Conversations with Bryan Davis and Debra Amidon
In the Knowledge Zone

Bryan Elliott Davis
President, Kaieteur Institute for Knowledge Management, Toronto, Canada

Debra Amidon
Founder and CEO, Entovation International Ltd., Wilmington, MA, U.S.

Editor's note: This is a summary of the "Conversations with Bryan Davis and Debra Amidon" held in September, 2004. The monthly STAR Series Dialogues are moderated by world KM luminaries who volunteer to discuss topics in email digests with AOK members over a two-week period.

Summary by Carol Butler

Bryan Davis (Kaieteur Institute for Knowledge Management) and Debra Amidon (Entovation International Ltd., U.S.) have recently taken the concept of Knowledge Cities to a new level with the Knowledge Innovation Zones (KIZs) portal at:
http://www.inthekzone.com/. In September 2004 they led AOKers on a rich discussion of the rise and future significance of knowledge innovation and "knowledge innovation zones."

A Knowledge Innovation Zone or KIZ is a region, economic sector or community of practice in which knowledge flows from origin to the point of highest need or opportunity to improve economic performance and socio-political well-being.

A KIZ is not the "wired towns and cities" many communities once experimented with (largely unsuccessfully) when the focus was on IT. Increasingly, the focus is centering on movement of ideas, connections between and among communities of practice, as well as geography.

Instead of relying on technology, innovation, stakeholder satisfaction, and competition to define progress and success, in the new KIZ one relies upon knowledge, innovation, stakeholder success and international collaboration to build sustainability of our firms and nations.

Bryan Davis offered Barcelona and other cities as examples where knowledge and innovation are formally embedded in their future strategic plans. The Parliament of Finland, while analyzing Finland's future prospects, highlighted innovation as one of the four all-permeating success factors. There is ample evidence already that knowledge-driven geographic zones can grow faster, and achieve more sustainable growth, with a cleaner environmental footprint, than previous industrial age or even post-industrial modes of development.

Ron Dvir shared his experience in Israel, where they are redefining the old traditional "Center of Teachers Staff Development" of Beer Sheva City as a "Future Center." He asks, "So, Bryan and Debra - 'Educating Cities', 'Intelligent Cities', 'Smart Cities', 'Knowledge Zones' - same animal?"

Debra Amidon agreed they are the same animal and added: "The real power lies in your characterization of the Educating City of Beer Sheva as an 'economic engine'; and this is what ties it to the core agenda of innovation (i.e., putting knowledge into action)!"

Our hosts encouraged us to focus on the process of innovation and establishing the conditions (levers and incentives) within which knowledge can be created, evolved, exchanged and applied.

When they started to explore the streams of activity between the functions - the connections between the technologies - that was where they found the real action. They analyzed how all the functions were evolving and characterized it as the 'Communities of Knowledge Practice.'

Somehow, the connections being made - and contactivity (as would say another AOK Star Hubert Saint-Onge) - promote more collaboration than competition.

Leif Edvinsson also saw knowledge as being in the in-between, and that consequently the relationships and context are most essential.

Edna Pasher argued that self organizing is a critical success factor for knowledge flow and for innovation, and that an ecology enabling self-organization, such as Knowledge Cafes and Open Space speeds up knowledge sharing and innovation.

Debra Amidon responded by identifying two major camps in our profession - (1) those who represent the "knowledge community" that has discovered innovation as the focus; and (2) those from the "innovation community" who have now placed attention on the flow of knowledge (in addition to the flow of materials into products and services). She sees a welcome convergence coming.

Charles Savage touched off a spirited discussion by wondering if "knowledge" is more than a noun. Some thought "knowledge" should be considered a verb. Others preferred to view knowledge as "applied information" or felt the existing word already "covers the ground formerly occupied by several verbs."

Dermot Casey brought up the Dewey School idea that knowledge is a byproduct of activity: "Knowledge is not a copy of something that exists independently of its own being known, it is an instrument or organ of successful action."

Alistair Gibbons talked about the "essence of knowledge being judgment, relationships, deep immersion in a subject, natural talent, expertise, connection with other experts in your field, and continual refresh and update of skills."

Kevin Cole stated, "the only kind of knowledge we can work with is functional. Knowledge means knowledge of how to do something, or how to solve some problem. This comes very close to the pragmatists' test for truth."

