McGee's Musings
|
Monday, April 25, 2005 |
|
Shel does a fun interview with Buzz over at the Red Couch. As I read through it, it occurs to me that there is one more reason to become an ActiveWords user buried in that interview. Sure, ActiveWords helps me be more productive at my keyboard. But better yet, if you download ActiveWords and start using it, chances are you will hear from Buzz shortly after. If you blog about the experience, it's a virtual certainty. Now, having a connection with Buzz is almost certain to lead to your getting to know and meet lots of new and interesting people. But put a little time and effort in from your side and you will get know Buzz himself. And that's going to make your life more interesting. Pretty good return on your investment, whatever currency you use to do your calculations in. Interview: Buzz Bruggeman.
Every industry has them and you probably know a few in your sector.
They are professional connectors, people who know everyone in their
industry and seem to have their hand on the pulse of what’s
happening. They help people find... [The Red Couch]
9:05:30 AM •
 • |
|
|
Sunday, April 24, 2005 |
|
Excellent advice from an unimpeachable source. And now, for something completely different, a message from Dr. Twain Weck of the Institute for Backup Trauma. Caution, some scenes may prove too funny for words..
6:35:15 PM •
• |
|
|
Thursday, April 21, 2005 |
|
An interesting reminder for the morning. It is curious that we generally devote so little time to this in both our education and our work practices. Think how often the organizational and educational systems we are embedded in convey the implicit assumption that someone else has already defined the problem correctly and that our only responsibility is to produce the relevant solution. Possibly an acceptable message in an industrial world, but not one I would encourage in today's world On Problems. On Problems --
"The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution."
7:41:24 AM •
• |
|
Some pointers to an interesting set of blogs. I was immensely flattered to find McGee's Musings on the list. More importantly, it offers some pointers to some blogs I wasn't aware of. And it also shows off some of the interesting features of MindManger. Mindjet recommends: Blogs on Information Visualization and Collaboration.
This MindManager map contains hyperlinks to some of our favorite blogs
on information visualization, collaboration (and related fields) as
well as their RSS feeds. Download this map and make it your personal
blog/news feed dashboard.Download this Map [The Mindjet Blog]
7:36:43 AM •
• |
|
|
Monday, April 18, 2005 |
|
In my most recent column at Enterprise Systems Journal, I'm taking another look at what a strategy for improving knowledge work might entail. Of course, as I look around the borderline chaos that constitutes my half of my home office and the contents of the backpack that constitutes my mobile office, it's questionable whether I am qualified to have any useful advice. Based on long prior experience, this is not something that will get figured out in a single column. But we'll keep on trying.
8:35:40 AM •
• |
|
|
Monday, April 11, 2005 |
|
It's really encouraging to see the folks at MindManager joining the ranks of bloggers. Although I would have labeled myself a power user of MindManager, I'm learning new things with every post. This happens to be specific to how to make better use of MindManager, but others relate to broader issues of how to use your technology as a partner in doing your knowledge work. Mapping Your Maps.
I don't know. Maybe most of you MindManager power users (or even not so
power users) out ther have been doing this for years. I just figured it
out...I don't like the file folder metaphor. And yet, that is how, form
day one, I have been saving all my maps. When I try to conjure up [...]
[The Mindjet Blog]
2:58:50 PM •
• |
|
A nice thought to mull over, courtesy of Betsy. It can take a long time to be comfortable with the notion of leaving well enough alone.
I'm off to the airport, where Frank and I will meet the famous Niek,
and then get on a plane for Saudi Arabia. I told Niek to keep his eye
open for somebody wearing solid black from neckline to ankle and wrist.
Not sure if I'll be able to blog from Riyadh, but la vida es una buena
aventura, and this certainly will be a big adventure.
2:30:32 PM •
• |
|
|
Saturday, April 02, 2005 |
|
If you consider the C.I.A. as an example of a knowledge based organization, this op-ed piece from David Brooks is worth some thought. Here's the money quote from my parochial perspective: But the problem is not bureaucratic. It's epistemological. Individuals
are good at using intuition and imagination to understand other humans.
We know from recent advances in neuroscience, popularized in Malcolm
Gladwell's "Blink," that the human mind can perform fantastically
complicated feats of subconscious pattern recognition. There is a
powerful backstage process we use to interpret the world and the people
around us.
When we think about knowledge work processes, we need to be very
careful to ensure that we do not destroy those processes by mapping
them onto bad assumptions about the nature of knowledge work. The Art of Intelligence. Many of the C.I.A.'s failures stem from its reliance on bureaucracy and analysis rather than humanism. By By DAVID BROOKS. [NYT > Opinion]
1:11:36 PM •
• |
© Copyright
2006
Jim McGee
.
Last update: 2/23/2006; 4:15:54 PM .
Last update: 2/23/2006; 4:15:54 PM .
