Re: Organizational Change Impacts LO4022

Michael McMaster (Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk)
Sat, 2 Dec 1995 15:39:17 +0000

Replying to LO3974 --

Robert, why a more "linear model"? What about a more "non-linear model".
After all. Neither information nor human action are linear.
Understanding isn't linear. But, in matters formal, maybe linear is an
improvement on hierarchical and a step in the right direction.

At any rate, I think there's a flaw in your thinking about information and
flows that will get in the way of what you are pursuing.

> My question has to do with information flow: how will it
> change, how should it change, what are the dangers, how do we make sure
> information is flowing correctly, timely, etc. How can we use information
> technology to move information and learnings to the appropriate people at
> the appropriate times? . . . . . .

My suggestion is to consider that the job isn't "to move information
and learnings to the appropriate people at the appropriate times".
Rather, it's to have knowledge be accessible to them as circumstances
call for it. This can be a transformation in your perspective and
approach.

The idea of "getting information to the right people at the right
time" assumes that such "rightness" can be known beforehand and/or
from outside the situation of demand. I think this cannot be known
in detail or even in principle. What might be known is the
structures that will make it accesible in appropriate times.

The second key to this thinking is that knowledge is distributed.
What I mean to suggest here is that the "pieces" of knowledge (which
aren't themselves knowledge) are distributed and come together into
knowledge only when the (potential) demand for their use occurs.

The design focus begins to shift to context, self-organising
self-responsibility and communication rather than databases and
information being sent or given to the right place.

>
> I know there are a lot of issues and concerns I'm not identifying here but
> I wanted to get the idea out there to see what people were thinking. Any
> thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Bob Hussey
> bhussey@oceanspray.com

--
Michael McMaster
Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk