Gurteen Knowledge-Log

Blog Post: Do you have the capacity to hold a good conversation?

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 11:46:23 +0100

By David Gurteen

In preparing for our Conversational Leadership workshop, Nancy Dixon, John Hovell and I keep coming back to the question "What is real conversation?" or "What makes a good conversation?" and the more we converse about it - the richer the picture that emerges.

In two blog posts by Dave Pollard, he lists seven conversational capacities or skills that he considers prerequisites to a good conversation,including things like "the capacity to think critically" or "the capacity to be curious". Recall the frustration of trying to have a conversation with someone who could not argue critically or whose arguments had no coherence.

I've taken Dave's list and I am expanding on it here: conversational capacities.

It's an interesting list, what do you think is missing? Which is the most important capacity?

Blog Post: Promoting Knowledge Management activities through my website

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 08:54:06 +0100

By David Gurteen

I am always looking to help promote activities in the KM field. To this end you can:

In each case, the submission is held in a queue until I have checked it out and categorised it. This normally only takes a day or two. If the item is off-topic or I feel it is inappropriate for any other reason I reserve the right to delete it. The service is free.

Blog Post: Updates to my blook on Conversational Leadership July 2019

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 18:47:13 +0100

By David Gurteen

I continue to develop my blook on Conversational Leadership by the day.

I have been slowly adding profiles of people who have influenced and continue to influence my work. The profiles include a short one or two line description of the person and a brief description of how I know them. They also include links to Linkedin profiles, blogs, websites etc., along with links to the posts in my blook where their work is referenced.

I have also included, where available, a recent video of the person speaking to give some deeper insight into their work and their personality.

Here are my most recent additions:

These profiles are as much for own benefit as they are for my readers. The resource is exceptionally useful as it allows me to follow their work much more closely.

Blog Post: Leadership + Conversation = Conversational Leadership

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:49:24 +0100

By David Gurteen

These two short videos get to the heart of Conversational Leadership.

Leadership is a practice not a position of authority by Ronald Heifetz

What is the work of leadership? by Patricia Shaw

In summary using Ron's and Patricia's words:

What is leadership?: "If we understand leadership as a practice, as an activity, then it becomes available to anybody, high or low, any place or position."

What is the work of leadership?: "Leadership is about convening conversations that might not otherwise happen."

Conversational Leadership: We are all leaders. We lead through the conversations we convene and in which we engage.

Blog Post: Thaler Pekar interviews me on Conversational Leadership

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:46:28 +0100

By David Gurteen

Thaler Pekar recently interviewed me about my work on Conversational Leadership. She summed it up like this:

"What do good leaders do in terms of influencing the world or people around them? They do it fundamentally through conversation. Hence this term Conversational Leadership."

You will find the interview here.

Blog Post: Gurteen Knowledge Tweets: July 2019

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 11:47:20 +0100

By David Gurteen

Here are some of my more popular recent tweets. Take a look, if you are not a Tweeter, you will get a good idea of how I use it by browsing the list of micro-posts.

Without conversation, work stops https://buff.ly/2lyhk3y #KM #KMers #KnowledgeManagement #ConversationalLeadership #KnowledgeCafe #ConversationalWisdom
Adaptive Leadership, What Is It Really? The adaptive leader is one who faces complex challenges for which there are no easy answers. https://buff.ly/2JwCngy #Leadership #ConversationalLeadership #AdaptiveLeadership #KM #KMers #KnowledgeManagement
"Conversations that Matter" by @DavePollard https://buff.ly/2Xt0W1K /love Dave's writing on conversation #KM #KMers #KnowledgeManagement #ConversationalLeadership #knowledgemanagement #ConversationalWisdom #Conversation
“AT&T's vision of the future, circa 1993” https://buff.ly/2Np1O7P /so much they got right
The Importance of Intonation in Conversation - italk Telecom https://buff.ly/2FRpOKH #ConversationalLeadership
How to Learn From Experience by @NancyMDixon https://buff.ly/2ld3IKY #KM, #KMers #knowledgemanagement #learning
The Untapped Opportunity: Rethinking Learning in the Work Environment | John Hagel https://buff.ly/2GAJ8MD
Is your team making bad decisions? The culprit is likely your conversations - Work Life by Atlassian https://buff.ly/2lyhk3y #KM #KMers #KnowledgeManagement #ConversationalLeadership #KnowledgeCafe #ConversationalWisdom
Be the last to speak. #conversationalleadership #conversationalwisdom https://buff.ly/2PJcjQU

If you like the Tweets then subscribe to my Tweet stream.

Blog Post: Upcoming Knowledge Events

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 11:27:37 +0100

By David Gurteen

Here are some of the major KM events taking place around the world in the coming months and ones in which I am actively involved. You will find a full list on my website where you can also subscribe to both regional e-mail alerts and RSS feeds which will keep you informed of new and upcoming events.

20th European Conference on Knowledge Management
05 - 06 Sep 2019, lisbon, Portugal

14th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
19 - 20 Sep 2019, Kalamata, Greece

Conversational Leadership Workshop
20 - 22 Sep 2019, Hartley Wintney, United Kingdom

Advancing your OD (Organisation Development) practice
24 - 25 Sep 2019, Henley on Thames, United Kingdom

European Conference on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
31 Oct - 01 Nov 2019, Oxford, United Kingdom

16th International Conference on Intellectual Capital, Knowledge Management & Organisational Learning 5-6 December 2019, Sydney, Australia
05 - 06 Dec 2019, Sydney, Australia

Blog Post: Leadership is a practice not a position of authority

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 15:54:49 +0100

By David Gurteen

I have been thinking and reading about leadership for some years now, especially leadership in the context of Conversational Leadership but only recently learned of the work of Ronald Heifetz at Harvard and discovered that his views on leadership were remarkably similar to mine.

In this video he explains that leadership is a practice not a position of authority and gives some excellent examples.

Distinguishing leadership from authority helps us begin to see that if we understand leadership as a practice, as an activity, then it becomes available to anybody high or low, any place or position simply because they passionately care about some problem situation, about the people in that problem situation and then mobilize people with faith in their capacity to step up to the plate and meet that challenge.

Credit: Ronald Heifetz – On Leadership