Kol Safran קול ספרן

Knowledge Management Terms
by Daniel D. Stuhlman

Note: The first version of this document was published to my web site in 2006. It has been updated and edited many times since then. I am always open to suggestions for new terms and ideas. Please e-mail me.

Organizations are complex organisms. For an organization to grow and prosper in this information age, it must become a learning organization understanding both its roots and branching out to new endeavors. One of the challenges in mastering "Knowledge Management" is understanding the terminology of the field. In any field one must have a common understanding of the nomenclature of both the terms and concepts. People use the same words and phrases but the meanings could be different based on gender, location, context, profession, etc. This document defines terms, borrowed from other fields such as computer science, business, psychology and education that may be applied to knowledge management in organizations. Throughout this document I use the term "organization" rather than business. All organizations, profit making, non-profit, and voluntary, share some of the same needs for sound knowledge management practices. Even non-profit organizations must use sound business practices to ensure prosperity.
Knowledge management is a conscious, hopefully consistent, strategy implemented to gather, store and retrieve knowledge and then help distribute the information and knowledge to those who need it in a timely manner. The strategy includes rules, procedures, and cultural aspects in addition to the hardware and software to help put the knowledge management strategy into action. The best computers and software are not useful without the people and procedures for using them. Knowledge management is a framework and management mind-set that includes building on experience and creating new avenues for exchanging knowledge. The strategy includes both the technological infrastructure and the human aspects that uses the tools.
The progression for a learning organization is: data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. Data and information are gathered; knowledge and wisdom are applied as a result of analysis.

Analysis is the process of interpreting data and information. One may order the data for easier interpretation or take the raw data and use it to create information and wisdom. Analysis requires data input and outputs something based on the data, experience, and previously learned wisdom of the people involved.
Artificial ignorance occurs when truth is sacrificed in favor of reverence or ritual. People practice artificial ignorance when they behave without thinking about the reason behind the actions. They follow the rules, practices, procedures, or laws exactly without thinking of the implications and results. Humorous fictional examples include Amelia Bedilia in the books by Peggy Parish, Silly Jack in English folklore and the Wise Men of Chelm in Jewish folklore.
Artificial intelligence occurs when analysis and the search for truth takes precedence over the creative and human activities of a job. People who practice artificial intelligence behave with so much thinking and analysis that the feeling, intuition, and art of making decisions is sacrificed.
Barriers are objects, ideas, practices, structures, systems, etc. that prevent or discourage action. Sometimes physical barriers are necessary for physical safety. Security barriers are important for an organization to protect assets. Barriers are not good when they discourage, sharing, creativity, service and other forms of positive business activity.
Cataloging is the systematic organization of information, data, or materials so that they can be retrieved when the requester needs them. Cataloging follows rules and practices to enable users to understand the system. Putting words in alphabetical order in a dictionary or index is one example of cataloging. Alphabetical order has rules so that the lexicographer and the end user can find words. A librarian-cataloger follows rules established by national and global organizations. The rules are flexible enough to enable interpretation and localization. Rules also include controlled vocabulary for subject headings. A business cataloger follows the business rules of the organization.
Explicit Knowledge is the captured and cataloged information and knowledge that is made ready for people to use.
Sometimes within businesses the term, taxonomy, is used for the classification of knowledge.   A good taxonomy or catalog enables the same knowledge to be accessed via multiple paths.
Classification is a system of arranging ideas or physical objects in hierarchal and enumerative schemes. Schemes may be based on national standards such library classification systems (for example: Library of Congress Classification, Dewey Decimal Classification, or National Library of Medicine Classification) or internally developed. Classification systems arrange materials in an order. In libraries multiple orders may exist such as reference collections, children collections or branch libraries. In businesses multiple orders many include departments, branches or other segregations of materials. Library classifications are based on subjects. Business classifications are based on logical arrangements for each business. Linear or systematic arrangements impose limits on the classifiers. The classification of digital documents does not have physical and temporal limits on accessibility as books or physical documents. Numbers, letters or symbols are the shorthand codes for arranging materials. These codes help people who don't have expert knowledge of the subjects store and retrieve materials in the correct places.
For classification systems to work they must 1) Encompass the whole field of knowledge or business activity and allow for future revisions; 2) Be systematic 3) Be logical; 4) Be flexible enough so that new subjects may be inserted without dislocating current materials; 5) Be kept current; and 6) Employ terminology that is clear, consistent, and unambiguous for the classifier and end users.
Communities of Interest include the people within the organization or those outside the organization who share interests in an aspect of the business or profession. For example professional staff may join professional organizations to share common interests and offer each other support. This is especially important when the organization has few people in that profession. Within the organization staff may share business interests separate from their professional interests. These communities may be formal and organized such as professional organizations or informal such as people talking to people in other departments about common business interests.
People are linked by proximity, electronic communications, printed documents, published articles, or books. Electronic links could include Internet mailing lists, wikis, RSS, web sites, or news groups. Print resources may include newsletters, trade journals, professional periodicals and scholarly journals. Members of the community do not possess equal levels of expertise, but they are associated by their desire to share and learn from others. The nature of the association changes and develops over time. A neophyte may need a lot of support at the beginning and later evolve into knowledge provider.
Communities may or may not be open to all who wish to join. professional organizations may place educational or experience requirements on membership. Restricted membership organizations are communities of practice for experts. In businesses, these experts, based on their knowledge, are designated for specific subjects. Other groups may be open to anyone who wants to contribute, share, or learn.
Critical thinking is an intellectual process that questions assumptions, data and information. Children are very literal in their understanding of lanuage and the world. (see above Artificial ignorance) Education and maturity teach students to examine any claim, idea, or text to determine if it is true, partially true, false, or somewhere in between.
Critical thinking relies on a body of data and information to create wisdom which is based on sound logical conclusions. While the body of knowledge changes from one disciple to the other, process of seeking the truth is common to all. A mature, critical thinker raises questions, examines facts, and confronts issues before formulating conclusions.*

