COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE: FROM REFLECTION TO ACTION

 


Original article published in Catalan on 03/20/2023.

In the present text, I want to share some interrelated ideas and proposals between the construction of collective knowledge, democratic governance, organizational structures, and "real" transformation.

By collective knowledge, we refer to the result of engaging in dialogue, subsequently organizing and systematizing, different types of people who possess various knowledge with the intention of seeking a response or solution to a challenge or problem.

Theoretically, there are many definitions of what knowledge is and what types exist, but I like the definition given by Joaquín Gairín (2015), who says that knowledge is the "backpack" that each of us carries. As a result of our perceptions, educational experiences, and life experiences, we accumulate concepts, ideas, feelings, frustrations, points of view, etc., which often explain what we say or don't say, what we defend, or simply say or do.

So, if we want to promote the construction of collective knowledge, it will be essential to be conscious that people possess many types of knowledge, not only those presupposed to be linked to an academic title if we have one.

This is an important base of collective knowledge: recognizing the importance of the different knowledge that we have acquired throughout our lives. In this recognition is implicit the acknowledgment of each person who is part of a particular group or team. If people in the team do not start from this recognition, it will be very difficult to advance towards the true construction of collective knowledge.

On the other hand, in addition to recognizing the people and knowledge that are part of a specific working group, to promote construction of collective knowledge in models of management or democratic governance, it is important that all voices of different agents or interest groups are represented and heard.

Thus, we can say that we will generate collective knowledge in models of democratic governance when different voices participate in finding a solution to a challenge, need, or proble,, and at the same time, recognize the contribution of the different knowledge that each voice brings within the group.

It will be important for each voice to contribute to the group with "its voice." With this simple phrase, what I want to emphasize is that when we create work teams in which there are different voices, it is necessary, for a good contribution to the group itself, that each voice/agent/person truly contribute its point of view, experience, knowledge, interpretation of what is being discussed, even if sometimes an input may seem too far from what is being discussed. Each contribution helps to counteract and reposition the group towards "the voice of all," above the individual voice of someone or some.

Collective knowledge, however, is not only about debating, talking to different people, voices, or knowledge. As J. Gairín points out, if several people come together to discuss a challenge and do not document anything, it remains a simple conversation. It is necessary to write down what has been said and organize it based on what has been discussed: data, ideas, experiences, references... in this way, we will move from individual ideas to collective and organized ideas. Therefore, it will be necessary to use some specific methodology.

As I have written in other reflections, organizational structures are not neutral regarding the knowledge generated in a particular organization or ecosystem. Organizations designed with management structures based on democratic governance should be organizations that, reinforced by methodologies for create and manage collective knowledge, facilitate the emergence of this type of knowledge.

Finally, I want to focus on the will to promote collective knowledge, organizational structures based on democratic governance, participatory management models... behind this, there is a hope to transform realities. To move on doing things differently from what we are doing. So, we must not forget that if we really want to transform, we cannot stay only in ideas, words, and reflections. We must move on to actions, no matter how small. Transforming reality, doing, carrying out concrete actions.

And how can we do it? I think there are two important aspects: on the one hand, we must be attentive to specifying actions resulting from the generated knowledge that can be implemented, carried out. And on the other hand, it will be important that in each team, there are also those people/voices that are "in the reality" and, therefore, will be the ones to play the role of grounding to transform the collective knowledge generated.

We could say that if we really want to transform, we must dream big but act small.

___

GAIRÍN SALLÁN, Joaquín. (2015). Promover y gestionar el conocimiento colectivo para mejorar la cultura y la práctica de la seguridad en educación. Cuadernos de estrategia, (172), 59-84.


Comentarios

Publicar un comentario

Entradas populares de este blog

ORGANIZATIONS AS A SEED OF TRANSFORMATION IN SOCIAL AND SOLIDARITY ECONOMY

Imagen
  Original article published in Catalan on 10/10/2022 This is the reflection I shared on October 3, 2022, during the inaugural presentation of the Week of Social and Solidarity Economy in Mataró. A reflection born from theoretical knowledge; from ideas, vision, and dreams; and from the experience of the organizational transformation process that we have been promoting and building at Fundació el Maresme for the past few years. Ideas, vision, and dreams about how Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) organizations can contribute to building a fairer, less unequal world where people and their well-being are at the center of the economic model. The main idea of this reflection is that the way companies, organizations, and entities are organized is not neutral, and if they truly want to be active in social transformation, it must begin within the organizations themselves. Organizations should be the mirror what they aim to generate around them. Social and Solidarity Economy emerges as
Leer más

LEADERSHIP, POWER, AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Imagen
Original article published in catalan on 11/04/2022   Last weekend, I was reading an article written by Xavier Marcet titled "The Pride of Having Substitutes", which focuses on defining and promoting a certain style of leadership. Some of the reflections he shares include: "To lead is to serve and not to serve oneself," "If we play a leadership role, our responsibility is to create new leaders," and "What is not acceptable is people who climb up to gain power and then are unable to understand that people don't work for them, but rather, the higher you are, the more you work for others." "I also know proud entrepreneurs who misuse power for improper ambitions." This article, inspiring as always when you read an article by Xavier Marcet, coincided with the moment when I'm reading an interesting book by Julie Diamond called "Power. A User's Guide." I'm currently at a part where she explains that adopting a high
Leer más

CARE IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL FIELD

Imagen
Original article, published in Catalan on 07/18/2022.   A few years ago, I was taught that in public policies, "what is not on the political agenda does not exist." However, I would complement this statement in the following way: "what is not on the political agenda and does not have an allocated budget does not exist." We can talk about the agenda in public policies, just as we can talk about strategy in organizations. The strategy in organizations is fueled by latent concerns that begin to emerge, signaling where we should focus our attention in the coming years. In my experience, when we start detecting these signals, they indicate the end of one stage to give way to a new, a different stage. Lately, one of these latent concerns that I perceive is the need to pay attention to the care of the employees. So, I've been thinking for days that it's increasingly necessary to discuss, debate, understand, and share what we mean by "care," specifically w
Leer más