The Power of Collective Wisdom
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” This sentiment is particularly relevant in the context of knowledge sharing. In a large organization, the collective intelligence surpasses the capability of any single individual. Ignoring the wealth of experience and solutions that colleagues have developed is a lost opportunity. Aristotle observed that ideas often recur throughout history. This is a testament to the timeless value of shared knowledge.
The Four Pillars of Knowledge Preservation
In their groundbreaking book, Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams identify four essential conditions for effective knowledge preservation in an organization:
- Openness: Cultivating an environment where ideas can be freely exchanged is crucial. It’s about creating a space where people feel safe to share their thoughts without fearing the loss of intellectual property. Father James Keller’s words resonate here: “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”
- Peering: Traditional hierarchical structures often hinder the free flow of information. In contrast, a collaborative, ‘flat’ structure facilitates direct communication across different levels, locations, and fields of expertise. This approach aligns with Michel Eyquem de Montaigne’s view: “It is good to rub and polish our brain against that of others.”
- Sharing: The movement of ideas across an organization enriches them. I have personally seen how integrating feedback and suggestions from peers can enhance and strengthen original ideas. Louis L’Amour’s analogy is apt: “Knowledge is like money: to be of value it must circulate, and in circulating it can increase in quantity and, hopefully, in value.”
- Acting Globally: While we have the tools for global collaboration, it’s the human element that truly unlocks their potential. The interconnectedness of knowledge, as Arthur Aufderheide said, is where the fun lies in making connections.
Your Role in Knowledge Sharing
In this era of interconnectedness and collective intelligence, consider what steps you are taking to generate, maintain, and promote your valuable knowledge. Are you contributing to the light of creative altruism, or are you walking in the shadows of selfishness? The choice is yours, and the impact is profound.