Crafting Narratives with Diverse Wisdom

Feb 6

When anyone asked me, “So what do you do?,” I found myself tensing up and sheepishly uttering my title, “Community Knowledge Manager.” I admit, “I’m still figuring out what that means, but ultimately I’m working towards a goal of reminding everyone that they are knowledgeable, because our experiences are the best teachers.”

A glance at the Creative Generation website offers a refined perspective:

…amplifying the work of young creatives by producing new and honoring existing forms of knowledge and ways of knowing while dismantling systemic barriers to sharing and learning; and expanding definitions of and pathways to leadership, through unique learning communities. The work focuses on the application of justice and liberatory approaches and harnesses deep expertise in democratizing knowledge, documenting promising practices, and developing meaningful learning experiences to skillfully translate complex topics into knowledge products to enable field-building.

As I step into the final year of my twenties, the year 2023 has underscored my ongoing struggle with confidence. When I contemplated Creative Generation, a space of experimentation, and combined it with my feelings of insecurity and imposter syndrome, a sense of confusion overwhelmed me. The title, 'Community Knowledge Manager,' is unfamiliar terrain, filled with the weight of its responsibilities. At times, I tricked myself into believing that I had no clear understanding of this role or any rightful claim to be in it, particularly given the delicacy of amplifying and documenting communities. Acknowledging that there are communities I'm not a part of adds to the complexity. However, what distinguishes me is a genuine willingness to learn and cultivate relationships, even if it means making mistakes along the way. A moment from Season 1, Episode 23 of 'Why Change?,' Jackie Kauli and Verena Thomas offer some words: '...If the only goal we ever achieve in the project [was] established relationships, then that's okay.'"

Knowledge Management

As mentioned earlier, the title 'Community Knowledge Manager' and the realm of Knowledge Management were unfamiliar to me. After doing some research on the topic, I found affirmation that I am not alone in this journey of documenting knowledge.

That representation matters – knowing that you belong in this shared pursuit.

Background

Knowledge Management, coined in 1987, is a strategic focus aimed at elevating organizational learning and knowledge, resulting in enhanced organizational performance. This involves the crucial process of knowledge transfer, encompassing scientific insights and experiential wisdom. Particularly challenging is the transfer of managerial and technical-professional experiences across generations, with the potential loss of valuable knowledge due to forgetfulness.

Aligned with this, the Knowledge Management Framework introduces the 5 C's (Capture, Curate, Connect, Collaborate, Create) and the 4 Pillars (People, Platforms, Processes, and Learning Culture). These elements serve as the backbone for managing knowledge within an organization, ensuring a holistic and systematic approach.

People: People in the organization are the source of all "wisdom" as knowledge only truly exists in the human mind. They possess knowledge, skills, and experience; they create content, and through collaboration, they build the culture—the culture of a learning organization. The reasons for people to engage in knowledge sharing are both intrinsic and, at times, need encouragement. A vibrant learning culture relies on everyone finding value in sharing their insights.
Platforms: Effective knowledge management necessitates tools for storing and exchanging captured knowledge. Organizations often grapple with too many platforms or a lack thereof. The two main types of platforms—chat-like tools for quick information exchange and repositories or digital libraries for long-term storage—should be interconnected. Tools need to support content enrichment through commenting, discussing, or adding extra content to ensure user adoption and value creation.
Processes: The content curator plays a crucial role in helping individuals identify, share, and find content, categorize it, and maintain it—akin to a librarian managing the digital library of organizational knowledge. Producers assist in converting raw information into structured, presentable content. Program managers and project management become essential for structured knowledge transfer, ensuring maintenance, updating, and archiving. Identifying content owners is crucial for long-term use and relevance.
(Learning) Culture: A strong learning culture encompasses a learning attitude, curiosity, a desire for lifelong learning, and a growth mindset. An environment where everyone is open to learning, sharing knowledge, and relying on supportive individuals fosters a culture that not only supports organizational strategy but also generates new ideas and directions. Leadership plays a pivotal role in inspiring and modeling this culture, demonstrating curiosity, recognizing impactful knowledge sharing, and fostering inclusion among all stakeholders involved in knowledge management. Additionally, Without strong leadership involvement, building a learning organization is impossible. Leaders inspire, internalize, and model the learning culture by showcasing curiosity, recognizing impactful contributions, and fostering inclusion among all stakeholders involved in knowledge management. Leadership at the crossroads of the learning culture is essential for ensuring a successful learning organization where knowledge sharing becomes a brand that attracts the best talent.

