Enterprise 2.0 and Cynefin

In the previous post, Cynefin, Knowledge Spirals and Bonfires, I discussed the use of the Cynefin framework to describe how knowledge is built. At that stage we saw how knowledge building can be seen as a flow/spiral around the chaotic, complex and knowable domains with the ability at some point to transfer/publish learning's into the known domain. In this post I will consider the different requirements of each domain and show how different tools from the Enterprise 2.0 tools set align to the various domains.
For the purposes of this discussion will consider the properties and requirements of four domains:

• Chaotic - In this domain the relationship between data/information/knowledge fragments is unknowable. When working in this domain the only response is to act and impose order.
• Complex - In this domain the relationship between data/information/knowledge fragments is ambiguous. We believe a relationship exists but have yet to understand it. When working in this domain we are looking for insights/patterns and are exploring ways to combine these fragments. Out of this activity emerge new hypothesis which are bounced around an informal network of trusted collaborators.
• Knowable - In this domain the relationship between data/information/knowledge fragments can be understood by experts. We have the "bones of an idea" and are working to flesh the idea out. When working in this domain we see formal collaborations between experts taking place.
  
• Known - In this domain the relationship between data/information/knowledge fragments is fully comprehended and lack ambiguity. The idea is fully formed and tested and is presented in a formally structured fashion for consumption by non-experts.

Having described the attributes of the four domains we are now in a position to align these requirements against the different tools contained in the Enterprise 2.0 tool kit:

Chaotic

• Requirement - Identify sets of data/information/knowledge fragments
  
• Tool - Search

Complex

• Requirement - Combine and explore data/information/knowledge fragments
• Tools - Mash-up capabilities
• Requirement - Informal collaboration
  
• Tools - Personal Blog, Microblogging, Social Networking, Social Bookmarking, RSS reader

Knowable

• Requirement - Aggregate and share data/information/knowledge fragments across a multidisciplinary team
• Tools - Team Wiki, Team Blog, Social Bookmarking, RSS reader
  
• Requirement - Coordinate team activities
• Tools - GTDware

Known

• Requirement -Publish formal structure content
• Tools - Corporate Wiki, Podcast/Vodcast/Slidecast, Social Bookmarking, RSS reader

Having aligned the various Enterprise 2.0 tools with the four domains we now have a clear contextual appreciation of which aspect of knowledge building each tool support and how different combinations synergise. Essentially we now have a roadmap for implementation of Enterprise 2.0 tools in support of knowledge building and can use this to i) prioritise which tools we want to deploy and ii) provide clear context to users as to what processes these tools support and how we expect them to be used together.

Cynefin, Knowledge Spirals and Bonfires

A recent post by Thomas Vander Wal reminded me I needed to share some of the thinking I've been doing over the last few months. In On Fire with Social Progressions Thomas describes the social flows of information from idea through to formal outcome. In this post he uses a neat analogy of a growing fire to describe this progression. It all starts with an individual creating a spark, an idea, that grows into a campfire as a group gather round and add their perspectives. This campfire builds into a bonfire as more and more contribute to the original idea and finally becomes a beacon (Thomas uses torch holder), a formal full rounded piece of information that people can navigate by. This is a great visual analogy and reminded me of an aspect of the Cynefin framework and the description of 'The natural flow of knowledge' in Complex acts of knowing: Paradox and descriptive self-awareness by Dave Snowden. The beauty of the Cynefin framework is the simple way it breaks down and describes knowledge space which can best be describe by Dave Snowden:



In "Complex acts of knowing" Dave illustrates how ideas start in the the complex domain and around these communities naturally form which through the process of formalisation grow into communities of practice within the knowable domain. Knowledge is aggregated and ideas built upon as members of the community ask new questions of the chaotic domain, gain new insights in the complicated domain and test and analyse them in the knowable domain. At some point a limited amount of codified knowledge can be separated out from the community and moved into the known domain.
I think you can easily see the similarities between Thomas's "fire" analogy and the knowledge spiral aspect of the Cynefin framework. Now while Thomas's "fire" analogy describes the social flows of information from idea through to formal outcome the Cynefin framework takes this idea much further and provides a way to explore the wider concept of knowledge space. Having introduced the idea of the knowledge spiral and how it applies to the Cynefin framework the next step will be to explore the requirements of the domains and how enterprise 2.0 tools align to them.

A couple of OnePoint case studies

We have just got a couple of case studies published around our use of OnePoint, a combination of OneNote & SharePoint, and the value we are seeing from it.

The first will be published in Drug Discovery Today and you can read the pre-print here.

‘OnePoint’ – combining OneNote and SharePoint to facilitate knowledge transfer

The identification and development of novel drugs requires a multidisciplinary team of individuals whose membership changes during the lifecycle of a project. Incomplete knowledge transfer across this team can be a barrier to effective decision-making and efficient drug discovery. We have deployed a new infrastructure supporting information storage and distribution within small teams using Microsoft's SharePoint™ server technology in conjunction with the desktop application OneNote™. This delivers a user-friendly collaborative workspace that is fast, flexible and carries a low training burden. Demand from drug project teams for this ‘solution’ has now resulted in site-wide deployment to over 500 people across research.

The second case study, available here, was done in collaboration with Microsoft. In this case Microsoft also produced a video, see below, which really brings OnePoint to life (need Silverlight installed to view).

Pfizer Boosts Efficiency by 15 Percent with Easy to Use, Shared Note-Taking Program

For the past 150 years, Pfizer has pioneered the development of some of the industry’s most innovative pharmaceutical products. In 2007, Pfizer applied this “out of the box” thinking to a pilot program designed to enhance efficiency and knowledge management across project teams, and potentially speed time-to-market for new products. The pilot brought together the simple, intuitive user interface of the Microsoft® Office OneNote® 2007 note-taking program with the robust document management technology of Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007. As a result, pilot participants reported a significant decrease in the number of e-mail messages they send each day, and one group reported a 15 percent increase in efficiency. Overall, the 600 participants reported a 2 percent time savings per week, which represents a cost savings of approximately U.S.$2.25 million.