In examining the Shirky (2008) chapter regarding publishing
and then filtering, specifically his discussion about the evolution of
communication, I couldn’t help but think of Dame Judi Dench and her narration
of Spaceship Earth at EPCOT in Walt Disney World (http://youtu.be/lP8ByndQSAQ). For those that have not had the pleasure of
riding Spaceship Earth, it is a ride that explores the advances in
communication over time. I was on
vacation last week and this ride was a welcome escape from the oppressive
Florida heat.
Communication and the learning that comes from that
interaction has developed greatly over time, but as Shirky (2008) describes,
this knowledge is not always something we need, nor is it something directed at
us. I must admit that I am a bit of a
Facebook junkie, and many times I see status posts from friends thinking ‘is
he/she talking about me?’ or ‘is that snarky comment directed at ‘X’?’ In the
virtual world where there is no filter, it is difficult to determine where
information is directed, and exactly what is accurate. There is also a depth and breadth of personal
information available to us via social media, especially from younger people,
that is simply more than we need to know – again, no filter.
There are several aspects of knowledge management at play in
my industry, and leadership is an important facet. I work in the healthcare regulatory
environment, and much of our ‘source authority’ comes from the Internet. Some of it is simply law or regulation, but
other portions are interpretations from subject matter experts with the
regulatory agencies. This seems to fit
well within the ‘Leveraging Explicit Knowledge’ definition as shared by Dixon. The organization simply captured the existing
documents or some information from subject matter experts and warehoused this
information. As a leader, it is a ‘no
brainer’ to consider this information safe for ‘consumption’ and not feel a
need to filter this.
However, as we step to the next levels of knowledge
management, Leveraging
Experiential Knowledge and Leveraging
Collective Knowledge , it becomes more critical that leaders become
involved in this discussion. For
example, in my industry many regulations are published that may leave room for
interpretation. In our current world of
personal directed learning (http://www.jarche.com/2010/02/a-framework-for-social-learning-in-the-enterprise/),
many staff will head to the web to get the thoughts of random law and
consulting firms on the latest regulation.
Unfortunately, you can’t believe everything you read on the web, and
staff may read a ‘liberal’ interpretation of a regulation when the organization
is taking a more ‘conservative’ approach to compliance with that
regulation. It is vital for leadership
to serve as that filter, to assist their staff to understand what is good based
on organizational policy. Another good
example of this is Wikipedia. I love the
Wikipedia for simply checking out information about a person when I see them on
TV and I don’t know who they are.
However, I don’t allow my students to use Wikipedia as a resource for
their work, as its sources are questionable.
Ultimately, it comes down to filtering, and leaders can
serve as that filter. The leader must be
knowledgeable about what is available on the web and what their staff/students
might be using. In my industry there are
many web based research tools such as MediRegs, MedAssets, and other similar tools,
which will provide staff with a reliable source for information. These will take the guesswork out of research
for staff.
On an aside, you can’t believe everything you read on the
web, but if a cat can be mayor…
Reference:
Shirky, C. (2008). Here comes everybody: the
power of organizing without organizations. New York: Penguin Press.
Jill, interesting that you note "...However, I don’t allow my students to use Wikipedia as a resource for their work, as its sources are questionable."
ReplyDeleteI would counter that few works are MORE peer reviewed than information at Wikipedia, and it is a very open process where one can see all revisions and the commentary that goes with them. There have been several studies of the accuracy of Wikipedia, and the results suggest accuracy as good as the Encyclopedia Britannica.
But from a leadership perspective, what if we not only encouraged the use of Wikipedia ... but gave extra credit if someone did find an error AND CORRECTED IT ... as everyone has the capability of doing. :-)
Dr Watwood - I guess it depends on the subject matter. I'd agree that there is some great information in there, and I do use it regularly on a personal level. But I recall teaching an anatomy and physiology course a few terms back where the student did a report with research from the Wikipedia. I sadly don't recall the exact vessel, but it stated it was in the wrong part of the body. She used other resources for her paper, but they were scholarly journals about disease processes involving that area, so didn't really discuss location. Maybe it's just a health care thing, although the University I teach at has it in their policies for faculty that they discourage the use of Wikipedia as well.
DeleteFor quite some time (over a year), Wikipedia had my son and one of his friends as famous people from our city as they were the starting goaltender and starting left wing for the Johnson City Wildcats Hockey Team (which is a high school team).
I also don't encourage students (these are undergrads, most who have never been exposed to scholarly journals or writings) to use newspaper or magazine articles, as they can be opinion and not fact. Just like the Wikipedia, some can be great, but some can be not so great.
Jill,
ReplyDeleteYes! It does all come down to filtering! I am not sure when we as a nation turned the corner from "filter then publish" to "publish then filter." However, here we are. It is up to leaders to rise to the occasion and filter the information before it is released to the public.
I have never been to EPCOT, but your post intrigues me to get there. News media has evolved into how we know it today. I'm sure that we have not seen the last of its evolution, but what that evolution might be is up to leaders. However, at this juncture, I have little to no confidence that this will happen. I envision the further decline of professional news organizations and medias. In another generation, we may see news media reform, but until then.... It's like a spaceship.
Your post this week reminded me of the book/movie “Flags of Our Fathers.” If you are unfamiliar with it, this book/movie is about the men that were behind the famous flag raising on Iwo Jima during World War II. (It’s a great read and I totally recommend it!) One of the focuses in the book is about the myths that surround the flag raising. There are so many that I can’t list them all here. Below are just a few though…
ReplyDelete1. The picture was staged.
2. The picture was taken during heavy battle.
3. The picture is of the first time a U.S. flag was raised on the island.
Here is the Wikipedia listing…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima
None of the three myths listed above are actually true. Misinformation was spread about this picture for years and still persists today. The crazy part is that this picture was taken well before Facebook and Twitter. Can you imagine trying to correct these myths in today’s world? It would be nearly impossible. As soon as the wrong information got out there, it would perpetuate at a break-neck speed. So, as you mentioned in your post, it is important for leaders to be knowledgeable. Leaders need to have information and be able to share that with others. This is a challenge, but it must be done to avoid filtering out the wrong thing. This is how rumors spread!
JK