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The Gurteen Knowledge Cafe

Mr David Gurteen (Gurteen Knowledge Community, UK)

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Abstract

The Gurteen Knowledge Café 

Knowledge Sharing is a key issue for Knowledge Management and for organizational success. But real Knowledge Sharing requires an open mindset and continues to be a challenge for many organizations. In fact, it can be difficult to even get people to talk openly to one another about their specific corporate interests, opportunities and responsibilities.

One way of energizing an organization to achieve real Knowledge Sharing benefits is the use of Knowledge Cafés. A Knowledge Café is an effective vehicle for opening up conversations and discussions that lead to sharing.

One way of thinking of the Knowledge Café is as a tool that is used to share tacit knowledge. It can be used within teams or Communities of Practice to question entrenched assumptions, to help facilitate learning from others and gain a deeper collective understanding of a subject - through conversation.

It is not just about talking and networking though these are secondary benefits but allowing people to engage each other in "dialogue" with the aim of learning from each other rather than entering into unproductive debate and attempting to impose their views on the other which invariably end in failure and frustration. 

Specifically a Knowledge Café can: 

  • gain improved understanding of a complex issue
  • get buy-in for a new initiative
  • flush out problems and issues in a department or project especially ones of lack of communication that can then be acted on and resolved
  • help build consensus around a proposed plan of action
  • improve the way that people work together by gaining a deeper understanding of each others perspectives on issues
  • jointly develop a policy document e.g. a code of practice (done in conjunction with say a wiki)
  • a tacit transfer mechanism between young and retiring workers
  • more widely share individual expertise
  • help merge two cultures after a take-over
  • improve inter-personal relationships and thus ability to work together effectively.

In effect the Knowledge Café is an easy, low cost way to make Knowledge Sharing really work for you and your organization.

In this talk by David Gurteen, you will get to understand the desired outcomes, fundamental principals and benefits of the Knowledge Café process.

Presenter biographical information

David has over 30 years' experience working in high technology industries. Today, he works as an independent knowledge management consultant, facilitator and speaker, helping people to innovate and to work more effectively together. 

He is the founder of the Gurteen Knowledge Community - a global learning network of over 16,000 people in 154 countries. Community members receive his free monthly Knowledge Letter that is now in its 9th year.

David publishes the Gurteen Knowledge Website www.gurteen.com - a resource website that contains book reviews, articles, people profiles, event calendars, inspirational quotations, an integral weblog and more on subjects that include knowledge management, learning, creativity and innovation. 

He is a frequent speaker and facilitator and presents on various aspects of knowledge management and social learning. He is well known for his Gurteen Knowledge Cafés that he runs regularly in London and in other cities around the world. He also facilitates Knowledge Cafés and workshops for organizations and conference organizers. 

For most of his career David was a professional software development manager and in the late 80s worked for Lotus Development as "International Czar" where he was responsible for ensuring that Lotus products were designed for the global marketplace.

Date of presentation

1 October 2009