Today it is easy to acquire quality Knowledge and the power job to apply Knowledge. The difficult part is making sound judgments. Ignorant diagnosis are common. Good enterprise performance demands collectives first organize and discipline themselves to emerge the reality. The immense procedural energy required for a constructive collective is beyond the capacity of personnel.
The terms of entrance to elite educational institutions are clearly established. Students can prepare per the terms and hope to succeed. Good education lands good jobs. The new additions to the Knowledge work force have every reason to feel proud of their success and repose confidence in their Knowledge. However, while Knowledge can be acquired in the classroom, problem definition and problem solving skills pertaining to real life problems come only with practice. They require the ability to see beyond the obvious.
The common case of a doctor’s diagnosis illustrates the ages-old nature of Knowledge that necessitates good Knowledge use skills to avoid the ‘ignorant diagnosis’ trap or a conclusion that nullifies the possession of Knowledge. Knowledge is thus the problem in the pursuit of success. Imagine a person, say a man (could be a woman too) suddenly afflicted with a boil. He begins by ignoring it but when it turns persistent and painful and leads to fever he is forced to consult a doctor. Most doctors respond to the evidence of the boil, the symptom of fever, and prescribe an antibiotic. The fever abates and the boil disappears but not for long. It reappears in a new location. The fix of the antibiotic does not cure the root problem. The antibiotic is the consequence of an ignorant diagnosis in response to the obvious. The reality is perhaps a switch in the diet to oily food. Isolating the change in diet and restoring healthy eating will cure the root problem. The boil will cease and the fever go away without medication. Such is the power of emerging the reality.
A doctor committed to understanding the evidence and symptoms and willing to invest the time will probably engage in the Q&A necessary to emerge the reality. But most doctors apply the rules and have every reason to believe they are doing a great job in administering an antibiotic. For them re-appearance of the boil only means a chronic condition requiring a more severe response, i.e., a powerful suppressant. The result can only be failure with unpleasant side effects.
The ‘ignorant diagnosis’ is a chronic failing. It is widespread and is responsible for the pathetic response of government administrations across the globe. Senge (1) has explained the defensive reactions and learning disabilities that make it endemic in all large administrations. He has reviewed the work done in the twentieth century to emerge the reality and defined the five disciplines that assure its emergence.
A review (2) in 2003 by John Seely Brown (ex-head of Xerox Parc) and E.S.Gray's on the work of Peter Senge (Creating A Learning Culture: Strategy, Practice, And Technology, 2003) illustrates the current state of affairs:
- “Senge’s five disciplines provided instant utility for learning to organizations in 1990, yet learning organizations remain rare to this day.”
The period leading to this review was marked by the rise and fall of Knowledge Management as explained by the following slide:
Note: CAb stands for Collective Ability
The Velocifere picture above captures the way IT was used: as a tool to be driven by man. It could not drive man rapidly to destinations (man on top) because of submission to the conventional wisdom that only personnel can organize their exchange of Knowledge. This is explained in my Barrier ‘Absence of a means to exploit the latent collective ability for pursuing success’. Like the Velocifere, the 'IT is a tool' paradigm failed to enthuse though a select class tried to make do with it.
In the 2006 edition of his magnum opus Senge has lamented the poor interest amongst the CEOs and holds them responsible for the neglect of his acclaimed work. The body of the book acknowledges that the practice of the disciplines requires the personnel to overcome genuine and high priority demands on their time and energy and somehow manage the load imposed by globalization, specialization and the chaos of multiple interactions and relationships with numerous personnel. It is beyond normal leaders to play God and energize and motivate all the personnel all the time against such odds as depicted in the following slide:
The problem is that hopes and expectations are raised by the success of charismatic leaders like David Packard of Hewlett Packard and Ken Iverson of Nucor Steel.
Feedback first established its success in engineering systems for delivering the goal over time. Its impact may be understood by the process adopted to get the right temperature of hot water for a bath in winter. We rapidly test the water with our hand and operate the cold and hot water taps as needed. A few iterations or Feedback loops gives us the temperature we desire. Senge has opined that Feedback is the key driver for practicing the disciplines and developing the skill to emerge the reality. It helps to diagnose and cure the root of the problem as depicted by the following slide:
The slide shows Feedback is a product of Free-flow of Knowledge. Free-flow is possible only in an ‘Open’ environment. My hack ‘Achieving the ends of Knowledge with feedback’ explains the power of Feedback.
My Barrier ‘The importance of dreaming about the free flow of Knowledge’ presents the exclusive power of Dialogue to deliver Free-flow of Knowledge.
My hack ‘Compelling Energy for a quantum jump in organization performance with the same resources’ explains my breakthrough all-sizes-fit-one single process that converts IT from a tool to compelling and intelligent energy for forming constructive Collectives and assuring Dialogue in context. The concept of the Collective derives its meaning from the delivery of Feedback, i.e., a group of personnel distributed over space and time are called a Collective because they engage in Feedback. The Collective is formed dynamically in response to the discretion of the Knowledge worker. Technology is used to guide the selection of personnel for progressing the Dialogue in context.
