change is accelerating. We are now beginning an era in which peoples knowledge and approach can become obsolete before they have even begun a career for which they have trained.We are living in an era of run away inflation of knowledge and skill, where the value of what one learns is always slipping away.
The age of "virtual" relationships is upon us with people changing careers, uprooting themselves, moving their families to follow new opportunities and constantly forming new but ever more transient relationships..
The traditional concept of community as a localized experience is giving way to a social model that looks more like an airport than a village.
I believe that even the most wired and wireless still experience the craving for a sense of personal connectedness. As artificial and virtual communities become more common, our need for a real sense of community will deepen, not lessen. Ironically the digital age will demand greater social competence of us- not LESS.
This is from the forward of a book called Social Intelligence by Karl Albrecht.
Social Intelligence
Key life compentency.
The ability to get along well with others and to get them to co-operate with you.
Two extremes
Toxic- feel devalued, inadequate, intimidated, angry, frustrated or guilty
Nourishing – valued, capable, loved, respected, and appreciated
People with high social intelligence – magnetic to others
Low SI – anti magnetic
Learn to collaborate and influence others effectively.
Managers need to understand and connect with people they appoint to lead.
SI can reduce conflict, create collaboration, replace bigotry and polarization with understanding and mobilize people towards common goals.
Civilization is more and more a race between education and catastrophe. H G Well
SI may be one of the most important ingredients for your survivial.
~45, M, ex surveyor, full time politician
Article from From: L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.
KNOWING AND BEYOND MERELY KNOWING
“So, what do you think?”
“Oh, I know all of this stuff.”
“Really? That’s great and surprising because while I authored it, I’m still learning heaps every day about it and feel that I only know a small portion of what’s in these books.”
“No ... [pause] ... that’s impossible. How can that be?”
“Well, that’s because there is knowing, and then there is knowing about knowing and then knowing in your body and well, many levels and dimensions of knowing.”
Well, that hooked him and off we went on a pretty intense conversation for the next five minutes. Part of what I shared with him are the following seven distinctions about “knowing.” Here’s to your knowing, to your knowing about your knowing (your meta-knowing) and your knowing holistically in every dimension.
As you know we now live in “the information age.” We entered into that age sometime in the mid-twentieth century. Since then information has been increasing at exponential rates and continues to. With the world-wide web, information has exploded via the internet. Information is not only growing at incredible rates, the inter-change of information is taking it levels previously unimagined. Now what once would have taken weeks or even months of study and research to find now takes moments at a keyboard and Google or other search engines.
Yet information isn’t our biggest need, more than that we need knowledge. Nor is that our biggest need, more than that we need wisdom. A dictionary is full of information, has very little knowledge, and absolutely no wisdom at all. “Knowledge” arises from the way we put information together and use it. Knowledge emerges from the structures that form and mold the data so that we can now “know” something in a given domain.
Actually, in terms of getting things done, in terms of taking effective action, in terms of using data for improving performance or moving it to the level of experience, information itself is often the problem. Information itself can become a significant contributing problem to getting things done. How often do we may think that the solution to our problems, to releasing our current potential, to experiencing more effectiveness, is more information. Another book. Another training.
The actual problem may be information incompetence. That’s because knowing more without knowing what to do with that information leaves you helpless. At that point, you are only one step beyond ignorance. Actually this is a form of information incompetence. Knowing more without the ability to translate that knowledge into action leaves you knowing-what, but not knowing-how. And that can actually create confusion in you. Confusion, after all, refers to the fusing together (“con”) of things that need to be distinguished. You “know” something and confuse the knowing of some particular what with the practical knowledge of how to implement and how to execute.
If there is such a thing as information incompetence, then is there an opposite? What is it? Is it possible to develop information competence? Is it possible to expand your “knowing” to other dimensions to make it more holistic? How do you develop that? What does that involve?
1) Distinctions of Relevance
This is the awareness of what information is needed and relevant. With anything and everything there’s lots of information that is simply irrelevant. There is information that doesn’t make any difference and that only clutters up your desk and your mind. In the area that you’re working with, what distinction/s do you need to order and structure the information? What patterns and categories will help classify the information? What is relevant? How do you know? What criteria are you using to make that determination?
2) Accuracy
This refers to the quality of the information that you experience and it comes in many different degrees. Is the information accurate? How accurate? How distorted? Distorted in what way and to what degree? How much accuracy do you need? How much looseness of information can you tolerate? Since information like other things is always changing, how current is your information? What is new or different with the information that you’re using and relying upon?
3) Contexts
Context refers to the environments and places where you will use the information. Information is relevant and accurate according to various contexts. In what context do you need information? What information do you need in that context? For what purpose?
4) Know-how knowledge
Some information is about content, other is about practice and application. Know-how knowledge is information regarding how-to apply the information to a specific situation and in a specific application. What know-how information do you need? How much of that know-how knowledge do you already have? What strategy do you already know? What information is missing that you need? What know-how knowledge would you like to have that would make a transformative difference?
5) Embodiment
We usually call the information that’s we have in our head “intellectual” knowledge. It is the know-about information that we learn academically. When you develop the ability to translate what you know in your mind into muscle memory, you close the knowing-doing gap. You then transform the information into intuitive knowledge so that you know it in your neuro-pathways and can perform the knowledge. Now your body “knows.”
