The Knowledge Sharing Toolkit - - a great KM resource

The CGIAR/FAO/KM4Dev Knowledge Sharing Toolkit brings together knowledge sharing tools (such as blogs, micro-blogs, social network analysis tools) and methods (such as peer assist, world café, open space technology) in one place.

It was first started by CGIAR ICT-KM Program, in collaboration with Nancy White, and is a growing resource which is improved by over 100 different editors since. FAO and KM4Dev have also now joined in as official partners. Although the focus of the Wiki is on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food safety and sustainable development, its content is extendable to other areas.

In the context of this Wiki, tools are classified as web-based software or offline physical tools that can be used to enhance collaboration and sharing; methods are group processes that people can use to interact with each other, both online or offline. For each tool/method, there is information about what it is, how to use/apply it, what have been lessons learned and, most importantly, who can tell you more about these methods. See:

• KS TOOLS
• KS METHODS
  

When considering a tool or method, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of a tool/method as well as the context for which you are selecting it. The beauty of the KS Toolkit is that it provides a view of the tools based on the functions/tasks they serve. See:

• PLANNING, MONITORING, AND EVALUATION
• LISTENING, GATHERING INPUT, STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT
• SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES AND NETWORKS
• WORKING, RESEARCHING AND COLLABORATING TOGETHER
• MEETING
• CREATING, PUBLISHING AND SHARING CONTENT
• ADVOCACY
• LEARNING AND TRAINING

Instead of creating similar resources for your own organization or teams, you can become part of this growing initiative. Additionally, if you feel that you can contribute to one or more topics, just request login and password (which gives you editing rights) and start contributing! Last but not least, remember to use it, link to it and share it!

Is being extrovert going to get you a job?

This morning I came across an interesting article which talks about using personality tests to hire people who are naturally "extroverts", and therefore enjoy interacting and being around people, to ensure a "flourishing knowledge management culture" within an organization. How to assess if someone is extrovert? According to them, more attention could be given to personality during the recruitment and selection process by asking the applicants to do psychological tests that give preview of personality type. As they add, although this needs to be done by a qualified professional, ensuring "sound analysis", it surely is only one element of the recruitment process and does not guarantee anything.

I know that many companies make new applicants go through aptitude and personality tests during the recruitment process before being selected for a face-to-face interview. My question is: do you think these tests should be part of HR's recruitment process?

Out of curiosity, I looked up personality test and found this one. The result: “Your score on this Introvert/Extrovert test is 20, which means that you are more on the balancing point between Introvert and Extrovert tendencies.” Would I be hired?... ;-)

Can you learn to trust?

In a recent World Café session around sharing knowledge within teams/units/organizations, trust was identified as a crucial factor in facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration. Trust is often quoted as one of the prerequisites to successful dialogue, exchange and collaboration. One of the persons around the table I was on asked if it was possible to learn how to trust and the answer was "yes". You can create conditions for this to happen, for example, by ensuring colleagues interact on regular basis. Most participants agreed that informal ways to share knowledge, such as through regular group coffee meetings, encourage staff to get to know each other beyond the work environment and discover common hobbies and interests on which respect and trust can be developed. Another important comment was that managers should recognise and reward team achievements instead of individual achievements so that colleagues can trust and collaborate with each other.

What are other ideas for encouraging trust building within organizations?

Which "one" social media tool would you pay for?

I just created a poll to see what you think about the different social media tools. There are so many options I could add to the list but I picked up only a few for the moment. I look forward to the feedback!

Web2.0 for development - its not about technology!

Robert Bourgoing presented the work done by The Global Fund and its use of Web2.0. The organization is just over 7 years and has committed 15 Billion USD in 140 countries. How did this happen? He said its because of their transparent use of the Web.

However, it is not enough to provide information to users. It is important to have conversation with the users. For this, they have implemented "MyGlobalFund" - a site that encourages discussion and interaction. For example,

• Blogs give an opportunity for those who are on the ground, using hte funds from the Global Fund, to discuss what they are doing and what are their challenges.
• Forums allow communication between those interested on the same topic.

The process was slow becaues everyone was a bit apprehensive about giving anyone to say anything about the forum. To get political support, they needed to:

• Have clear objectives
• Explain the concepts with visual aids and non-technical language
• Address fear issues such as: How will we avoid loosing control? What impact will it have on our workload?
• Draft and distribute guidelines for staff to participate in the discussions
• Publish a legal disclaimer supporting staff participation

However, the main challenges have been:

• Getting involvement of staff in participating in the forums and blogs.
• Promotion of the "empty" Web2.0 platform to get content. 90% of the users are lurkers; 9% are intermittent contributors while often only 1% are regular contributors.
• Facilitating vs. Moderating. A healthy community will self-moderate but this is not always the case. It is important to have a good balance.
  

He identified the main issues with Web2.0 as:

• Explain concepts well: Blogs, tagging, rating, RSS feeds, wikis. Don't underestimate the importance of explaining this to those who don't know.
  
• Newer tools such as blogs require a deeper personal involvement
• Involve good communicators because "Good communication tool does not make a good communicator!"

The other issue of Web2.0 technology in countries which access information using dial-up is the lack of ability to participate regularly. It is important in this case to ensure that information, such as from discussion forums, goes directly to users email box or is available via RSS.