Gurteen Knowledge Cafe OLC MENA 31 October 2013.

Gurteen Knowledge CafeGurteen Knowledge Cafe

OLC MENA 31 October 2013

Henry of Germany giving a lecture at the University of Bologna in the 14th century

Have you ever questioned the lecture as Have you ever questioned the lecture as a means of teaching/learning?a means of teaching/learning?

Show me a Professor of Education … who

lectures, and I’ll show you a hypocrite who doesn’t

read the research.

Donald Clarke, PlanB Learning

What is the most powerful What is the most powerful learning technology ever learning technology ever

invented?invented?

Conversation is the most powerful learning technology ever

invented

Conversations carry news, create meaning, foster cooperation, and

spark innovation.

Encouraging open, honest conversation through work space design, setting ground rules for

conversing productively,

and baking conversation into the corporate culture spreads

intellectual capital, improves cooperation, and strengthens

personal relationships.

Jay Cross, Informal Learning

What’s the most important form What’s the most important form of work?of work?

What’s the defining work of What’s the defining work of business?business?

Business is a conversation because the defining work of

business is conversation - literally.

And 'knowledge workers' are simply those people whose

job consists of having interesting conversations.

David WeinbergerThe Cluetrain Manifesto

• Conversations are the way workers discover what they know, share it with their colleagues, and in the process create new knowledge for the organisation.

• In the new economy, conversations are the most important form of work ... so much so that the conversation is the organisation.

Alan Weber, Harvard Business Review

What makes a goodWhat makes a goodconversation?conversation?

The kind of conversation I’m

interested in is one in which you start with a

willingness to emerge a slightly different

person.

Theodore ZeldinConversation

Theodore is an Oxford Historian

Gurteen Knowledge CafeGurteen Knowledge Cafe

London, September 2002

Global Knowledge CafésGlobal Knowledge Cafés

• I have run them all over the world

• Some interesting cultural experiences

• Format always works

• People love to talk

• Discovered their power

Gurteen Knowledge Café ProcessGurteen Knowledge Café Process

Basic Café ProcessBasic Café Process

• Speaker makes short presentation

• Poses a trigger question

• Small group conversations at tables

• Three rounds of conversation

• Whole group conversation (circle)

• Share actionable insightsProcess can be adapted depending on the purpose of the Café, context, numbers, venue etc

Café PrinciplesCafé Principles

• About a learning conversation (dialogue) – not debate

• Everyone equal; no table leaders; no reporting back

• No one forced to do anything– OK to just listen

• People trusted to talk about what is important– OK to go off-topic

• People take the real outcomes away in their heads

• Minimal summarization or attempt to reach consensus

Café OutcomesCafé Outcomes

• Outcomes are what you take away in your head

• Deeper understanding of the issues discussed

• Deeper insight into other people’s perspectives

• Better appreciation of your own point of view

• Improved relationships

• Position to make more informed decisions

Knowledge Café ApplicationsKnowledge Café Applications

Surfacing IssuesSurfacing Issues

ISN ZurichISN Zurich

• Dramatic improvement in inter-team dialog, collaboration & knowledge sharing

• Many internal work processes overhauled as a result

• Explosion of new ideas & initiatives on the part of staff at all levels of the organization

• Empowered staff to speak up and take the initiative

Chris Pallaris

Chief Editor, ISN, Zurich

Transform MeetingsTransform Meetings

Transform Decision Making MeetingsTransform Decision Making Meetings

• Break meetings into two parts

• To better understand the issues– Dialogue - Café style– Divergent– Understanding

• To make decisions and plans– Debate– Convergent– Making a decision

Transform Any TalkTransform Any Talk

Transform any TalkTransform any Talk

• Move from – presentation + Q&A– 30 mins + 10 mins

• to – presentation + reflection

+ conversation + Q&A

• Allow– 20 mins presentation– 2 mins for reflection– 10 mins for conversation– 8 mins for Q&A

KM UKKM Australia

KM Singapore ECU Forum Mumbai + Johannesburg

Many Other Café ApplicationsMany Other Café Applications

• learn from each other• clarify issues• gain insight• break down organisational silos• break down inter-personal barriers• surface issues & problems• surface potential risks• surface opportunities• get buy-in for a course of action• stimulate innovation• build better relationships• engage with our work• share good practice• develop our unique voice• move to action

The Knowledge CafeThe Knowledge Cafe

How can conversation contribute to How can conversation contribute to Organizational Learning?Organizational Learning?

www.gurteen.comwww.gurteen.com

David GURTEEN Gurteen Knowledge Fleet, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 7774 178 650 Email: [email protected]

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