6) Implementation
Once you translate information into your muscles for muscle memory, now you have the ability to apply that information. You can now execute what you know and close the knowing-doing gap by taking appropriate and effective action. You now actualize the information in your everyday actions.
7) Monitoring
Implementation is not the end of the story. The next step is to monitor the information that you have applied to see how well it works out. Is the information effectively translated into action? How well? What’s missing? How are you monitoring it? What feedback mechanisms are in place to hold you accountable for the effective actions? When do you check it out? How often? With such monitoring, you can then continually refine and hone the information, keep revising it, and develop a continuous improvement loop or kaizen.
Since all of this refers to a core capacity—that of information competence, then how competent are you in turning information into knowledge and perhaps even wisdom? How skilled are you with taking the information that comes your way via television, radio, internet, books, magazines, conversations, and so on and competently use, apply, embody, implement and monitor that information? How much more would you like to be? For translating mind into muscle, meaning into performance
Entrepeneur, Magazine editor, F, ~35,
Ek kan nie eintlik help nie, maar iets wat ek weet is dat die beste leiers/besluitnemers verseker die is met die meeste kennis, want as mens 'n moeilike besluit moet neem, sal die een wat die meeste weet van daardie onderwerp of situasie die beste besluit kan neem. Hoe meer ek weet van my veld, hoe beter kan ek besluite neem. Ek dink hierdie kennis is gewoonlik nie noodwendig boekekennis nie, maar ervaring.Boekekennis + ervaring - kry soveel moontlik kennis oor jou veld.
In die Groot Aanhalingsboek die gekry: " Ons weet so te sê niks nie van nagenoeg alles. Dit is egter nie nodig om alles van alles te weet nie. Al wat belangrik is, is dat ons WIL weet. Beskawings bestaan nie agv spesifieke kennis nie, maar weens die onstuitbare SOEKE na kennis." GEORGE ORWELL (1903 - 1950)
BAIE BAIE DANKIE VIR ONS HEERLIKE SJOKOLADE. EK IS MOS 'N VOLSLAE SKOKOLIS!! EN HET HEERLIK GESMUL!.
Information manager, ~40, M,
1. Hoekom voel ek beter in die Karoo?
2. As ek eendag iets vir die die mense kan "los" - wat is die manier om te bepaal wat regtig waarde het?
3. Hoekom het ek mense om my nodig?
4. Hoekom kan die mens "een word" met die "aanleg"? Hoekom kan ek hoor as daar fout is met die 1400 Nissan en die Isuzu?
Want as ek dit kan doen sonder te veel moeite, wat moet ek doen om 'n groot bydrae te lewer
5. "Waarheen moet ek gaan" as ek 'n goeie duuntjie of mooi woorde wil skryf wat saamgevoeg word en dan mense prikkel (dit wat byvoorbeeld Metallica reg kry)
6. As ek te min kennis het gaan ek mos iets "ontdek":
a. ek gaan nice yster erts kry waar niemand nog gekyk en geglo het nie
b. ek gaan uitfigure hoe om by mense se "breine" in te "tune" - want ek kan dan by "ander golwe" in "tune"
c. ek gaan ontdek om in tyd te beweeg
d. ek gaan ontdek hoe om iemand se gees te beheer of te identifiseer of mee te kommunikeer
e. ek gaan uit iets elektrisiteit maak
f. of ek gaan dit wat ons elektrisiteit voor nodig het kry uit ander bronne, so ek sal hitte, koue, lig en ander maak sonder elektrisiteit
7. Wat moet ek my kind voer om 'n Bakkies, Os, Federer, Schumager, Contador, Lance te word?
8. Hoekom teel ek nie vir my 'n beter ras nie? Hoekom doen ek dit met beeste en honde maar nie met mense nie?
So wat moet ek doen om die beter ras te teel?
9. Hoe kry ek mense om 'n besigheid te hanteer soos hulle eie? Klim uit die stroom en doen die belangrike dinge om suksesvol te wees
10. Hoekom wil ek 'n idee nommer tien gee en dan koebaai skryf?
11. Hoekom gaan 'n geoloog weg uit sy professie om snaakse dinge te doen, terwyl ek weer dink geologie is die beste ding ooit?
12. Wat sal die reels wees? ek vir ander vrouens kyk, myne is dan die beste?
13. Hoekom sukkel die mens om te anvaar dat ek vrouens vir pals wil he?
14. Hoe kan iemand soos Tiger Woods so aanhoudend dieselfde ding doen sonder om gatvol te word? Of is hy gatvol.
15. Denial is nie die rivier daarbo in Afrika nie, dis 'n vieslike gogga wat ek mee moet "deal" anders gaan ek nie "supermine" implementeer nie
16. Brainwashing is wat SAP reg gekry het. Hoe gaan ek dit FIX?
17. Om die Cheetahs na groot hoogtes toe te vat - sal my kos om al die mynbou besighede in SA se hoofkantore te skuif Bloemfontein toe
Wat moet ek doen om dit reg te kry? Moet ek TAX relief reel?
Wat sal die reels wees?
Scientist, M, ~30, Antartic Explorer, PHd student
Kennis. Ek weet nie baie van kennis af nie, al is daar 'n paar dinge wat ek weet.
