REPORT ON SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION FOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Ministry of Communications & IT, Government of India has sponsored a project to identify policy issues and strategies for the Government to enable National Competitiveness in the Knowledge Economy. The project is being jointly executed by National Productivity Council (NPC), Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IITR), Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM) and International Management Institute, New Delhi (IMI). The role of NPC in the project has been to organize two International Conferences to provide a wider platform for deliberations on the various facets of the subject. The First Conference was organized by NPC during 11-12, January, 2007 with the title “Knowledge Management for Productivity and Competitiveness”. The objectives of the first Conference were to review KM initiatives in India ; identify themes and subjects relevant to KM for further in-depth study and development; and prepare guidelines for concrete actions in the areas identified by stakeholders.
Evolving from the discussions of the First Conference, NPC organized the Second International Conference with the title “Technology and Innovation for Knowledge Management” during 12-14, February, 2008 at New Delhi . The objectives of the Second Conference were to present the findings and suggestions of the various research and dissemination activities of the project, deliberate on policy issues to be adopted by the Government, suggest implementation methodology for Technology and Innovation and to create a continuing and sustaining network of KM practitioners.
The Conference was organized jointly with the Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) and supported by the other partner institutions of the project. The conference had 180 international and national delegates representing different sectors: industry, academia, research bodies, government institutions, and NGO. The 53 international delegates were sponsored by APO from countries in the Asia and the Pacific, namely, Iran, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Fiji, Korea, and Taiwan. The APO also deputed five experts to speak at the conference: Dr.Ron Young, Chief Knowledge Officer, KM Associates, UK , Dr.Rory Chase, CEO, Teleos Marketing , UK , Dr.Serafin Talisayon, Professor, University of Philippines , Mr. Praba Nair, KDi Associates, Singapore and Mr. N.Ogiwara, Fuji Xerox, USA .
The Conference was inaugurated by Hon. Minister of State for Industry, Shri Ashwani Kumar. In his Inaugural Address, the Hon. Minister underlined the progress made by India in knowledge-based development and outlined the various policy and support measures provided by the Government of India towards transformation of Indian economy towards Knowledge orientation. He indicated that the Government would consider follow up to the policy recommendations emanating from the Conference. Shri Ajay Shan kar, Secretary- DIPP and Chairman, NPC who delivered a special address on the occasion congratulated NPC for choosing an important theme for the Conference at the appropriate time as India is poising towards high growth patterns as a result of the economic reforms.
The Conference featured presentations by 22 eminent National and International experts on various aspects of KM. The presentations were grouped into six different Technical Sessions to cover the subjects of Leadership Position in the Knowledge Economy, Technology and Innovation, KM Networking, HR/Education/Financial Perspectives of KM, KM Standards, Regulations, Tools & Techniques and KM Applications in Organisations. There were also two separate panel discussions and question answer sessions where the APO resource speakers interacted with the delegates intensively through detailed answers to the questions posed by them.
The technical papers addressed issues, perspectives and tools in three areas of application of knowledge management and innovation: (a) the organizational including corporate or business sector, (b) the social or development sector, and (c) the national policy sector specifically the current policy thrust of the Indian government towards the transition from an industrial economy to a more knowledge-based economy and society.
The deliberations of the Conference provided important inputs into the following major issues:
Effective pursuance of both productivity and innovation.
Measurement of the impact of KM
Commitment of CEOs to KM
KM benefits for the larger society
Motivation for buy-in or acceptance of KM
Methods to make knowledge workers to share their knowledge
Factors important in the journey of a nation from an industrial economy to a knowledge-based economy and society.
The Valedictory address of the Conference was delivered by Dr. B. K. Gairola, Director General, National Informatics Centre, who illustrated the efforts and programmes of the Government that are contributing to the development of the core sectors towards a more knowledge-based society.
Annexure
COMMENDATIONS ON THE CONFERENCE BY SOME DELEGATES
Congratulations on the successful execution of the conference.
..............................................................Raj Datta, Mind Tree Consulting
It was a pleasure participating in the Conference - congratulations for organizing such a fine event! And thanks again for giving me the opportunity.
Look forward to continued association with NPC/APO initiatives and events.
.....................................................................Ved Prakash, Wipro Technologies
Congratulations for organizing such an excellent Conference....
...........................................................................Prem Saran, Govt. of Assam
Conference was really fruitful and was a very good learning opportunity for me.
All the arrangements and conference was very well organised.
.............................................................Sadanand Gupta, Irrigation Dept., Govt of AP
Thank you for your e-mail and also your all supports for implementation of 2nd International Conference on Technology and Innovation for Knowledge Management.
