Table of Contents
Virtual book discussion leads October 2009
- Christine Du Bois, PhD, Cultural Anthropologist
- Karen Huffman, MLS, Chair-elect/Incoming Chair, SLA KM 2009
For a summary about the book, see website: http://treadinglightly.sveiby.com/
The book, Treading Lightly, was co-authored by Karl-Erik Sveiby, a professor of Knowledge Management (KM) in Finland and honorary professor of management in Australia, and Tex Skuthorpe, a Nhunggabarra man from New South Wales, Australia, and a painter, educator, and custodian of traditional stories. Although we understand that the book was written to illustrate particular aspects of the Australia's Aborigines, portions of the book's structure were somewhat disjointed and overly subjective towards the Nhunggabarra people.
From a KM perspective, the book presented ideas (and beautiful stories through the Nhunggabarra's visual drawings) that we all may have considered both personally and professionally. All are welcome to contribute whether you have read the book, are reading it now, and/or want to share your ideas and experiences to this virtual discussion.
Contribute your key takeaways based on the below discussion questions
- How do you perceive another organization, division/department, or person? Have you considered an alternative perception/viewpoint? What sorts of experiences have broadened your perception?
- Should innovations only be developed that benefit the good of all or for a small subset of individuals? Some innovations have led to advances that are incredibly important to only a small group of individuals. For example, look at this dilemma with drug testing therapy. Do you support innovations that are incredibly valuable to certain individuals OR are we more like the Nhunggabarra who care for all (e.g., treatment for my daughter's rare cancer vs. bug nets for African children). How are innovations supported and sustained within your organization? How do we allocate our resources?
- There are many intangibles within our society, yet they are not measured. In thinking about intangibles within our society, organization, and/or family, what intangibles are your social unit(s) producing (e.g., sustainability of your organization, people, environment, etc.) and what infrastructure is developing/has evolved to sustain these values (e.g., work climate, support networks, training, awarded for improving the business, etc.)? How do you measure the intangibles? How do you assess the value of intangibles with your group?
- How does your organization create respect amongst employees, leaders, and followers? Leadership is hugely important in creating a climate of respect and confidence. How do you find what a person is good at and nurture them in their "niche," as an important team player, express their expertise? How do you develop context-specific leadership?
- How could the book have been improved? Would you recommend a supplementary book that could enhance/apply the principles discussed in this book? Would you be willing to develop a virtual book discussion for the SLA KM division?
Additional notes
- You do not necessarily have to have read the book to respond.
- You'll need to log-in with your SLA wiki username/password to leave your comments. If you don't yet have an account, you will need to set one up before you can contribute your ideas to this wiki page.