Die een ding wat ek weet is dat deeglike kennis net oorgedra word deur harde werk. Vir die een wat dit het is dit harde werk om dit oor te dra, en vir die een wat dit moet kry is dit harde werk om dit te ontvang. Gelukkig is ouers lief vir hulle kinders, daarom kan die oordrag van kennis wat ons "opvoeding" noem plaasvind ten spyte van die harde werk.
Industrial Pshycologist, ~35, F,
Kennis is ‘n erge ding. Al gedink aan al die dinge wat ons anders sou gedoen het as ons dit Dan geweet het? Verwys – die Kennis van die Boom van Goed en Kwaad – eintlik ‘n onskuldige bystander wat ingesleep is ‘n storie wat die hele mensdom se gedrag verander het, albeit gebasseer op ‘n klomp afleidings en aannames wat regerings na selfs oorlog gelei het – nog steeds doen – want almal dink dat hulle die regte kennis het. En in dit ook opgesluit, ook die goud daarvan – kennis wat reg gebruik word se onmeetbare waarde – mense wat dinge van dinge af weet, kan soveel ander help. Kan soveel hartseer vermy en kan soveel bydrae in die samelewing. Mense wat die kennis wat hulle dink hulle het, nie reg gebruik nie, onmeetbare hartseer. Vraag? Hoeveel keer weet ons regtig wat ons nie weet nie – aanvaar ons dit net as realiteit?
Hoeveel hoop word nie gekoester in die afwesigheid van kennis nie – op ‘n emotionele vlak. Kennis van ‘n afwesige realiteit bring soveel berusting in juis dit – die afwesigheid van wete, kennis.
Kennis word van soveel bronne in die samelewing na soveel dimensies van die samelewing deurgegee en daardeur bou dit ‘n netwerk van sirkels. In elke sirkel, kennis van ‘n realiteit wat belangrik is vir daardie spesifieke sirkel..., maar binne daardie einste sirkel ook baie keer die onvermoe om die ander sirkels se andersheid te respekteer – juis omdat hierdie sirkel mos reg is – hierdie sirkel Weet mos – het die kennis – hulle dink, en so gaan die sirkels aan – verwys sosiale sirkels, godsdiens, politiek, etc, etc.
Kennis bring verantwoordelikheid, dit bring die voorwaarde dat dit met emosionele volwassenheid hanteer sal word, dat ten spyte van alles, dit saam met respek gaan. Die oomblik wat ‘n persepsie van kennis met ‘n onvermoe om ander insette/opinies te respekteer saamgaan, begin ‘n problem. Miskien daar waar die gesegde van “hoe meer jy weet, hoe meer weet jy hoe min jy weet” vandaan kom!
Ek moes op ‘n projek ‘n paar Bedryf-Sielkundiges lei wat male sonder tal vir my laat verstaan het dat hulle nie hierdie of daardie werk gaan doen of met hierdie of daardie mense gaan gesels nie, want hulle Weet wat moet gebeur – gaan nie luister wat die ander het om te se nie, want ‘n M-graad vat baie jare se studeer en as die ander mense dit nie het nie, watter waarde kan hulle byvoeg. Scary!! Groot les: Kennis, sonder respek, tyd om te luister en ‘n “open mind” is nie veel werd nie. Kennis met daardie basiese menslike beginsels (wat elke mens kan he – geleerdheid nie nodig) het die potensiaal om gedeel te word – en in die deel van kennis is die goue waarde opgesluit!
Ex GM of several large industries, keen gholfer, ~60, M
Ek het eers geworstel met die ware betekenis van die woord kennis. Kennis moet noodwendig iets meer wees as inligting, al is die twee woorde verwant aan mekaar. Sonder om my op die gebied van die taalkundiges te begewe, is daar vir my tog ‘n wesentlike verskil tuseen die twee woorde. Volgens die woordeboeke is kennis “ …..die feite, gevoelens en ervaring (ondervindinge) bekend aan ‘n persoon of groep mense”, terwyl inligting “….die kennis verkry deur ondervinding of studie” is. Vir my as leek lê die wesentlike verskil daarin dat kennis ontwikkel uit (onder andere) inligting wat verwerk en geinterpreteer word deur ‘n persoon. Die hoofbron van inligting is die Mens se omgewing, wat insluit bloodstelling aan ander mense, kulture en die ander bronne van inligting, soos die media, boeke, ensovoorts. Eers nadat die inligting verkry, verwerk en gestoor is, word dit kennis. Telkemale ondervind ek dat sommige mense die betekenis van die twee woorde verwar. Kennis is veel wyer as inligting en omvat onder andere, soos die definisie sê, feite, gevoelens en ervaringe.
‘n Persoon benut dus sy kennis om inligting te interpreteer binne sy verwysingsraamwerk, en hoe breër sy kennis is, hoe beter kan hy die inligting interpreteer, verwerk en toepas. Anders gestel, hoe groter ‘n persoon se bloodstelling in ‘n spesifieke omgewing is, hoe beter behoort hy sy kennis te kan toepas. In baie gevalle ontbreek hierdie bloodstelling. Prakties is daar baie voorbeelde hiervan:
• Jong, onervare staatsamptenare met geen kennis van hul “nuwe” omgewing nie, slaag daarin om dramaties foutiewe besluite te neem, nie omdat hulle nie die nodige inligting het waarop die besluit baseer kan word nie, maar omdat hulle kennis ( feite, gevoelens, ervaring in verwerkte en gestoorde vorm) waarop die besluite baseer moet word, ontbreek
• Stadsrade met beperkte strategiese besluitnemingvermoëns, neem besluite op grond van hul gebrek aan kennis , al is die nodige inligting tot hulle bekikking vir effektiewe besluitneming, met gepaardgaande verval van infrastuktuur en dienste.