As a delegate of the conference please take my regards to all staffs of NPC for their kind supports of this project.
It was truly a productive and useful conference.
...................................................................M.Alipour (Ms) National Iranian Productivity Center
I would like to congratulate you for the quality and time schedule of the conference. The papers and discussions where very interesting and enlightening (and some of them very thought provoking). And to be able to stick to the planned schedule with so many speakers is a real achievement. It is remarkable.
...........................................................Anne Chappuis, Visual Information Systems for Action
It was a good learning experience - I will surely join the community!
..........................................................Sanjeev Kumar, HRD, MECON
I wish to extend my heartily congratulations for the excellent manner in which you have conducted the 2nd International Conference on " Technology & Innovation for Knowledge Management".
Kindly extend my heartily congratulations also to all your colleagues who worked hard to make the International Conference a great success. Personally I greatly enjoyed in participating in the conference,
...........................................................................Dr. M.S.Mathews, IIT Madras
It was a great pleasure for Professor Harsha Sinvhal and myself to participate in the Second International Conference on “Technology and Innovation for Knowledge Management” recently organised by National Productivity Organisation during 12-14, February, 2008.
We wish to congratulate you on the grand success of the International Conference so meticulously organized by you.
..............................................................Prof. Vinay Nangia, IIT Roorkee
Congratulations for organizing another milestone in KM. The success of KM is dependent on people that can revitalize the energy to pursue greater value through knowledge and innovation. Thank you for keeping the fire burning!
...................Alwin STA Roza,VP- Knowledge Management, Association of the Philippines
Scribbling ideas, thinking, experiences, failures, success, disagreements and learnings.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
INTERVIEW OF WARREN BUFFET
1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
3. He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha , that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO's only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
7. He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch Television.
8. Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
9. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.
His advice to young people: "Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and Remember:
A. Money doesn't create man but it is the man who created money.
B. Live your life as simple as you are.
C. Don't do what others say, just listen to them, but do what makes you feel good.
D. Don't go on brand name; just wear those things in which you feel comfortable.
E. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on things that you really need.
F. After all it's your life, then why give others the chance to rule your life."
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
people KNOW MORE THAN THEY KNOW WHAT THEY KNOW.
People KNOW MORE THAN THEY KNOW WHAT THEY KNOW.
During the Q&A session at BEL, I was thinking why do people resist sharing ideas, comments, experience in a professional setup?. I realized that could be because fo fear of loosing valuable information, culture of the organization, organizational structure, lack of motivation or a SARKARI virus has got into them. Interestingly i found people KNOW MORE THAN THEY KNOW WHAT THEY KNOW.
During the Q&A session at BEL, I was thinking why do people resist sharing ideas, comments, experience in a professional setup?. I realized that could be because fo fear of loosing valuable information, culture of the organization, organizational structure, lack of motivation or a SARKARI virus has got into them. Interestingly i found people KNOW MORE THAN THEY KNOW WHAT THEY KNOW.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
value the Intangibles
Today, I appeared for an inteview with a dream company. All through out the interview I kept reinforcing what I have done, they kept briefing how TOUGH the JOB is and so on. When it came to salary, the issue was ARE U READY TO Negotiate? . The point here is, When companies are not ready to compromise on job, why on salary! .
I was also pondering ,during the Interview, I have taken so many interview in years, How did i interview the candidates and best find were many a times the WORST. Only few I can remember, went on to become the leaders in the organization. OOPs.... these mistakes.
I still wonder, It is not easy to evaluate the intangible credentials of the candidates, which may include loyalty, attitude to work and Peers, Team work, drive, longetivity, ability to do the best, motivator, learner and so on.
I was also pondering ,during the Interview, I have taken so many interview in years, How did i interview the candidates and best find were many a times the WORST. Only few I can remember, went on to become the leaders in the organization. OOPs.... these mistakes.
I still wonder, It is not easy to evaluate the intangible credentials of the candidates, which may include loyalty, attitude to work and Peers, Team work, drive, longetivity, ability to do the best, motivator, learner and so on.