Casey Dermot introduced the idea of "conceptual blending" to our discussion.

"Conceptual blending, a process that operates below the level of consciousness and involves connecting two concepts to create new meaning, can be used to explain abstract thought, creativity, and language. It is, according to the authors, "at the heart of imagination."

Jason Sherman saw parallels in our discussion about the nature of knowledge and innovation with the challenge in his field of differentiating market intelligence from marketing research. "Marketing research is an activity. Market intelligence is an asset than enables improvements in performance," he wrote. He then described three patterns of corporate innovation recognized in his field by the Baldridge awards, and took it a step further, proposing "Innovation Awards" to enhance the awareness and appreciation of KM/innovation strategies.

Our hosts believe that leadership in the Knowledge Economy is SIGNIFICANTLY different than leadership in the industrial economy. The Knowledge Economy demands a new level of openness and transparency.

Ron Dvir stated: "The key is the meaningful conversation." This led to several shared stories illustrating the point and general agreement with this view. Debra Amidon shared the story of Ray Stata, then CEO and now Chairman of the Board for Analog Devices, who saw his responsibility as CEO to "manage the conversations."

Bryan Davis talked about cities like Manchester, which describe their own future in terms that resonate with our discussion.

"Led and galvanised by knowledge, the successful cities of the future will be fully connected physically and electronically to local, national and international markets; they are driven, overall, by the forces of globalisation. As culturally diverse and socially inclusive places, they possess the full range of skills required by the 21st century economy, and instill a spirit of enterprise and innovation within their residents and businesses. They embrace new ways of working and sophisticated forms of knowledge management.

Debra Amidon cautions we are still infants in understanding the innovation process, how an idea becomes a product/service, how human capital results in bottom-line performance (however measured) and how knowledge contributes to an increased standard of living.

"Since knowledge is what makes us unique - as individuals, enterprises and nations, it follows that Knowledge Innovation Zones (KIZs) are also unique. We know that what works in one country will not necessary work in another. But there are some lessons to be gleaned from which we all can learn; and thanks to the ever-exploding technology infrastructure, we can be linked-learn-innovate in unprecedented ways."

Leif Edvinsson agreed. "The city was once developed to make exchange of goods more efficient. Now it is about the city as an exchange for knowledge. In extension of this notion we can also learn that urban design and urbanism will be one of the most influencial issues for the Future Value of Knowledge. '

Debra Amidon believes that the implications are the same (if not moreso) in remote locations and transitional economies. She then observes: "you and I agree that real progress is more a function of the social networks than the technology infrastructure itself. Although once the social and technological capital is coupled with intellectual capital (i.e., the intangible value of a person, firm, city, region or nation), we have a new Knowledge Value Proposition that can resolve our productivity (maybe prosperity) paradox! "

One final example referred us back to a previous AOK dialogue series with Jozefa Fawcett, who among other accomplishments is a member of the UK-based Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM) and sits on their Regional Council (London) and National Education Committee. In her opening remarks she referenced the 'OD Umbrella' and a 'Parachute Analogy' to describe the Knowledge Management Centre Network.

The role of KM coordinators in this network is to mobilize knowledge, rather than manage it, and ensure that those responsible for future decision-making and problem solving have access to their own talented workforce. They are organized into several zones:

• A Reflection Zone with dedicated 'learndirect' computers for eLearning
• An Information Zone with Internet connections, books and journals and completed assignments, dissertations and general information donated by staff
• A Networking Zone for neutral-space for meetings and protected learning time
• The Interprofessional Learning Exchange - place to bring different professionals together

This last KM zone, Debra said, was the most exciting because it put in place ways to further promote and encourage collaboration and cross boundary sharing,

Debra Amidon closed this rich dialogue by saying: "Let this be the beginning of exploring our understanding of how the focus on innovation -- and knowledge innovation specifically -- might enhance the performance and sustainability of enterprises, regions, and nations under whatever label they are called."

Note: The complete archive of this and other STAR Series Dialogues can be found in the AOK Knowledge Network archives at Yahoo.com. You must be an AOK Member to access the archives at Yahoo. Membership is free and you will be able to participate in upcoming Dialogues with some of the world's most successful and best known knowledge practitioners and leaders.

And you may download a synchronized version of the Davis-Amidon dialogue archive, download the PDF.

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