Vergewe my simplistiese siening in hierdie verband, maar myns insiens is bogenoemde tog een van die redes vir die verval in die voorbeelde. Die persone betrokke beskik sekerlik oor die vermoë om goeie besluite te neem, maar die kennis ontbreek om effektiewe besluite te kan neem. Ek dink dat die beste besluite geneem word op grond van beide inligting en kennis.Die kennis aspek is die reeds verwerkte inligting, vroeër verkry, en maak deel uit van ‘n persoon se ervaringsveld.
Genoeg hiervan. Vir my as persoon was (en is) die verkryging van kennis nog altyd ‘n aspek wat op sekere fondamente rus. Die vernaamste hiervan is nuuskierigheid. Sonder nie nodige behoefte aan kennis is dit nie werklik moontlik om die inligting uit jou omgewing korrek te verwerk, te klassifiseer en te stoor vir latere herverbruik nie. Ander gestel, ‘n gebrek aan nuuskierigheid inhibeer die verwerking en stoor van inligting. Deur iemand van kindbeen af bloot te stel aan die die bronne van kennis, soos byvoorbeeld boeke, prikkel en ontwikkel so ‘n kind se nuuskierigheid en drang na meer en meer kennis.
Die behoefte aan kennis is my geval terugherleibaar na die prikkelinge in my vormingsjare, wat my nuuskierigheid meer en meer laat ontwikkel het (vandag nog kan ek dit nie verdra dat die telefoon ophou lui voordat ek dit kon antwoord nie, ek gaan dood van nuuskierigheid oor wie dit kon wees wie na my gesoek het!). Die belangrikste prikkeling in my kleinwees en jeugjare, was die liefde wat my moeder by my gekweek het om te lees. My moeder se geloof dat niemand sonder lees kan klaarkom nie en haar toewyding om my van kindsbeen af bloot te stel aan boeke, het ‘n natuurlike nuuskierigheid in my geprikkel tot ‘n leeftyd van soeke na kennis. Een van die aangenaamste komplemente wat ek in werksverband gekry het, het gekom van ‘n kollega, 25 jaar my junior. Na ‘n heeldagsessie van gedagtewisseling oor ‘n mynbouprojek waarby ‘n groot groep kundiges betrokke was, het hy my gevra: ”hoe kry jy dit reg om teen die einde van die dag nog altyd aan te hou vrae vra, ek was teen daardie tyd al doodmoeg en byna aan die slaap!”
Ek dink dit help om ‘n algemenis van aard te wees. Dan besef jy al te deeglik hoe gebrekkig jou kennis is, en is dit makliker om jou drang na kennis te bevredig. Dit is ook makliker om te onderskei tussen inligting wat van waarde is en en wat nie, sodat jy slegs dit van waarde verwerk, stoor en meet teen jou verysingsraamwerk. Te veel detail knak die vermoë om sinvol te interprteer, en plaas onnodige druk op jou geheue.
Jy het my gevra om iets te skryf oor kennis. Dit is ‘n onderwerp wat vèr buite my ervaringsveld lê, maar van een ding is ek seker: was dit nie vir my liefde vir lees en my gepaardgaande nuuskierige geaardheid nie, sou ek maar ‘n baie beperkte kennis van die wêreld gehad het!
Engineer ever since he ‘used’ estate agent’s boards to build expansion boxes for two stroke M/bikes which we ‘souped’ up at school. He owns a technology top 100 company
Gosh, this is a most interesting subject, the object of knowledge. And so many a truth has already been said.
I for one was always puzzled with the "fact" that we were taught that there were a finite number of wise people, namely three, The Three Wise Men. What made them so special? It took me about 30 years to write my own definition. Up to that time it never even struck me to look in the Oxford dictionary, what wise meant. Understanding the meaning of words often has a direct relationship to our knowledge or perceived knowledge of something or someone else's knowledge or perceived knowledge (trust / rapport factor).
I still have my definition of wisdom written down with a sketch of a rainbow (I found the pot of gold!), somewhere in a diary and it still bears an Eureka feeling. Something to the effect of, Wisdom: Is the positive future application from knowledge gained from a negative situation. Negative both meaning a negative vibe that forced one to be understand your knowledge or relisation of an unintended outcome from a decision due to lack of knowledge or misinterpretation of knowledge or using knowledge in an inappropriate context.
I.o.w. wisdom is applied knowledge.
I then thought there seems to be at least two kinds of wisdom, that which I call V6 wisdom, and insightful / enlightened / experienced and felt wisdom. To explain, V6 wisdom is like looking at how someone fitted an engine from a different vehicle into a new recipient, normally with a fair amount of modification. The point is, one can fairly much go and look at what someone else did, and then duplicate it (providing you already possess or are willing to acquire the necessary knowledge, skill and tools to do such a modification in the first place).
