The Cranky Middle Manager Show #312 The Future of the MBA Ken Starkey
The Cranky Middle Manager Show 83 Knowledge Management with Harvey Singh
Posted on 15. Feb, 2007 by Wayne in Podcast
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #083
Today we’re going to geek right out on the subject of E-learning and knowledge management. Where is learning headed, what is knowledge management and why should you care, with guest Harvey Singh.
By the way, for those of you new to the show, you can check out my personal website at
www.crankymiddlemanager.com and take a look at my new e-book, “Meet Like You Mean it- A Cranky Middle Manager’s Guide to Productive and Painless Meetings”
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome everyone who aspires to management. Today we’re talking about the future of learning, training, e-learning, whatever you want to call it. We’re especially going to do a deep dive into Knowledge Management.
No dedication this week, because I’m acknowledging when I started this show, I never expected it to appeal to tech folks, but over 70 percent of our listeners are in IT or related fields…who knew? What do we have to do to bring Training, L and D or even OD into the fold????
3:55 Today’s quote is from the Buddha (Prince Siddhartha)… set the bar low enough you’ll surpass expectations
5:15 Welcome Harvey Singh of Instancy.com who is an expert in e-learning and knowledge management. We try to cut through some jargon…. so what exactly is Web 2.0 and why should managers care?
9:50 How did Harvey get into all of this? A lot of it stems from the work of Canadian researcher Marlene Scardamalia about collaboration and how students learn. Technology has just caught up.
12:20 Isn’t this the blind leading the blind…do you want YOUR project led by someone who learned everything they know from YouTube? I ask Harvey the same question I asked Elliott Masie in episode 81- how do companies help their employees assess and find good information and not just pick it up on the street??? Mentorship, coaching and measurement are important.
17:00 Harvey shares the case study of Tivo and how they’re using every tool at their disposal.
19:45 Now we geek out on Knowledge Management- it’s so important but some really smart people have gone really broke trying to sell it to Industry. It’s essentially tracking “Knowledge Workflow”. Then I explain it in words of few syllables, but it turns out I understand it after all….. YAY.
25:42 Okay, so why don’t companies get it and start cutting checks? Training and HR is a big hurdle (surprise, surprise)
27:15 Harvey does a lot of work in India, so how do emerging economies respond to this kind of training and technology? It’s not systematic, but they are excited by the possibilities.
30:00 Harvey’s resources:
His company Instancy.com and their partner Instancy.net
A Little Love From iTunes…
Posted on 14. Feb, 2007 by Wayne in General
Guess which humble servant’s podcast made the front page of iTunes Podcasts today???
Thanks to Cameron Reilly at TPN for knowing people who know people. You can all help me out if you’d give me a vote or two at iTunes, Podcast Alley or wherever you get your podcast fix.
The Cranky Middle Manager #82- The Leadership Challenge- Jim Kouzes
Posted on 08. Feb, 2007 by Wayne in General, Podcast
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #082
If you go through the archives for this show, (and if you haven’t you really ought to) you know that we always ask our guests for other resources we can explore. These might be books, blogs, websites or other podcasts. Well, one of the most-cited resources is The Leadership Challenge, by Kouzes and Posner.
Today we have the Kouzes half of the team, and I couldn’t be happier. Yes, Jim Kouzes graces our show ( a thousand blessings on the house and camels of Marshall Goldsmith for helping set this up). He was a gracious, terrific guest and even if, like me, you’re kind of “leadershipped out”, you’ll find much to enjoy.
Please Note, in the show we promise a list of links, but it was too long so email me and I’ll gladly send it to you! More at the end of the show notes.
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to Episode 82 of the Cranky Middle Manager Show and the semi-noble calling of Middle Management. If you’ve been listening of late, you’d think this show was only about Leadership. Well that’s one one of 4 disciplines managers have to master, as we lay out each year in our manifesto. Leadership is only one of them, but the one we seem to have focused on of late. We’ll give more attention to the others in coming weeks, but when you get someone of Jim Kouzes’ stature willing to talk to you, you grab it. Et voila….
2:35 Since leadership has its sunny and dark sides, we look at someone who exemplifies both- the Dowager Empress Cixi of China. Besides rising from concubine to Empress, she had to make the tough decisions when everyone else was basically scared to death of the Europeans who were taking over China. The job of leader ain’t all roses…
3:50 Saying on the theme of light and dark side leaders, Napoleon said ” a leader is a dealer in hope”. Hard to argue, even when it ain’t easy…
4:45 Welcome Jim Kouzes, adding a huge dash of credibility to our show. What’s driving this trend/fascination with the subject of leadership? Demographics are part of it to be sure, at least in much of the world that’s listening to this show. For every ten people in your pool, maybe one has real management potential. Look around, if you see 9 idiots, you’d better step up.
8:32 What exactly is leadership and what do leaders do? It’s a set of skills and abilities, according to their studies, and you can learn it. There’s a big movement in high schools and universities to teach leadership, and about time.
10:30 Who do young people- especially those in other countries look to as role models? Look around the dinner table, cause you’re it. It’s just as tough at work- most people cite their immediate manager as their role model. Sleep well….