Friday, February 1, 2008
The Tao Of Forgiveness
The Tao Of Forgiveness
One day, the sage gave the disciple an empty sack and a basket of potatoes. "Think of all the people who have done or said something against you in the recent past, especially those you cannot forgive. For each of them, inscribe the name on a potato and put it in the sack."The disciple came up quite a few names, and soon his sack was heavy with potatoes."Carry the sack with you wherever you go for a week," said the sage. "We'll talk after that."At first, the disciple thought nothing of it. Carrying the sack was not particularly difficult. But after a while, it became more of a burden. It sometimes got in the way, and it seemed to require more effort to carry as time went on, even though its weight remained the same.After a few days, the sack began to smell. The carved potatoes gave off a ripe odor. Not only were they increasingly inconvenient to carry around, they were also becoming rather unpleasant.Finally, the week was over. The sage summoned the disciple. "Any thoughts about all this?""Yes, Master," the disciple replied. "When we are unable to forgive others, we carry negative feelings with us everywhere, much like these potatoes. That negativity becomes a burden to us and, after a while, it festers.""Yes, that is exactly what happens when one holds a grudge. So, how can we lighten the load?""We must strive to forgive.""Forgiving someone is the equivalent of removing the corresponding potato from the sack. How many of your transgressors are you able to forgive?""I've thought about it quite a bit, Master," the disciple said. "It required much effort, but I have decided to forgive all of them.""Very well, we can remove all the potatoes. Were there any more people who transgressed against you this last week?"The disciple thought for a while and admitted there were. Then he felt panic when he realized his empty sack was about to get filled up again."Master," he asked, "if we continue like this, wouldn't there always be potatoes in the sack week after week?""Yes, as long as people speak or act against you in some way, you will always have potatoes.""But Master, we can never control what others do. So what good is the Tao in this case?""We're not at the realm of the Tao yet. Everything we have talked about so far is the conventional approach to forgiveness. It is the same thing that many philosophies and most religions preach - we must constantly strive to forgive, for it is an important virtue. This is not the Tao because there is no striving in the Tao.""Then what is the Tao, Master?""You can figure it out. If the potatoes are negative feelings, then what is the sack?""The sack is... that which allows me to hold on to the negativity. It is something within us that makes us dwell on feeling offended.... Ah, it is my inflated sense of self-importance. ""And what will happen if you let go of it?""Then... the things that people do or say against me no longer seem like such a major issue.""In that case, you won't have any names to inscribe on potatoes. That means no more weight to carry around, and no more bad smells. The Tao of forgiveness is the conscious decision to not just to remove some potatoes... but to relinquish the entire sack."
One day, the sage gave the disciple an empty sack and a basket of potatoes. "Think of all the people who have done or said something against you in the recent past, especially those you cannot forgive. For each of them, inscribe the name on a potato and put it in the sack."The disciple came up quite a few names, and soon his sack was heavy with potatoes."Carry the sack with you wherever you go for a week," said the sage. "We'll talk after that."At first, the disciple thought nothing of it. Carrying the sack was not particularly difficult. But after a while, it became more of a burden. It sometimes got in the way, and it seemed to require more effort to carry as time went on, even though its weight remained the same.After a few days, the sack began to smell. The carved potatoes gave off a ripe odor. Not only were they increasingly inconvenient to carry around, they were also becoming rather unpleasant.Finally, the week was over. The sage summoned the disciple. "Any thoughts about all this?""Yes, Master," the disciple replied. "When we are unable to forgive others, we carry negative feelings with us everywhere, much like these potatoes. That negativity becomes a burden to us and, after a while, it festers.""Yes, that is exactly what happens when one holds a grudge. So, how can we lighten the load?""We must strive to forgive.""Forgiving someone is the equivalent of removing the corresponding potato from the sack. How many of your transgressors are you able to forgive?""I've thought about it quite a bit, Master," the disciple said. "It required much effort, but I have decided to forgive all of them.""Very well, we can remove all the potatoes. Were there any more people who transgressed against you this last week?"The disciple thought for a while and admitted there were. Then he felt panic when he realized his empty sack was about to get filled up again."Master," he asked, "if we continue like this, wouldn't there always be potatoes in the sack week after week?""Yes, as long as people speak or act against you in some way, you will always have potatoes.""But Master, we can never control what others do. So what good is the Tao in this case?""We're not at the realm of the Tao yet. Everything we have talked about so far is the conventional approach to forgiveness. It is the same thing that many philosophies and most religions preach - we must constantly strive to forgive, for it is an important virtue. This is not the Tao because there is no striving in the Tao.""Then what is the Tao, Master?""You can figure it out. If the potatoes are negative feelings, then what is the sack?""The sack is... that which allows me to hold on to the negativity. It is something within us that makes us dwell on feeling offended.... Ah, it is my inflated sense of self-importance. ""And what will happen if you let go of it?""Then... the things that people do or say against me no longer seem like such a major issue.""In that case, you won't have any names to inscribe on potatoes. That means no more weight to carry around, and no more bad smells. The Tao of forgiveness is the conscious decision to not just to remove some potatoes... but to relinquish the entire sack."