Check out my blog, "Equality Dance, The Role Of Your Choice" on Collaboration

The Knowledge Management Process further delineates the journey: Knowledge Creation involves deriving and forming knowledge within the organization; Knowledge Organization is about structuring knowledge in a management system for future use, Knowledge Sharing completes the organizational process through peer learning: training, exchange, and discussions; Sensemaking, Decision Making & Innovation emphasize collaborative conversations for better-informed decisions and innovation, and Agency and Communityship recognize that true power lies not in knowledge alone but in the ability to act on it, emphasizing human psychology, behaviors, and the need for genuine leadership practices within a community.

Implementing a Knowledge Management System yields numerous benefits, including faster decision-making, efficient access to information, increased collaboration, enhanced communication, improved data quality and security, and optimized training.

Understanding why Knowledge Management is essential reveals its power to streamline knowledge, making it accessible and actionable. It fosters a knowledge-sharing culture that creates an adaptable, aligned, engaged, resilient, and high-functioning team.

Yet, challenges persist in the Knowledge Management landscape. These include the difficulty of holding onto knowledge, time-consuming searches, dealing with outdated information, and combating information silos. Employees hoarding knowledge or not finding value in sharing can pose significant obstacles to successful knowledge management efforts.

Types of Knowledge

To fuel the discourse, I wanted to share a few definitions from my research to give us a shared vocabulary to more deeply discuss the topic. I found several types of knowledge, including ones not typically focused on:

Explicit Knowledge: At the core of organizational efficiency, explicit knowledge is easily recorded and shared, serving as a foundation for streamlined communication. Derived from documentation, it encompasses facts, procedures, and rules, making it the most common type in organizations. Its significance lies in its accessibility, allowing teams to maintain a unified source of truth, ultimately enhancing processes and team success.
Tacit Knowledge: In the intricate dynamics of workplaces, tacit knowledge, tied to emotions and culture, provides contextual understanding for enhanced efficiency. Acquired through personal experience and face-to-face interactions, it unveils subtle threads within human interactions and cultural nuances, adding depth to organizational comprehension.
Implicit Knowledge: Vital in practical application, implicit knowledge complements explicit knowledge, offering nuanced insights gained through hands-on experience. Derived from applying documented knowledge, it remains undocumented and serves as a reservoir of practical wisdom, enriching the organizational tapestry.
Declarative Knowledge: Focused on static information specific to a topic, declarative knowledge is easily accessible and retrieval-oriented. With a 'who,' 'what,' 'where,' and 'when' focus, it fosters understanding and improves the sharing of procedural and explicit knowledge within organizations.
Procedural Knowledge: Centered on the 'how' behind operations, procedural knowledge provides a practical blueprint, whether demonstrated through action or documented in manuals. Tailored in standard operating procedures, it ensures consistency and accuracy in executing tasks, contributing to operational efficiency.
A Posteriori Knowledge: Rooted in subjective understanding, a posteriori knowledge is gleaned from individual experiences, shaping leadership skills and decision-making. Synonymous with experiential knowledge, it enriches individuals with unique perspectives forged through firsthand encounters and personal growth.
A Priori Knowledge: Independent of direct experience, a priori knowledge relies on logical reasoning and innate understanding. Illustrated in mastery of mathematics, it serves as a foundational aspect, highlighting humans' capacity to grasp fundamental truths through cognitive processes.
Factual Knowledge: Crucial for problem resolution, factual knowledge comprises terms, facts, and detailed information forming the basis of a subject. Providing a factual framework, it ensures a comprehensive understanding.
Conceptual Knowledge: Operating on a higher plane of abstraction, conceptual knowledge involves classifications, principles, and theories specific to a subject. Beyond facts, it offers a roadmap for organizing and interpreting information within a broader context.
Heuristic Knowledge (Seat-of-the-pants/Trial-by-Error/Rules of Thumb): The acquisition of facts and information. Knowledge can come from real-life experiences or theoretical education practices. Heuristics are an aid to learning that allows you to experiment with what you have learned.