Mine is perhaps the first work to interpret that Senge defined the way to escape the clutches of Maya. It uses the concept of Feedback developed by Senge to invest meaning into a Collective as an effective weapon against Maya.
(1) Senge, P. M. (2006). The Fifth Discipline. NY: Currency Doubleday (First Published: 1990)
http://www.johnseelybrown.com/intro_learningculture.html. (Accessed Sep. 01, 2010).
The latest hack from Ellen 'What Marks an Intelligent Assessment?' caught my eye. Conceptually it is not much different from your effort to solve the 'ignorant diagnosis' problem. Do you think her solution can be delivered/aided/driven by your 'intelligent energy'?
Regards,
Dhiraj.
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Dear Nayantara and Rohit,
Glad the two of you have prodded each other awake. Was missing your appreciation here.
Yes, it feels good to have folks like Mike and Dan see sense in my writing. You folks responded to my passion. They are responding to my reason. Gives me confidence that I am developing my communication. I shall need it to succeed with my pilots.
Thanks and looking forward to a meeting,
Raj Kumar
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hello Raj,
Been a bit out of touch staying in Saudi Arabia. Learnt of your latest posting during my stopover at Delhi on my way to Singapore.
This posting reminded me of my history lessons in school. Used to wonder how could religion so bog down thinking that it needed a Gautamn Buddha to emerge the reality of human endeavour: the life is in the journey and not in the end.
Your revealation of the nature of Knowledge is something similar. As for Nayantara the common source of human error that 'I know what I am doing' came as a shock to me too. It is really true that more oftrn than not we land up pursuing our wishes instead of engaging with reality. Emerging the reality requires a constructive collective. Teamwork is truly all about pursuing the truth as a group. And your work makes it easy. So easy to say it but a reliable means has not been available all these centuries.
I am really happy that Mike Richardson appreciates your breakthrough. Gives meaning to your statement in your story that lucidity is a work in progress.
All the best,
Rohit
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hello Raj,
Been a bit out of touch staying in Saudi Arabia. Learnt of your latest posting during my stopover at Delhi on my way to Singapore.
This posting reminded me of my history lessons in school. Used to wonder how could religion so bog down thinking that it needed a Gautamn Buddha to emerge the reality of human endeavour: the life is in the journey and not in the end.
Your revealation of the nature of Knowledge is something similar. As for Nayantara the common source of human error that 'I know what I am doing' came as a shock to me too. It is really true that more oftrn than not we land up pursuing our wishes instead of engaging with reality. Emerging the reality requires a constructive collective. Teamwork is truly all about pursuing the truth as a group. And your work makes it easy. So easy to say it but a reliable means has not been available all these centuries.
I am really happy that Mike Richardson appreciates your breakthrough. Gives meaning to your statement in your story that lucidity is a work in progress.
All the best,
Rohit
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hello Raj,
Been a bit out of touch staying in Saudi Arabia. Learnt of your latest posting during my stopover at Delhi on my way to Singapore.
This posting reminded me of my history lessons in school. Used to wonder how could religion so bog down thinking that it needed a Gautamn Buddha to emerge the reality of human endeavour: the life is in the journey and not in the end.
Your revealation of the nature of Knowledge is something similar. As for Nayantara the common source of human error that I know what I am doing came as a shock to me too. It is really true that more oftrn than not we land up pursuing our wishes instead of engaging with reality. Emerging the reality requires a constructive collective. Teamwork is truly all about pursuing the truth as a group. And your work makes it easy. So easy to say it but a reliable means has not been available all these centuries.
I am really happy that Mike Richardson appreciates your breakthrough. Gives meaning to your statement in your story that lucidity is a work in progress.
All the best,
Rohit
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Dear Rajkumar,
We take knowledge and our ability to be knowledgeable so much for granted that your dicussion of the nature of knowledge came as an expose to me. It is definitely the reson why leaders often go astray unless they are careful. It is ironic how knowledge raises man above the other creations and how it has the potential to be the reason for man's downfall. Perhaps the absence of a means to emerge the reality is the cause for much of the strife we are witnessing today.
It is an interesting thought that now we have the intelligent energy to guide better collective ability and thinking to make the most of our legacy.
Great. Best wishes,
Nayantara
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Thank you for studying my hack and commenting.
I have updated my detailed response at your hack.
Regards,
Raj Kumar
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Raj,
I found this hack because of your comment at Mike Richardson's hack presently at the top of the Hack listing.
Your comment reveals the true nature of Knowledge and lends powerful meaning to dynamic complexity. I am making this statement here for something rather nefarious is going on in the feedback at Mike's hack. It is almost as if an attempt has been made to drown your comment by putting up an identity like Shaun Alger who registered on November 1 for precisely of drowning you. I will not be surprised if your hack has been derated vindictively to remove it from the top of the listing with no chance of now even making it to the first page. The coward who did it has not even had the reason to place a negative comment to explain his action.