Culture is a combination of organizational history, shared experiences, group expectations, unwritten or tacit rules, ethics, and social interactions that affect the behavior of everyone in the organization. Culture is developed dejure (organizational rules and pronouncements from upper management) and defacto based on shared experience. Culture is a complex social structure. Sometimes it evolves slowly based on worker actions and sometimes change is enacted by management. We simultaneously participate in many cultures such as families, localoties, religious groups, nations, and organizations. One culture may permit an action, while another forbids it.
In organizations culture can be consciously changed with a new rule from an executive. Culture can als be changed by external stimuli (for example a new law or government regulation that affects business practices). If culture places barriers to sharing knowledge, the organization needs to take actions to create an atmosphere that reduces barriers and becomes more supportive and collaborative.
Data are the smallest units of measure. The word is technically the plural of datum but often used as a singular. Data are the components of information. They may be the 1's and 0's of computer memory, names and addresses in a demographic file, or the raw facts and figures before interpretation. Data are stored in data bases. Data processing is the electronic manipulation of data.
Data Mining (also known as Knowledge Discovery in Databases - KDD) is extraction of implicit, previously unknown, and potentially useful information from data bases. The process uses machine learning, statistical correlations, statistical analysis, and sophisticated search strategies to extract data in such a way that the information is easily comprehensible. Then the human decides how to turn this information into knowledge. The source data bases are usually already owned by the organization. Data mining is frequently used by marketing departments to learn more about customers and how to better market products and services. The skilled knowledge manager will help create data base search strategies that enable successful data mining. However, in some ways data mining is the antithesis of what a knowledge manager is trying to accomplish in an organization. A knowledge manager sets up systems to store and retrieve information on a timely basis; a data miner seeks information in data bases that was previously underutilized.
De-acquisition is the intential removal of items from a collection. It is the opposite of acquisitions and done with the same care and deliberation. *