Then there is the wisdom or deeper understanding of knowledge that can only be gained by personal experience such as learning the difference between hot and cold. Nobody can explain it to someone else, maybe demonstrate the effects of it, but the only way to really have understanding is burning a blister on a hot stove or freezing your tong to a freezer's door, etc. Then we try and seek the compromise, the luke warm. The balance between the extremes. As all design or practical application contains compromise. The deeper the understanding of what we trying to achieve the less compromises there could be. We are only motivated by two things Pain and Pleasure, thus our knowledge is often learned and remember to gain pleasure or to avoid pain. The fight or flight principal or instinct.
Often the only way we end up understanding one thing, is by studying the opposite. Like a black hole, is defined be the surrounding phenomenon. Thus understanding paradoxes gives us valuable insight of how, especially, the unseen works.
It is also very interesting to observe that man mostly only applies knowledge for innovation when his back is against the wall. Most history books talk of the rise and fall of a certain nation, clan or group. Yet I think they fail to mention complacency. So I rather see it as the rise, the complacency and the fall. Our recent highs and now lows in the economy is a classic example.
There is one thing I know, every day we need to reinvent ourselves. As survival dictates that every day the slowest buck / antelope needs to run faster than the fastest lion and everyday the slowest lion must run faster than the slowest buck / antelope. The best sportperson today is not necessarily the best tomorrow as it is also relative to own performance and others' performance.
While playing around with my new DStv installation (I do these things out of curiosity and to limit my dependence on others) I realised that one should also have the necessary curiosity to want to know more and must be willing to invest time into acquiring such knowledge and here is where we often stand on the shoulders of giants. Further more, the more we move into the digital age the more external equipment we need (often sub contracting it or hiring it) to test and apply one's knowledge.
A great element of gaining knowledge that is remembered is through mucking about and having fun and games. The Eureka moments normally only come to us through, let's call it intuition, and that is normally when we relax. Repetition also assists in gaining knowledge and remembering our knowledge. Martial arts is a good example.
I have found that when I for instance have a new solution to think out or come up with to solve an problem, is to gather as much information as possible, digest it, and then just leave it while my subconscious does the processing, often giving answers in about two weeks (not without thoughT in that time). But then too often the solution has a much more urgent need or rather perceived need, especially in business or when there is a personal crisis. Never the less, the more diverse one's knowledge the quicker one arrives at a solution often more innovative, as ideas from a completely foreign branch of science or engineering is applied in a totally different situation.
Testing or verifying one's knowledge before application is also important. i.e. Measure twice, cut once.
Lastly we also need to remember that our reality is based on what we see and think, and does not necessarily contain any truth. Also the more we know the greater our responsibility.
Anyway genoeg vir know.
Father of the Ex. SAAF pilot, Mechanical Engineer and Knysna resident
Thanks for your note and thank you for your esteem. I don't have anything to add - you seem to have expressed it well, brief, succinct, for a huge concept. There is currently a noticeable explosion in knowledge, or so it seems due to the help of computers to store and retrieve. Something like our roads - we build more roads but in no time we have too many cars and need more roads. I think the internet will crash soon with a congested liver. Sad.
Ex. Air Force pilot, Mechanical Engineer. Iin charge of fixed wing test flying
Knowledge is all powerful but in the seeking thereof one should not forget (as often reminded by my father) that “you don’t know what you don’t know”.
Knowledge is also bound by universal laws of statistics. This simply means for the millions of us with normal IQ that “you can only be exact regarding little or know exactly little about a lot” but very few of us are capable of both.
There is a time dimension to the value of knowledge. As they say the “when can be as important as the what”. I have found the value of immediate or quick look data available minutes after a test can be of more value to a full blown report 2 months later but at the same time a rapid decision based on limited knowledge can have a huge impact easily avoided if proper analysis was done before decisions made.
Is information = knowledge ? I think experience is more important an ingredient for knowledge than information. A human needs to feel to really learn. The challenge today at the pace we live and work is to learn through the experience of others as there is no time to do it all on yr own.
On the collective knowledge issue - this is the fundamental reason why most major task / design etc still requires meetings.
There is a management truth I read the other day - “No one knows enough”.
Industrial Engineer, F, ~40,
gedigte is soms mooi metafore. Mens sal moet soek, maar daar is heel waarskynlik al gedigte geskryf oor kennis.
Iets van Yehuda Amichai:
AT RIGHT ANGLES
Hebrew Quatrains
The frogs of expectation leaped out of me and came back.
My water is shallow. The world is not bad. On track.
With Columbus’s eye, I discover a flower in the daily hack.
With an engineer’s hand, I draw my life in poetry, there and back
Former Air Force pilot,Industrial Engineer, Manager of a private school, M, ~40
We seem to be losing both the skills/experience based knowledge, as well as the realization that we’re busy losing it. For example, I believe that this is one of the factors that contributed to SA’s deterioration of infrastructure.
There are so many spheres touching our lives where this is critical. There is also the element of collective knowledge that has enables us to progress as a society. For example we know about computers, but I cannot build one. In fact left to your own devices in the bush, there is actually very little that we could devise individually.
My take on knowledge is basic. I am a natural hoarder and am filing verskrik. I think it’s driven out of fear of not being able to find the right thing at the right time. The fact that I seem to need that little screw or gizmo a day after throwing it out of my garage after it lying there waiting for it’s use to arrive, fuels this incessant obsessive behaviour. I sometimes think that Murphy really exists and that he lives in my garage waiting to see the look on my face when I make this realisation.