I believe your hack makes a great contribution to the understanding of Knowledge.
Dhiraj
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You do have an excitable nature. The phantom of the MIX will be laughing his head off. Though I have to agree this time he was particularly vicious.
It appears I have a kindred soul in Mike Richardson. The funny thing is he who is more experienced than I in senior management positions is more dependent on jargon to make his point. His creation of word concepts prevents me from resonating with his observations. His appreciation has left me with no disagreement. My comment at his hack says it all.
Wish you a happy Diwali,
Raj Kumar
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I have been spreading the word about the MIX to everyone I know as I beleive that is our desire, to build a critical mass of interest, and I think there is incredibly valuable insight and learning value here for all. As Shaun Alger makes clear in his post on my hack, he knows me and my work - he had e-mailed me over the weekend saying he had tried to post a comment but couldn't and I clarified that he needed to register first. Being a busy CEO, he finally got around to it last night. I had seen Raj's comment to my hack on my PDA while doing client sessions yesterday (and was looking forward to replying as we resonate much more strongly than he or you might realize - I will reply there next) but, after getting back late last night, am only reading this hack here this morning. Imagine my shock and disappointment to read your comment. Not only an incorrect disgnosis but a whole story and character assasination assembled around it.
I have yet to post a comment/rating for Raj's hack here and I can assure you it will be positive as I resonate strongly with it and we are much more on the same page than he realizes. I am in the MIX for the right reasons, to build on each others' thinking, courage and character for management innovation. What about you?
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Hello Mike,
You remind me of my mental origins as Shakespeare's fool. That is the closest I have come to understanding myself: an apolitical fellow without a domain to protect who spends his time engaged in the pleasure of learning by prodding and provoking and sifting the results. You asked my contribution to the MIX. There is so much of agreement and form here that I felt the need for balancing it with a dose of disagreement to reveal the reality and drive higher thinking. Thinking is a funny thing. It enjoys agreement but seeks a challenge to fly higher.
I do try not to be disagreeable. I curbed myself from expressing my doubts at your site because I was conscious that I could be wrong. The sincere attempt in your hack to make a contribution was compelling. But then there was ambition too. What has carried the day with me is your understanding of the ignorant diagnosis. Indeed, my diagnosis was ignorant. The facts fit but the conclusion was incorrect. As is often the case, a bit of patience would have revealed the truth. Your response to Raj showed to me you are genuine.
I am intrigued by your choice of ‘Sherpa’ for naming your company. It is possible you had some other meaning in mind but in my part of the world the Sherpas of Nepal have a very proud heritage. They definitely carry more load than any other mountain dwellers, and with the possible exception of Edmund Hillary, climb higher than any other human being. Great inspiration in the name and I heartily wish you its content.
Regads,
Dhiraj
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Thank you Dhiraj - no worries - its all good.
Yes, when I took the leap from the corporate world 8 years ago, I consciously chose the word "Sherpa" for the reasons you begin to speak of. I was looking for one word which would embed the complexitiies of what I wanted to be about and, with about 6 months of forethought, I eventually settled on "Sherpa" with 3 most important connotations:
- It speaks implicitly of a monutainous journey, not just any old journey or walk in the park (I am about breakthrough journeys, which can often feel overrwhelmingly mountainous for managers, executives and CEOs)
- A Sherpa has climbed the monutain many times before, maybe not to the very peak, but often to high altitudes (they know the nature of the journey, what to expect and the effort and perseverence it will take, and the risks and rewards)
- And most importantly of all, a Sherpa does heavy lifting, providing load carrying support (not just coaching from the sidelines)
I often get asked if I am a mountain climber and the answer is no, its just a leadership analogy, but one I love and many people comment on it. I especially appreciate your comments.
I have always wanted to delve further into the culture, philosophies and beliefs/principles of Sherpa's, as I suspect it would be inspiring and relevant, but have struggled to find much authentic material, direct from source and in English. I would be incredibly grateful if you know of any you can point me at or resources you can connect me with. Thanks for your consideration.
Its a pleasure to make a new friend on the other side of the world. I am in San Diego California (although British, now American). Where are you exactly? Thanks again. Best wishes.
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Hello Raj,
It was good to see that the MIX continues to thrive.
Your new hack illuminates the nature of Knowledge and explains the events we see reported daily in the papers. It explains why nothing can be taken for granted, particularly the emerging of reality. It is reassuring to know that a Collective has the power to emerge the reality. It adds a new dimension to empowerment.
While it is only fitting that IT amplifies the power of man it is difficult to believe we are so close to curing a basic flaw of man - the colored vision.
It raises as deeply philosophical questions as cloning. I pray the power will be used wisely. It does have Feedback built into it. In fact, the powewr develops only with Feedback!
Regards,
P.Singh
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Phew, your comment is on too high a plane for me to respond to today. I would like to but dare not for fear of leaving contact with the ground. I must first deliver results on the enterprise plane.
Thank you for the good wishes and great good will carried forward from your past appreciation of my work,
Raj Kumar
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