Discussion Forum is an in-person or electronic forum for staff or like-minded individuals to exchange ideas, post questions, offer answers, or offer help on relevant subjects. Electronic forums also provide ways of archiving (or storing) and searching for previous exchanges. "Listserv" is a type of electronic forum.
Ethics is a process of applying or breaking the rules to get the right answers. Making ethical decisions envolves knowing the cultures and the rules of the organization and the laws of the land.
Ideas are mental pictures, or dreams that are unproven. They may or may not be verbalized or recorded. They are not yet substantiated by data, but may be based on the person's knowledge. Good ideas may have a positive impact on the organization if they can be substantiated or validated by data or input from others. Bad ideas are those that have no ability to be implemented. Both good and bad ideas may help in the process of determining the best course of action.
Ignorance is the state of not knowing. Ignorance occurs when those who can benefit from knowledge are unwilling or unable to find or assimilate the knowledge. The flip side of ignorance is having knowledge and not having any way of sharing that knowledge.
Information is organized data that has been arranged for better comprehension, understanding and/or retrieval. What is one person's information can become another person's data.
Intellectual Capital is the same as the knowledge asset of an organization. Knowledge assets help achieve business goals. This capital is the set of intangible assets that includes the internal knowledge of employees have of information processes, external and internal experts, products, customers and competitors. Intellectual capital includes internal proprietary reports, libraries, patents, copyrights, and licenses that record the company history and help it plan for tomorrow.
Knowledge is the result of learning. Knowledge is the internalization of information, data, and experience. Tacit Knowledge is the personal knowledge resident within the mind, behavior and perceptions of individual members of the organization. Explicit Knowledge is the formal, recorded, or systematic knowledge in the form of scientific formulae, procedures, rules, organizational archives, principles, etc., and can easily be accessed, transmitted, or stored in computer files or hard copy.
Knowledge Management Staff are the people in the organization assigned the task of providing the leadership and implementation of the policy for the creation, capture, storage, cataloging, and sharing of organizational knowledge. Sometimes the organization appoints a chief knowledge officer (CKO) and sometimes the tasks are performed by other managers. The person in charge is the focal point or switching point for all knowledge related tasks. This person works with those in technology, human relations, and operational units to create the requisite infrastructure and management policies. Alternative job titles for the person in charge of knowledge management might be director of knowledge mobilization, director of global knowledge exchange, and senior vice president over strategic knowledge capabilities.
A Knowledge architect is the staff member who oversees the definitions of knowledge and intellectual processes and then identifies the technological and human resources required to create, capture, organize, access and use knowledge assets. Architecture is the technology and human infrastructure to support the organization's KM initiatives. It includes physical (e.g., hardware and tools) and logical (e.g., knowledge policies) dimensions.

Knowledge assets, also called intellectual capital, are the human, structural and recorded resources available to the organization. Assets reside within the minds of members, customers, and colleagues and also include physical structures and recorded media.

Knowledge audit is the formal process to determination and evaluation of how and where information knowledge is used within the organization. The audit examines policies, forms, procedures, storage and any other ways that knowledge is collected, stored, cataloged and stored.

Knowledge bridge is the connection that a KM expert builds between the business processes and the technological, sociological, personal, financial, sales, creative, and customer oriented functions of the organization. Building a knowledge bridge is the 'glue' making the long-term connections between the functions that sometimes compete for resources.

Knowledge creation is the process that results in new knowledge, or organizes current knowledge in new ways making techniques to use existing knowledge. Once knowledge is created the organization has a Knowledge flow, which is the way knowledge travels, grows, is stored and retrieved. Knowledge flows 1) Up and down from management; 2) Within circles of sharing (such as shared interests between staff performing similar or complementary roles) 3) Through planning, investigation, and training; or 4) Through common sources such as books, reports, data bases or knowledge bases.

Knowledge facilitators help harness the wealth of knowledge in the organization. Facilitators engender a sense of ownership in those involved, by helping them arrive at a jointly developed solution.

Know-how is the technical expression of knowledge or how to physically apply knowlege in the physical world. Examples are the manual and mental skills of a master craftsman or tradesman.

Knowledge lens is the perspective or viewpoint of the problem or situation. A KM expert brings experience from many industries or disciplines to focus valuable insights or illuminate new ideas. Through this lens the KM expert synthesizes the situation and helps makes sense of disparate pieces.
Knowledge map (K-Map) is a tangible representation or catalog of the concepts and relationships of knowledge. The catalog is a navigational aid that enables a user to find the desired concept, and then retrieve relevant knowledge sources.
Knowledge source is the person, document, non-print source, or place that is the origin or prime cause of knowledge. Others may see you as a source and you turn to your own sources for knowledge.

Knowledge owner is the person or people who are responsible for knowledge, a knowledge domain, or set of documents. The knowledge owner is responsible for keeping the knowledge and information current, relevant, and complete. The knowledge owner usually acts at a local or decentralized level. The knowledge owner may or may not be the author or creator of the specific content. The owner may be the expert in the subject area or a skilled editor.

Knowledge use is the effective integration of knowledge by people or organizations. It is the result of understanding and application of knowledge and the knowledge gathering process. It is hard to define because it is the result and application of all the terms defined on this page.

Knowledge worker is a member of the organization who uses knowledge to be a more productive worker. These workers use all varieties of knowledge in the performance of their regular business activities. Everyone who uses any form of recorded knowledge could be considered a knowledge worker.