So how does this impact on my take on knowledge? Data that’s not available and useful at the time that you need it is useless, no matter how much of it you have stashed away somewhere. So knowledge in its crudest form represents to me data transcribed to become information which has been processed (value added) to become knowledge. I suspect that there will be as many opinions on how to define and manage knowledge as there are management consultants, but this is practically how I would advise:
Firstly, align with a credible body of information. E.g do you link with a sports science department or your old PT teacher if you’re concerned with the latest developments in exercise & training. I don’t think it’s necessary to qualify credible - verifiable, peer reviewed etc.
Have a system or process that you trust to turn the data into useful information. E.g. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration transmits global weather forecast data 24/7. Only good processing can turn the data into useful information. (Weather forecast)
Have a management system (archive, retrieval, version control, integrity, display, dissemination) which allows for the actual use, be it management information or on selling value added information.
17 July 2009 01:22 Asset Manager, ~50, Male
Knowlegde – something that you don’t realise you have until you see others who don’t have it. I mean, how many times have you shouted in your car : “Idiot, don’t you know where how to drive?” But realising that you have a certain area of knowledge is only one part of it. The other part is how you apply it. So here is my story:
Qualified as a metallurgical engineer and spending time in a coal beneficiation plant for more than 10 years is not everyone’s definition of the perfect job. Neither was it for me, having realised over time that Metallurgy has a dark side as well. For one, you can’t choose your location, the mine and plant is where it is. Over time I got interested in process control and programming, which led to a job in technology management.
It was a short hop to business development and project evaluation. Living in the city and seeing great projects in exotic places, now THAT was real fun! And, over the years I required a skill set without knowing it. Let’s forget the Metallurgy part, but think about project evaluation. You need to figure out if this project is going to fly.
If so, what are the risks? Where is the fatal flaw? This is what brought me in contact with Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). Now this is a big word for a very simply concept: Life is full of surprises. And whatever the reported IRR of NPV of the project is the day it is taken to the company board for approval, we know that the actual values will differ. So, with MCS one can anticipate these surprises and present to decision makers somewhat more than a single figure. Suddenly, one can truly paint an optimistic, pessimistic, blue sky, best case and worst case scenario. You have probably seen best case and worst case scenarios before.
The best case is usually so good that nobody believes it. And the worst case scenario is so bad that nobody even wants to contemplate it, let alone present it to the board of directors. So the numbers get massaged and a skewed version is presented. But MCS allowed me to quantify the probabilities of a worst case scenario to occur. It really is a fascinating topic. But so what, you may ask?
Let’s fast forward a few years. Goodbye Metallurgy. Hello Asset Management! A dramtic change in my life occurred but for the better. Owning your own company is great fun and while the going may be tough at times, it has its perks. Like getting up at 09:00 and driving to the office in 2 minutes (after all, being the boss you are allowed to choose where your offices are!).
The downside is that you find it hard to stop. There is a good reason why you fill in a leave form. Yes, to tell the HR department to deduct the leave from your allocation is maybe the official reason, but to me the biggest reason is to tell everybody else that you are on leave. Including yourself. Capeesh? But I am digressing.
The financial industry is vastly different from the mining industry. Yet there are similarities too. For one, both industries require some form of tertiary educution. The usual stuff – professors, lecturers, text books. Standard practice. Although I did my CFA I quickly realised that this is not the way how I think about investments. This is how you are supposed to think. I found that I am applying engineering logic to financial challenges.
And with my knowledge of Monte Carlo simulation I realised that the whole financial industry has got it wrong. Very far wrong. For one, the standard definition of risk is wrong. Volatitility. Bumpiness of the ride if you don’t understand the term. The whole industry is built around reducing volatility, adding shock breakers to the ride. Yet it turns out (to me at least) that the industry as a whole is simply too short-sighted.
Fund managers compete to get the best performance over a quarter. Financial analysts look ahead one year, maximum. Financial advisors are only concerned about selling the product with the highest commission (i.e. how much they can make THIS MONTH). With my MCS simulation I came to the conclusion that the whole pension fund industry revolves around a 2 year horizon. And investors are happy with that. Pension fund trustees as well. Everybody is happy.
Yet, the true definition of risk is not the bumpiness of the ride. This may be the emotional part of the risk equation. For instance, if an investment loses money, the financial advisor stands to lose a client. And the fund manager may expect withdrawals from his fund. And so on. So there are a number of vested interests in protecting the “emotional risk” component. It is not unimportant. However, with my MCS and engineering lenses on, I came to the conclusion that the true definition of investment risk is the “probability of not meeting one’s expected return over the investment horizon”.
There is no point in paying the bank an effective 4% of your capital per year to keep your money safe if you need a positive return after tax and inflation to reach your targets. Armed with this new definition of risk I discovered that most investors take far too little risk with their retirement assets. They are advised by experts with a 2 year investment horizon. But when armed with a 10 year or longer horizon, the picture changes. Effectively, a conservative investor should invest in balanced funds, an investor with a balanced risk profile should invest in aggressive funds. And an aggressive investor should not even bother with a regulated pension fund, he or she should invest 100% in equities. This is the picture that evolves when one accepts a 10 year or longer investment horizon.
