I have often started some oratory sessions with this story. least did I realise it would pave the way for what could be a business transformation to our future.
Years ago in this village was a wise man named Mullah Moinuddin. It was an event for many villagers to listen to him deliver wise words. It was the turn of one of the more populated village. Some key men went to the Mullah and invited him for a sunday lecture. Mullah agreed and promptly landed in the village - a large gathering indeed. After the initial courtesies, the Mullah asked." Does any of you know what I am going to speak about?". The Villagers were silenced at the question, slowly everyone said, " No Sir, we do not know". The Mullah, said," In that case there is no point for me to speak to you all, as you don't know anything", packed and left. The village was stunned to silence.
Slowly they all recovered and approached the Mullah and persuaded him to visit them again. Mullah agreed and promptly landed in the village the following Sunday- a large gathering again. After the initial courtesies, the Mullah asked." Does any of you know what I am going to speak about?". The Villagers smiled at each other at the question, then everyone said, " Yes Sir, we do know". The Mullah, said," In that case there is no point for me to speak to you all, as you already know", packed and left. The village was stunned to silence.
Slowly they all recovered and approached the Mullah and persuaded him to visit them again. The Mullah agreed after much reluctance and landed in the village the following Sunday- a large gathering again. After the initial courtesies, the Mullah asked." Does any of you know what I am going to speak about?". The Villagers smiled at each other at the question, but one half of them said, " Yes Sir, we do know". The other half said, " No Sir, We do not know". The Mullah, gently smiled at the villagers and said," In that case, those who know please tell those who do not". Thus packed and left.
Many a time we have encountered such attitudes in our college days and more so in our respective organisations.. A few know and several who dont. It has lead us to situations where business decisions are based on little knowledge for either want of information or our reluctance to approach those who know. What Mullah Moinuddin did surely brings the irony of matters to perspective and also provides a very humourous moment.
Most importantly, it has led to a key message of "Collaborative Learning". In a public domain we may have a wikipedia. However, what is today's requirement is a collaborative organisational learning environment.
How would it benefit?
A culture of management and people which will assist in decision making, share knowledge, make us grow in experience and ensure transparency, colleagues who will never hold the company to ransom, no more going to a few individuals who are the so called "information power centres" , no more worrying that knowledge walks out with the people who exit, no more long recovery time upon employee exists, lots of multi disciplinary idea contribution, synergistic new product innovations and a lot more flatter organisational structures, processes re-engineered , the transformation of silo-ed workers to knowledge workers..
Are you ready to be knowledge worker?
Very interesting story! And a very interesting perspective to the tale too!
ReplyDeleteOne of the aspects of collaborative learning is that more often than not it is a pull-mechanism than a push-mechanism for obtaining that knowledge. Therefore, to that extent, knowledge becomes Just-in-Time. So, it becomes really a case of "Do I actually know what Mullah Moinudin knows" because only then can I go to him for help. Or in other words, who can help me with the problem, rather than what is the solution to the problem.
How do I find the expert? Here lies the problem - one of broadcasting my need in the right and only watering hole to which the expert comes often enough. Thus the search engines come to be, in the non-corporate world. But the corporation still stands fragmented.
ReplyDeleteQuite true! The scarier problem however, is where the expert is within the organization, and we don't know about it. It becomes necessary for a moderator to assign experts and from thereon to allow the network to link others. Most collaboration tools do a pretty good job of spreading the word.
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