Alternative job titles for person in charge of knowledge management: Director of knowledge mobilization, Director, global knowledge exchange, and Senior VP, strategic knowledge capabilities.
Learning is the complex process of assimilating stimuli and changing behavior. The stimuli can be received by any of the senses. Many learning situations use stimuli of multiple senses. For example one listens, practices with the hands, and then explains. Learning happens in situations when people are using their minds best. Learning styles vary by person and situation. While most people learn with a combination of seeing, hearing, and motion (tactile or physical), some people show a preference to one of these types of input or stimuli. Adults as well as children learn using a methodology that is suitable for their condition and the subject they are learning. Everyone has to figure out what methodology and stimuli combination works best for them and the job of a teacher is to help the student in this journey of discovery. Learning is a process that is self perpetuating because each step of learning creates a foundation for the next step.

An alternative view of the definition of learning -- Learning in the context of a business is a process to acquire knowledge or skills to enhance the ability to perform business or professional activities. The end result is the person can help better the business's bottom line. Learning helps an individual or group work better, faster, more efficiently, or smarter.

Magic is the use of words, actions, or reading of signs to influence nature or people. Magic has no place in knowledge management. One must use solid techniques with a scientific basis to change people and organizations. Change is not caused by magic.
Management is the organizational process that includes strategic planning, setting objectives, managing resources, deploying the human and financial assets needed to achieve objectives, and measuring results. Management also includes recording and storing facts and information for later use or for others within the organization. Management functions are not limited to managers and supervisors. Every member of the organization has some management and reporting functions as part of their job.
Metadata is structured information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use or manage an information resource. The Dublin Core is an example of a standard. It was developed for libraries to be simple and concise. The current Dublin Core standard defines fifteen metadata elements (title, subject, description, source, language, relation, coverage, creator, publisher, contributor, rights, date, type, format, and identifier) for resource description in a cross-disciplinary information environment. A library catalog is an example of metadata for books and other library materials. A product catalog is metadata for the products a company sells or distributes.
Metadata has become a "buzz" word and is mis-used. In a library the catalog contains "metadata" on each item (book and non-books) in the library. In an organization "metadata" is used to describe the products, items, raw materials, or human resources. The human resources metadata contains the demographic description (name, address, office, etc.) for each person. The product metadata contain the name, physical description, quantity, etc. for each product bought and sold.
Motivation is the push of the mental forces to accomplish an action. Unsatisfied needs, motivate. On the biological level basic human needs of food, shelter and survival are powerful motivators. On the psychological level people need to be understood, affirmed, validated and appreciated. On the business level motivation occurs when people perceive a clear business reason for pursuing a transfer of knowledge or practices.
Personal Competence is a collection of behaviors including concentration, intensity, persistence, and self-sufficiency. Concentration is required to examine, contemplate and make decisions. Intensity refers to the depth of involvement in an activity. Time is an important component of both concentration and intensity. One must invest the proper amount of time to accomplish the task. People must take the time to concentrate which enables persistence. Self-sufficiency is measured by the number and duration of responses that solve problems.
Practices are the techniques, methodologies, procedures, and processes that are used in the organizations to get the job done. Good practices are those practices that have fostered improved business results and continue to enable the organization to improve. Bad practices are those that are detrimental to good business results. Data are gathered to create information that is used to measure results and determine if the practice is good, bad, or worth further investigation.
Best practices are any practices, use of knowledge, or experience that have been proven by data or experience to be valuable or effective to individuals, groups, or organizations. These best practices may be useful or be applicable to others.
Local best practices are practices that have been used by a department or other unit of an organization. Based on analysis, these practices have been determined to be helpful to other departments or units of the organization.
Industry best practices are practices that have been determined from outside of the organization as helpful approaches to large numbers of organizations within that industry. These best practices may be reported in written sources based on investigative reporting or based on agreements or conventions of trade or professional groups. For example articles or books may be written about a practice that one company does that has improved their performance. This is a very common occurrence in the literature.