It’s important to note the distinction between these types of knowledge lies in their accessibility, the nature of content, and how they are acquired and shared. For example, Explicit knowledge is easily documented and shared, tacit knowledge is rooted in personal experiences and interactions, while implicit knowledge emerges through the application and repeated use of explicit knowledge before being formally documented. Recognizing and leveraging these different forms of knowledge can contribute to a comprehensive and effective knowledge management strategy.

Democratizing Knowledge

“Knowledge management shouldn’t be about helping us to know more, it should be about helping us to understand. So, how do we understand things? It’s through stories that we understand how the world works” - David Weinberger

I am making a bold assumption, based on the majority of discovered resources, that Knowledge Management, and even the Types of Knowledge, aligns with conventional Western influences, ones that do not yet embrace the diversity of knowledge systems across cultures nor accept that knowledge may be organized and shared differently in various societies.

Very similar to the idea of Conversational Leadership, which offers a transformative approach to managing complexity by instigating changes through intentional conversations within a community. Practicing Conversational Leadership reshapes the way individuals interact and converse, fostering an environment that values meaningful conversations, leadership practices, and collaborative working in the face of complexity. Therefore, strategic conversations hold the potential to shape the future trajectory of individuals, organizations, communities, societies, or even the world at large. Conversational Leadership plays a fundamental role in all levels of Knowledge Management, except for the foundational stage of "Information Management'' (Knowledge Creation and Organization). Overall, providing the capacity for meaningful, impactful conversations—a core capability in the Knowledge Management landscape.

Challenging the conventional notion that knowledge is power, self-motivation, commitment, and the ability to act on knowledge are true indicators of power. Knowledge becomes meaningful when individuals can act on it, influencing and collaborating with others. This shift in perspective underscores the importance of understanding human complexity and psychology for effective Knowledge Management, recognizing that true strength lies in our ability to influence and act collectively.

Rethinking Knowledge

Experience, as a teacher, has enhanced my journey at Creative Generation. These encounters consistently underscore a fundamental truth: 'There is always another way.' This affirmation dismantles the notion of an exclusive 'expert,' a term rooted in competition—an undeniable symptom of capitalism.

For the sake of space and more opportunities to speak on the subject, I would like to highlight two recent examples. These instances serve as compelling support for broadened definitions of 'knowledge,' challenging traditional Western approaches that have historically marginalized the wealth of insights held by a diverse array of knowledge bearers.

Cultural Understanding

Syracuse University brought Dr. Patricia Shehan Campbell, music educator, researcher, ethnomusicologist, and world music pedagogue, to speak on the reimagination of Music Studies. To her, given dramatic societal shifts, higher education is at a critical moment in determining just what professional musicians and teachers need to survive and thrive in public life. Supporting the claim she spoke on reflections on curricular reform already underway in performance settings, academic history, theory, and culture courses, and music teacher education. Through the lenses of creativity, diversity, and integration, new conceptions are considered as channels to a reimagined program of music studies in an age of change.

