Knowledge Strategy, Organization and Management
A brief pause
Once we have moved past the darkest night of the year, the fortunate among us hit pause on our busy lives to reconnect and hang with friends and family — to drink, dine, talk, laugh, maybe even sing and dance — and to reboot our mental circuits.
For me, it’s also a chance to search for deeper meanings — to separate the the signal from the noise, the gems from the junk, the nuggets from the nonsense. What really matters to us and those we care for, what makes a difference, what is worthy of our precious time and attention?
You may believe, as I do, that each of us has a path in life — a vector moving along an arc in time. Some of this happens through planning — but much also happens through serendipity and luck. The pause around the winter solstice creates an opportunity to recap the path behind us and anticipate the one ahead.
Six wayfinding questions
I’ve developed a few fundamental questions to periodically take inventory of my past, present, and future.
1. PURPOSE. Who am I? Why do I exist?
2. POSITION. Where am I now? How did I get here?
3. GOAL. Where am I headed? What path leads me there?
4. CHALLENGES. What obstacles stand in my way?
5. RESOURCES. What means do I already have — and what do I need — to overcome these challenges and reach my goal? And what do I now have that I no longer need?
6. TIME. How much do I have?
I also use these in my work in mentoring other people. And as as an organizational consultant, I adapt these for use in group settings — strategy retreats, for example. Just substitute “we” for “I,” as shown in the following diagram.
If you find these useful, I hope you’ll use them in your own wayfinding.
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2024! Where are you going? My own plans include publishing here on or about the first Tuesday of each month. I’ve got some pretty heady topics in store, but though I’d warm up with something softer. I took the photo at the Benedictine monastery in Mljet National Park, Croatia.
Recent Comments
on Enterprise Knowledge: What is it?: ““Mindset, not toolset.” Well-said, Ovais. It’s a bigger challenge than it seems, due to these organizational domains/silos that must be…” Dec 30, 15:35
on Enterprise Knowledge: What is it?: “This insightful analogy beautifully highlights the multifaceted nature of Knowledge Management. The “whole elephant” perspective underscores the need for cohesive…” Dec 30, 05:52
on Generative AI: Toward a balanced view: “Thanks for this–well thought out and original. I too am extremely interested in GenAI, specifically as misinformation spreads…thanks also staying…” Dec 6, 11:39
Excellent advice thank you for your terrific reflection piece Tim!
Thanks, Les.
My frequent conversations with you over the past year or two has helped my thinking a lot in such lofty areas!