Query is a question or series of questions that are presented to a knowledge management system or information retrieval system. Data and information can be retrieved with a query. The most precise queries are those which return the fewest false drops. The result of a query needs interpretation by the requestor. A query may return sorted or unsorted replies.
Relationships are the connections people have with other people. Relationships may be between people with personal connections or those with connections based on print, media or correspondence. People absorb more knowledge when the bond is with someone they know and respect. Good relationships create a unity necessary to run effective organizations. One is more likely to share knowledge with those who share personal relationships. Building relationships is a mutually helpful activity for creating interdependence.
Sharing is the human behavior that describes the exchange of knowledge. Sharing and learning are social activities and may occur in face-to-face meetings or via aural, written or visual stimuli. At least two people are required for sharing. Sharing knowledge is a positive activity in an organization. Coveting knowledge is the opposite of sharing.
Storytelling is the skilled delivery of stories use to present anecdotal evidence, clarify a point, support a point of view and crystallize ideas. A story can present material that research data can not. Stories use verbal pictures to spark interest, add variety, and change the pace of a discussion. Stories make dull speeches sparkle. Storytelling is the connecting device between data and reality. Stories can share a "truth" that data can not. Storytelling can help bridge the gap between data and knowledge. It also could be the result of integrating information. A well chosen story gets the audience's attention. Knowledge managers use storytelling as a device and tool for sharing knowledge. Storytelling allows you to present dreams and tell about the past.
Stupid in the exact opposite of what should be in a collection of knowledge management terms because "stupid" means one has not used knowledge or wisdom to make a decision. Knowing the facts and choosing not to use them is stupidity in action. For a full discussion see my article, "What is Stupidity" parts 1 and 2. *
Technology is the set of tools both hardware (physical) and software (algorithms, philosphical systems, or procedures) that help us act and think better. Technology includes all the objects from a basic pencil and paper to the latest electronic gadget. Electronic and computer technology help use share information and knowledge quickly and efficiently. What was previously slow and tedious is now easier and more realistic. Any tool has the potential to remove the tedium and repetition that will allow us to perform that which is most human-- thinking, dreaming, and planning.
Thinking is an internal mental process that uses data or information as input, integrates that information into previous learned material and the and results in either knowledge or nothing. It may occur at any moment including while eating, sleeping or working on an unrelated task. Problem solving, planning, information integration, and analysis are four kinds of thinking.
Wisdom is the result of learning and using knowledge for a strategic advantage. After gaining knowledge, wisdom is used to meet new situations. Wisdom resides in the minds of the users. Organizational wisdom is the goal of knowledge management system.
A version of this web page appears as a chapter in: Perspectives in Knowledge Management, published in May 2008 by Scarecrow Press.
* Changed since last revision.

Bibliography
Cohen, Stuart. Child Development : a study of the growth process. Itasca, IL, F.E. Peacock Publishers, 1971.
Covey, Stephen R. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People : restoring the character ethic. New York, Simon & Schuster, 1989.
Glasser, William. Schools Without Failure. New York, Harper & Row, 1969.
Holt, John. How Children Learn. New York, Pitman Publishing Corp., 1969.
O'Dell, Carla and C. Jackson Grayson, Jr. If Only We Knew What We Know : the transfer of internal knowledge and best practice. New York, Free Press, 1998.
Rosenberg, Marc J. E-Learning : strategies for delivering knowledge in the digital age. New York, McGraw-Hill, 2001.
Note: This is a work in progress. It is not exhaustive and will have new terms and revisions added as needed. Please send me any ideas or comments to improve this list.

Suggested bibliographic citation: Stuhlman, Daniel D. Knowledge management terms. Chicago, Stuhlman Managment Consultants, 2020. Retrieved from: Http://stuhlmanmancon.epizy.com/defin1.htm on {today's date}.
©2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2020 by Daniel D. Stuhlman. Plagiarism will be detected. All rights reserved.
Last revised October 26, 2020

Friday, October 16, 2020

Word Processing -- 1988 style

Let's go back to 1988 before Chicagoland had multiple area codes or even cell phones. A time before everyone had computers in their homes. To those thrilling days of yesteryear when a fast computer was a 286 and a word processing system with a fast computer, full page monitor, full-featured word processing and a laser printer cost about $5000 and I worked in a computer store. I published a newsletter for customers. Here is Newsletter # 3 from June 1988.

Posted by Daniel D. Stuhlman at 11:26 AM 1 comment:

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

New President Interview part 42

What Do You Really Want?

September 22, 2020

Question> How should we remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg (of blessed memory)?