When her presentation ended, I had three takeaways:

People can tend to gravitate toward the music of their own culture, but it's essential to break those boundaries. Exposure to music from different cultures can lead to a deeper understanding of music itself and foster cultural empathy, which, in turn, can help reduce unconscious bias.
The exclusive focus on Western classical music is no longer appropriate and ethically questionable in our multicultural and interconnected 21st-century world, as it excludes the vast diversity of musical traditions worldwide. Instead, we have to embrace the world’s music traditions, therefore, understanding and appreciating the music of diverse cultures. Ultimately, a curriculum that incorporates the study of local music traditions as a means of understanding and preserving cultural identity and heritage.
Curricula needs to align with the changing demographics and needs of students, therefore, there must be efforts addressing justice both before students enter music programs (e.g., through recruitment and admission processes) and after they graduate (e.g., through support, mentorship, and professional development).

As Dr. Shehan Campbell passionately advocates for the reimagining of music studies in our rapidly changing world, her insights challenge us to break free from cultural boundaries, embrace global music traditions, and redefine curricula to reflect justice and diversity. Her call to action echoes beyond the confines of academia, resonating with the imperative to cultivate understanding, preserve cultural heritage, and foster inclusivity in music education—key elements that harmonize with the dynamic and interconnected spirit of the 21st century.

Silence as a Discourse

One of my favorite humans, Dr. Elisa Dekaney, did a presentation titled “Silence as Discourse: Voice Equity in Research Practices” at Rethinking the Future, an event, hosted by the National Institute of Science and Technology on Social and Affective Neuroscience and the Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of the Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, Brazil, which challenged individuals to imagine a more just world.

In the pursuit of a more just world, she inspires a systems shift towards inclusive and collaborative research. The essence of Voice Equity lies in embracing inclusive research practices, challenging structural hierarchies, and sharing decision power throughout the research process. Dekaney advocates for the incorporation of Indigenized and Afrocentric approaches, emphasizing a holistic perspective that supports social and emotional well-being.

The call to move away from a "talking-to" style signifies a rejection of Eurocentric structures that limit participation. Instead, storytelling becomes a powerful practice valuing culture and identity, while elevating oral literacy to the same level as written literacy. Afrocentric approaches further dismantle the belief in European cultural superiority, embracing Afrofuturism and Black Excellence (high achievement or ability in a black person or generally in black people), making knowledge accessible without coded language, and highlighting interrelated Afrocentric oral traditions.

To move forward, prioritizing community commitment is essential. Shifting the framework and increasing the representation of groups who have been minoritized, developing partnerships with local collaborators, and crafting inclusive language are crucial steps. The path toward inclusivity involves challenging assumptions about underrepresented groups, making community involvement a high priority, and utilizing circular logics, storytelling, and diversity advocates. Additionally, implementing equity audits to ensure adherence to inclusive research practices.

Ultimately, the incorporation of non-Eurocentric views through Indigenized and Afrocentric practices enriches and expands the traditional research approach. Dr. Dekaney provides a seat at the table for diverse voices, fostering dialogue, storytelling, and cultural excellence. This shift does not negate the contributions of traditional research but broadens the horizon, inviting a diverse range of perspectives to contribute to the collective understanding of our world.

Everything is Connected

The takeaway is to move beyond Western-centric thinking, therefore, the learned lesson is to challenge the roots of White Supremacy Culture, embracing a more expansive, inclusive approach to knowledge.

As the former Community Knowledge Manager, that responsibility echoes beyond documentation; it extends to advocacy for systems that honor the diverse experiences of many. The beauty lies now in having a foundation, Knowledge Management, ready to be molded toward increased justice—a compass to navigate the complexities of interconnectedness, and two reminders:

There are others with similar vocations, a network of minds collectively working toward a more inclusive and equitable future, who offer a sense of community.
Life is not perfect, and that's perfectly okay, therefore, not always knowing what lies ahead is part of life. Trust, in oneself and those around, will always cultivate an environment where learning and growth can flourish.

The call has been made; how do we answer?

André Solomon