Another startling discovery I made was Alpha. Let’s simply call this the degree of outperformance given a certain risk level (yes, you have it, volatility risk!) More than 90% of all fund managers underperform the trivial solution (being a combination of an investment in the equity market, i.e. satrix40, and the balance in a riskfree investment, like a moneymarket fund). And they even charge a fee for their “skills”! The same holds true for pension fund managers. This is a consistent fact, and holds true for all countries.
A MCS that I did revealed that obtaining alpha (outperformance) is five times more important than any other driver when it comes to the amount of capital one will have upon retirement. Far more important than the contributions you make, the returns of the market and even the risk profile chosen. Yet few people know this. Not even pension fund trustees know this. Obtaining a positive alpha is more worth than the entire amount that one will earn during a lifetime of employment! But employees don’t care. They simply accept that their pension fund will be adequate one day. What one doesn’t know can’t bother you! So I came to the conclusion that I have a message to spread. To anyone who is going to retire one day and who has ears.
This brings me to my final point on knowledge – passion. But let’s summarise first.
Point 1: Integration of knowledge sources (Metallurgy, MCS and investments) brings together the bundle of skills. The more unique the blend, the more valuable this bundle becomes.
Point 2: Applying this bundle of skills is important. The trick is to leverage this process into the scalable universe of Extremistan (to borrow a term from Nassim Taleb’s book, “The Black Swan”), away from the world of Mediocristan. And finally,
Point 3: Know why you are doing it. If your true motivation is derived from passion, you will have the energy to pursue this process, to pursue life. I have developed a passion to tell young investors how NOT to invest their money (older investors are somewhat hard hearing, so I concentrate on the younger ones). Discovering one’s true purpose in life is a journey, a process, but one that releases a powerful alchemy of skill, knowledge and motivation into pure raw energy. Now you know why I work until 02:30 in the morning. And don’t have leave forms to sign.
Here is my magic formula:
1. Bundle your skills in an unique blend.
2. Apply this knowledge in a scalable way.
3. Know why you are doing it!
Dr Morne Mostert, founder of Leadership Options and the creator of Systemic Leadership Learning Theory (SLL Theory) as part of his PhD thesis.
The model (from my PhD thesis) is known as the Knowledge Transience Map. It examines the relationship between what we already know and what we will know. We can take any aspect of knowledge and subject it to the options in the quadrants, with corresponding questions and potential actions that will emerge from each option.
Event organizer, entrepeneur, F, ~30,
In order for humans to develop a more productive relationship with knowledge, it would help us if we shifted our dominant culture from one of competition to one of collaboration. Why do we insist on pitting our intelligence against each other, rather than harvesting the sum of our collective intelligence to produce better decisions?
Here is my 5 cents for you.
Knowledge can be a stone in the head. In these fast-paced and changing times it is no longer simply sufficient to know things. It is also not sufficient to simply act on the things we know either. Many people are recognizing a need to find a way to slow-down and reflect before acting on knowledge.
In order to negotiate the many of the ills faced in the world today (the current global recession, the costs of rampant consumerism to earth's ecology, a loss of a sense of community etc) we need to start thinking and feeling through things before we act. Clearly it cannot be left to only the bankers, leaders or governments to be discerning.
As knowledge workers, we are at the coal face. If we engage our faculties of discernment and get more voluble about consequences which we can foresee, we can effect positive change and become part of the solution to the global problems that we as humanity are facing. We need to start thinking for ourselves and teaching our future generations to do so too.
The siloed mechanistic approach that served us through the industrial revolution is clearly not working any longer. In order to solve the problems we face globally, we need to take a more holistic approach that recognizes the interconnectness of things. In our universities and schools this might start with breaking down the barriers that exist between subjects and disciplines. Imagine Engineers collaborating with Linguists, with Accountants, with Theologians, with Psychologists.
We are caught up in competition and economic bottom lines. These things sidetrack us from what is really important. If we use the power of our collective intelligence, the result will be so much greater.
Industrial Engineer, F, ~40,
My terugvoer oor kennis (’n poging, ek weet daar is waarlik niks nuuts onder die son nie!):
Geen kennis is nuut nie, maar relevante toepassings van kennis is waarskynlik onuitputlik, die sg. weduwee se kruik.
Vanoggend oor RSG word natuurlik oor die maanlanding 40 jaar gelede gepraat. En o.a. word die vraag aan ’n persoon van die Astro-fisika (as ek reg onthou) departement by Potch gevra: is dit die moeite werk om al die tyd en mannekrag op iets so ver verwyderd van almal se daaglikse lewens te spandeer?
Sy lang lys van tegnologieë wat ’n direkte uitvloeisel van die maanlanding was, sal enige skeptiese persoon oortuig (behalwe die wat glo dat die maanlanding self ’n groot bluf was...)
Voedsame, verrykte babakos
Koordlose gereedskap
Smering vir enjins (spesiale smering moes ontwikkel word vir toestande sonder gravitasie)
Gevriesdroogde kos
Nierdialise tegnologie
Meer oor relevansie. Ek stap in die veld en sien nie die giftige swart mamba voor hy my sien nie. Nou ja, daar bestaan boeke vol inligting oor slangbyt, laboratoriums vol antiserum; spreekkamers vol slim dokters...maar alles help niks in die veld onder ’n doringboom 200km anderkant die Limpopo rivier nie.