Answer>The most powerful message is “Tzedek, Tzedek, Tirdof [1] Justice, Justice shall you pursue.” Justice and equality are part of the message that RGB stressed her entire life. From the time she was a law student to her end of days as Supreme Court Justice. The root of tzedek (צדק) is the same tzdakah. While tzdakah is commonly translated as “charity,” what it really means is establishing justice. When one donates money to a food bank is it not the feed the poor, but to help create a just society so that people are able to afford their own food. One does not donate food to gain favor with God or other people. Giving tzedakah is not an act of kindness meant to gain grace, but as a way to balance the scales of justice.

RGB passed away on the first night of Rosh Hashanah (the New Year). It is said that one who dies on that day has the special merit of a tzedeket/ tzadik a righteous person.[1] Correcting injustice, balancing the scales, evaluating the distribution of power and creating equity is tzedakah, the work of righteousness. Being a tzedeket, the feminine of Tzadik, does not mean she was a nice person. She was a thoughtful, intellectual person who worked tirelessly to create a more just world. A world that was better for people she knew or didn’t know; those alive today and those not yet born. A tzedeket does not do this for fame, but because it is the way we must all act.
Q> What does this say for the needs of the college?
A> At the end day, the faculty, students, and administration need the same goals. The faculty want to share knowledge, teach critical thinking, the skills for learning on the next step and how to be life-long learners. The students want to learn to get a credential for a job or the next step in the academic process. The administration wants to make sure resources are in the right place at the right time and the institution is on solid financial grounds. However, everyone has to agree the college is in the business of education. Education that benefits the students and the community.
Q> Many colleges have unions and negotiate union contracts. How does this common mission fit into union negotiations?
A> In general the sides refuse to think of the common goals. In the early days of unions owners thought they held all the money and they had all the power. All the owners wanted was to make money. Unions were formed for a united voice for better wages and working conditions. When workers unionized there was labor power to match the owners’ financial power. Sometimes unions needed to lobby for laws to protect their rights. Theoretically, they needed each other to succeed. I can’t give a history of labor unions, but you can read such history books as: A History of America in Ten Strikes by Erik Loomis. New York : The New Press, 2018; Law and the Shaping of the American Labor Movement / by William Forbath. Cambridge, Mass : Harvard University Press, 1991. If you want fiction, then read The Jungle / by Upton Sinclair, New York : Penguin Books,1985 (and many other editions).
Education is not the same as a business process that produces a product one can hold or see. Our product is an educated soul and a better community.
Please do not think I’m anti-union. I am anti-greed, anti-narcissism, and anti-stupidity. I am pro-win-win results.
Q> I heard that some colleges take a long time to negotiate union contracts. What advice can you give them? Were you ever called in as an outside mediator?
A>In business classes one is taught about financial processes. One has to account for dollars in and dollars out. Business managers make sales and product goals. In the eyes of the accountants, making a profit is a goal. In the eyes of the shareholders, increasing the share value is succeeding. Applying financial goals to educational institutions does not work. While the need to forecast enrollment numbers is important for making sure there are classes and sections, enough physical space and other resources, having more students this semester over last does not mean more success or increased revenue. Increasing graduation rates is one measure indicating success that can be misinterpreted because it does not take into account students who take a course or two with no intention of matriculation.
When the business staff sees numbers, it has a narrow vision of the institution. As my friend, a professor at a large public university says, “It is all about the money.” When the business people cut budgets, they see money, not the effect on the students, faculty, or staff. They don’t always see the big picture such as not having the right equipment will lead to fewer students. A common tactic by administration is to tell everyone, “We don’t have the money.” A common answer is “But you have money for highly paid administrators and new buildings.” How can you afford that and not better salaries?
I was invited to help mediate a contract at a large public institution. A first step is to try to get them to an equal place. That is a place where the negotiations are between groups with equivalent powers. I asked, “What do you really want?” Administrators almost always say, teach the students and balance the budget. I ask, “What is the long term plan? How will it take to be a successful institution? What do you really want?” Mostly they give answers that come out of a book of platitudes such as: “We want students to come to our institution and learn. We want to create life-long learners. We want high retention rates.”
Then I ask, “How does one become a teacher in this college?” I remind them a masters degree in the field they want to teach and probably a doctorate or second masters is required. I ask what they think is the minimum wage for high school graduates, no college. Amazon is hiring people with no post-secondary education at $15 /hour. The minimum wage by law is $10/hour. That translates for a full-time job of about $20,000-30,000 per year. At $30,000 after taxes that leaves about $1000 per month for housing. What kind of apartment can one get for $1000 per month? I remind them that part-time faculty teach over 50% of the courses in the institution and when they keep track of time, they earn about $7.50-8.00 per hour. Again, I ask, “What do you really want?”
By this time some of these highly paid lawyers or administrators are either demanding I shut up because I don’t understand their college and finances, or they do not believe me. I tell them that once I was a part-time faculty member for a large university system. I didn’t get a paycheck until the end of the semester. I didn’t know if I would return the next semester. I earned about $7.50 per hour because I was not paid for prep time. I was not paid for any follow-up activity after the semester was over. If this is new stuff, they didn’t believe me. If they know this was how colleges operate, they didn’t understand how far they are from understanding the mission of colleges and education in general.
If I still had their attention, I would quietly ask which they prefer, graduates with a valuable education from reputable school or lots of graduates with worthless pieces of paper? Of course, none of they would tell me what they really want. Do they want to go home at the end of the day and tell their spouse or significant other, they saved the college millions of dollars or we worked with everyone and agreed to a plan that will benefit all parties and make our community a better place? Most of the time they will lie and never say, what they really want.
Mediation required both sides to understand the needs and wants of the other. I try to get them to reveal all aspects of the financial picture. I try to get the faculty to tell the administrators the process of preparing and teaching. I try to get them on the same side. They represent different parts of the community. If they learn that teaching is an art, life-long education is a goal, and an educated community is better than a non-educated community, I succeed. Many times, people are just set in their ways, think they are always right, and unwilling to get to “yes.”
Q> How does this tie into the theme of justice that RBG represented?
A> The goal of the individual is act with justice. To treat everyone with the respect and honor they deserve as human beings. Understanding our history, culture, arts, and science makes us a better society. If everyone acts with justice, we have a just society.
Answer the question, “What do I really want?” When one can answer the question with maturity, knowledge and wisdom, the educational system can claim a victory.
Q>As always you have given me much to think about. We are out of time. Thank you.