13:37 So what are the behaviors and qualities of leadership? 25 years of research show the qualities are:
- Honesty
- Forward-Looking
- Competent
- Inspiring
And to get there you have to
- Model the way
- Inspire a shared vision
- Challenge people to step up
- Enable others to act
- Encourage the heart (Reward and recognition)
17:25 Jim takes a look at some real world examples you might never have heard of. Lee Er Chen (sp?), for example, focused on understanding her core critical beliefs, to listen to her own voice. Juan Gonzalez talked about making the effort to interact with others, which led to great insight. It’s the little things you DO that demonstrate leadership. He gives a great example at a bank call center- and if anything will suck the will to live out of you, it’s managing a call center.
25:25 Is leadership born or made? That’s the biggest myth about the topic. It can be developed and is worth the effort. Expertise is not about talent, it’s about practice and commitment…. that’s how you become a leader. 10,000 hours, to be precise, and it doesn’t pay overtime.
29:25 What does the guy who is most quoted go for resources? Besides his own website, he suggests:
Marshall Goldsmith’s “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” (and you can hear him talk about here if you haven’t already).
Required Reading: James MacGregor Burns books on leadership.
PLEASE NOTE:
On the show we promised a list- well when he sent it there were 4 Pages of material so here’s what I suggest- If you’re interested in the reading list (and you should be) Drop me an email and I’ll be happy to send it to you. It’s the most comprehensive reading list I’ve ever seen on the topic!
Want to hear more? He’s willing to come back and talk more if you enjoy it so let us know! Post to the blog, or drop me an email to wayne@crankymiddlemanager.com.
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #81 The Future of Learning- Elliott Masie
Posted on 01. Feb, 2007 by Wayne in Podcast
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #081
Yet another high-profile guest to the Cranky Middle Manager. We’ll talk to Elliott Masie , one of the world’s leading experts on electronic learning (e-learning for those of us in the biz). My thanks to Marshall Goldsmith for setting this up. Believe it or not 3 of my top 5 dream guests have now been on the show… (another one is next week’s visitor). Can the elusive Tom Peters be far behind? Even if he never shows up, we’re getting great guests and good conversation.
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the Cranky Middle Manager Show #81. Today we talk about the future of workplace learning with the renowned expert, Elliott Masie of the Masie Center. If you’re a geek, you’re in luck. If you’re in HR or the traditional training business, well the times they are a’changing.
This episode is dedicated to Prometheus, who brought fire (and thus light and learning) to humanity, which angered the gods. The technology may seem crude ( a fennel stalk ain’t exactly Second Life) but that’s the point.
4:00 The quote of the week is from Richard de Bury, who knew that Minerva (wisdom and learning) frequently hides behind a mask of pleasure…? Learning can and should be fun and misery is optional gang.
5:20 Welcome the awesome Elliott Masie. What do we mean by “e-learning”? It’s not always on-line training. Any time your fingers seek out knowledge qualifies. It can be informal or completely structured… when we do learning facilitated by technology. Wikis, blogs, even shows like this. Yup, if you’re listening to us you’re on the cutting edge.
7:38 Remember when we were all going to be driving flying cars? What was the original version of e-learning and how could we all have been so wrong? Most of us can’t get all the classroom training we want or need- sometimes you don’t need a gourmet meal, you just need a snack…
13:20 People are just out there learning- how does a company monitor its people and whether they’re actually learning anything useful? Assessment is key- which means training and HR will still have a job. Okay, nothing’s perfect….
16:07 How about the average manager- how can you help your people learn? Well, according to Dennis Dammerman, the trick was to come to work prepared to be learners, and ask how you can help people in your organization learn new stuff? I’m not sure he used the word stuff but the point is valid.
17:02 Here’s a fascinating example of blended learning, and also what’s wrong with most manuals and training. The simpler, the better.
20:32 If learning is social, how does e-learning work? Ask any 13 year old. Elliott tells us about some fascinating studies and experiments. Is my daughter a trend setter? Probably more than her old man, for sure.
23:50 The words “Fingertip Knowledge” get thrown around a lot. We hear an amazing story about what it really means- and it has nothing to do with that big old employee handbook you’ve got on your desk. As search capability gets better, people will use their fingers to find what they need.
26:00 With a flattening world, how is this manifesting itself? Where they’re thirstiest, they’re drinking deepest. Most of the world does way more effective Google searches than we do in the Industrialized West. But what about countries that try to control the Internet?
29:06 Elliott admits to working for the CIA and helping them search in the name of democracy. Senior managers should check out what the rest of the world is learning from. Check out Al Jazeera’s website just for kicks, or learn what’s going on in China. Heck, what’s going on in the cubicles behind you? Should companies permit Instant Messenging?
32:10 Elliott’s resources:
His site, with tons of research
Fast Company Magazine (and check out episode 57 with one of their writers, Linda Tischler)
Al Jazeera and the BBC
American Society for Training and Development and their Learning Circuits blog
While you’re at it, you can check out our Frappr map, as well as my website www.crankymiddlemanager.com .
Don’t let the weasels get you down.