Nog ’n vorm van relevansie is die regte ‘vorm’ van kennis vir die regte toepassing. Bv. ‘spiergeheue’ (muscle memory) – na 4 jaar se klasse en eksamens sal ek nie viool of tennis kan speel as ek dit nooit geoefen het nie. Kennis oor die versorging van siekes is belangrik, maar hoe ek dit toepas gaan baie bydrae tot sukses. Empatie is nodig, anders as (na bewering) sekere personeel in staatshospitale. Daar is waarskynlik ’n verband tussen sukses van verpleegpersoneel en hulle vlakke van empatie.
’n Slimmigheid wat iemand by die skryfskool kwytgeraak het wat aanhaak by relevansie: Geloof, hoop en liefde. En die grootste hiervan...moet jy self besluit
Asset Management, CEO, ~ 55, Male,
Ek het op die een gebroei! ‘n Lang storie kon ek nie uitdink nie maar hier is my probeerslag:
Kennis is orals en almal het een of ander kennis oor ‘n klomp onderwerpe maar wat kennis waardevol maak is as jy sekere elemente van die kennis kan bymekaarsit om iets waardevols te skep wat bruikbaar is vir ander mense en die bree gemeenskap. Meeste mense het die vermoe om dit te doen en in hulle koppe te hou as hulle idees. Dan is daar die mense wat wel aksie neem en hulle kennis aanwend totdat die 10 de probleem opduik . Hulle besluit dan hulle om by die eerste groep aan te sluit. Dan is daar die mense wat te stupid is om op te hou en dit word deursettingsvermoe genoem.
Normaalweg word die derde groep deur mense erken as ‘n oornag sukses. Terwyl die dikvellige stupid mense gewoonlik hulle sukses behaal na 14 jaar.
Minister of Religion, ~30, M,
Ek kan net dink hoeveel vreugde dit moet wees om voor soveel mense te praat. Geniet elke oomblik.
Ek doen gereeld blokkiesraai en die teenoorgestelde vir kenner is SOT. Enige iemand wat dus nie
weet hoe afhanklik hulle van kennis is en waartoe kennis jou kan in staat stel is wraggies ‘n SOT.
Ek weet, nie die mees opbouende inligting rakende kennis nie, maar ‘n
goeie verwysing nie te min. Dag dit sou net so ietsie wees uit die monde van ander.
Deel dit met ‘n tong in die kies en my oë op skrefies
Industrial Engineer, ~35, Sydney, Mining Venture Capital, Male
Kennis is vir my ‘n baie praktiese konsep. Ek sukkel om dit aan een of ander teoretiese blokkie te Koppel. Seker omdat ek ‘n praktiese mens is. Ek streef daarna om te weet wat ek doen, en te doen wat ek verstaan. Daarom is die praktiese toepassing van kennis vir my baie belangrik. Kennis het weliswaar begrippe, teorie, konsepte en allerlei ander goeters, maar vir my moet dit iewers ‘n verskil maak of dit het geen toepassing in my lewe nie.
Ek hoop dit help iewers.
17 July 2009 01:22 Asset Manager, ~40, Male
Wel, wat is lekkerder as om so lekker in die rede geval te word ? Kan nou nie eers onthou waarmee ek besig was nie !
Kennis – my vrind Kahlil Gibran het baie hieroor te sê gehad. Gerus ‘n verwysing werd. Gehoor van die spietkop van sy toets gedruip het ? Hy’t die stopstraat gespot en toe kry hy die toegee-teken … Ken-nis … om te ken. ] maar “ ‘n kennis” is nie ‘n vriend nie.
Nis – nis in die muur / nismark ] “weet van ‘n bepaalde area” - dis nou my eie afleiding. (Het nie ‘n HAT hier nie)
Kennis vs Ervaring
Kennis kan opgedoen / opgelees / vergeet / verloor word = gou… / crash course.
Ervaring kan nie opgelees / vergeet / verloor word nie = neem tyd om vergader te word.
Baie kennis kan mense help (wetenskap, medisyne, sielkunde, ens)
Baie kennis kan mense NIE help Nie (mense sterf aan kanker, VIGS, maak slim oorlog, mense manupuleer, ens)
Baie kennis (grade, titels, posisies) maak mense minder mooi – groot egos, groot koppe, verwaand, onrealisties.
Kennis vs Wysheid
Kennis kan jonk opgedoen word – ‘n 3 jarige is onlangs lid van MENSA – kon weet nie hoeveel wereldstede noem nie. Die meisietjie is nie wys nie!
‘n Ongeletterde Indiaan is baie wys – verwys na “Where did the White man go wrong” (
Kennis is weet – die jongman weet hy doen verkeerd, maar doen dit tog.
Wysheid – om nie dieselfde fout 2x te maak nie ; As jy dit wel doen – geniet dit ten minste !!
Wysheid kom met die Grysheid (kyk na VdS … “maar ek het ten minste nog hare !” Dis blote kennis !)
Kennis, Ervaring en Wysheid, en die grooste hiervan is die Wysheid …
Sê vir daai proffies, ek sê hulle het nog ‘n ent om te gaan !
Hoop dit help ?
Sent: 17 July 2009 01:14 Chartered Accountant, Entrepeneur, Industrialist, ~40,male
Kennis is inligting wat jy kan gebruik.
Inligting is data wat sin maak of georden is.
Iets wat bruikbaar is het 'n sekere nut - ekonomies, geestelik ens.
Voorspoed met die aanbieding.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