Part forty-two of imaginary interviews with the president of the College. After more than 40 interviews the president is no longer “new,” but since we are all works in progress, I am continuing the series as if s/he were a “new president.” Please feel free to suggest new ideas for interviews and presidential comments. This article is for your information, amusement, and edification. Everything is true, but some details have not yet happened. Any connection to a real college or president is strictly coincidental.

[1] Librarian Gary Price curated a collection of videos of interviews and lectures with RBG. Most are available for free from C-SPAN. https://www.infodocket.com/2020/09/18/justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-1933-2020-a-selection-of-interviews-and-lectures/

Posted by Daniel D. Stuhlman at 4:10 PM No comments:

Sunday, September 20, 2020

New President Interview -- Part 41 The Big Picture in the College

(Originally written April 14, 2019)
New President Interview -- Part 41

The Big Picture in the College

April 14, 2019

Preliminary remarks

It has been more than 8 months since we heard from the College President. The last installment concerned tacit knowledge, the non-verbal and non-recorded quiet knowledge. This interview concerns another aspect of college administration. What is the big picture in the operation of the college?

  Q> What is the role of tacit knowledge in the running of the College? Are institutional stories recorded?

Answer> The accountants can’t measure tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is not stored in the college files or library. Tacit knowledge is not recordable in rules, plans, or documents. Tacit knowledge includes the ability to read faces, understand emotions, and decipher how objects and processes work so that the tasks can be done. The acquisition of tacit knowledge comes with experience and that is reason veteran, experienced workers are more valuable than neophytes and recent graduates.
Let me tell you a story that happens in highly functional organizations. Person AB has been with the organization for many years. AB has created many systems within his department and the organization to enable people to work more efficiently and in concert. Today AB announces he is leaving for a new job. Everyone is happy for him including his managers. The manager wants to hire a replacement as soon as possible so that AB can train him. AB agrees to stay and help hire and train a replacement. The hiring process goes well. The organization has a good-bye party and the company even gives him certificate of appreciation. AB leaves the company in good hands and goes on to his next organization with good connections and bridges to the old place.
Hold on --- This is not how it goes. My colleague in another college told me how his college “works.” Person XYZ held an important administrative role and announced two months in advance a plan to retire at the end of the semester. The college gave him a good-bye party. The accountants say (to themselves) that this is an opportunity to save money. We will not hire a new person until XYZ leaves. We will not even advertise the position is open. The president of the college does nothing to start the hiring process or even figuring out the role of a potential new person. No one even discusses, the job requirements or the needs and wants of the college. In the end, XYZ says “good riddance” and never shares the tacit knowledge. The college cleans out his office of all papers and the computer files are wiped clean. Nothing is saved. The college loses XYZ’s knowledge and the students suffer.

