I have just returned from a conference in Sydney on Knowledge and Innovation.  I sat on a panel yesterday addressing the question “Communities of Practice: why do they work or fail?” One of the points I made was that communities of practice are often named something else, normally to adopt a title more suitable for […]

I was in Brisbane on Thursday and had a great opportunity to catch up with some friends.  One of them, Vince Aisthorpe, related an anecdote from Tom O’Toole who founded the Beechworth Bakery, one of the largest in the southern hemisphere.  The anecdote was about why many Government agencies don’t seem to get much done. “They […]

The topic at a meeting this morning was the design concept for a web-based ‘clearinghouse’.  I mentioned the risks of taking a ‘Field of Dreams’ approach – “if we build it they will come”, and the importance of having relevant content that users can easily find and use.  I also mentioned that having the best […]