Q> Wow! Are you exaggerating?

Answer> Yes, a little. Experience is a powerful teacher. Our pay scale is designed so we can hire experienced faculty and staff and pay them more than new graduates. Experience is valuable in the way we teach, run the organization, and influence the community. Learning to ask the right questions is as important as learning from a book or class. If we know the right questions, seeking the answers are easier. Training, expertise, and academic preparation are only part of what we bring to the job. While colleges claim to teach research skills and encourage life-long learning, the organizational culture at many colleges does not practice what they teach.

Q> Let’s return to the first question. What tacit knowledge needs to be saved? How does one save it?

Answer> Our college has someone assigned the task of archivist and chief knowledge officer. The person helps develop policies concerning what to save and how best to save it. In the archivist role, this person supervises the saving, storage and retrieval college records and documents. College records means documenting events and processes. The storing and retrieving of student records is part of another department’s role. For example, if a department is undergoing a reaccreditation process we have procedures and policies to save the documents from the preparation of the self-study. The people in charge must also write reports describing the process including what they learned that could make the next round go easier. The lessons learned in the process are saved for the next person who may be tasked with this job. While this report is not tacit knowledge, the narratives help others understand the tacit knowledge that was part of the process.

Q> How does one save tacit knowledge?

Answer> Using my definition it is not possible to teach tacit knowledge with documents. Tacit knowledge cannot be recorded with words or symbols. Tacit knowledge is used when you “go with your gut” or answer, “how do you feel about the situation?” One needs a personal connection such as a mentor or colleague. They will point out what is going on in the organization in a way that documents do not preserve. The mentor may be able to show the new person the people and processes that are needed to get a task done. The mentor may be able to pass on some of the people knowledge gained over the years. Empathy, which involves the reading of the emotional needs of others and social skills, which enable us to act artfully and professionally are skills that can be taught with words but one needs experience to use these skills effectively.



Q> How does knowledge get transferred? Is the transfer of knowledge one of the college’s goals?

Answer> One theory of education is the knowledge provider has a broad overview of what the learner needs to know. Knowledge is the result of understanding and interpreting data and information. Explicit knowledge is the written and recorded knowledge that is presented to the learner. The provider needs ways to give the learner multiple sensual experiences to help internalize the information. Through practice and mentoring the knowledge provider will give a path to internalize knowledge. The learner will develop a “feeling” about the knowledge that will influence behavior. We call this influence or change in behavior education. The mastery of knowledge is both a science dependent on rules that are always present and an art, which is situationally dependent. The “art” is also called “a gut feeling.” The learner who becomes an excellent student or worker is one who balances the rules with the feeling to do what is right. Sometimes doing the “right thing” is counter to following the rules

Q> Are you confusing classroom learning for credit with learning how the organization works?

Answer> Classroom learning is needed to give a conceptual approach to a discipline. Without understanding the historical or scientific process, one cannot have “gut feelings” that are correct when problem solving. The character of Jethro Gibbs on NCIS knows his agents are trained well. He frequently says, “go with your gut” rather than telling his subordinates exactly what to do. Creativity and solving tough problems always requires both following the rules and thinking out of the box.
In her doctoral dissertation in 2013 Linda Guzzo[1] “Case Study: The Transfer of Tacit Knowledge from Community College Full-Time to Adjunct Faculty” says that knowledge is a valuable commodity.   She questions whether the inadequate transfer of tacit knowledge from the full-time faculty to the adjunct faculty affects student outcomes, student success and institutional effectiveness.   The answer, without even reading her conclusion, based on my experience and talking with fellow college presidents is, “yes, performance is affected.” If there is not transfer of tacit knowledge, it is likely the whole communications process is lacking.
If I contact an organization and no one, can tell me who is in charge to solve a particular problem that is a symptom of poor knowledge transfer. If one of my faculty or staff members does not know how to direct a student to finding the correct person to solve the problem, that is a symptom of poor knowledge management.

Q> We are out of time for this interview. Thank you very much.

[1] Guzzo, Linda R. “Case Study: The Transfer of Tacit Knowledge from Community College Full-Time to Adjunct Faculty.” ProQuest LLC, ProQuest LLC, 1 Jan. 2013. Retrieved from EBSCOhost,

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