Good ideas need to be channeled appropriately. In medieval times, scientists sought to turn ordinary metals into gold. A great deal of experimentation went into the process, but alas, nothing worked. Those who embarked on this job were called alchemists. Today we recall them, if at all, with a trace of smugness — how could they be so naïve we wonder with the hindsight of 800 years and the peri- odic table at our fingertips? Well, today’s managers are faced with another kind alchemy — turning information into knowledge.
The gifted writer and psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has developed a theory about living the purposeful life. He calls his theory “flow,” which he defines as living connectedly with others in
ways that add meaning to whatever it is we do.9 Integral to the
concept of flow is communication. Communication is the means by which individuals connect with one another on multiple levels: information, purpose, and community. The challenge for leaders is to use their communication for just those ends. Specifically,
managers need to turn information into meaning, that is, knowl- edge they can use to improve performance. The trouble is that we live in a world where we are bombarded by information 24/7; therefore, keeping up with the stream of information is not only impossible, it is overwhelming. However, the solution is not to seal yourself off from the world like a hermit — rather, accept the in- formation, but in ways that add meaning to what is important.
Once, information may have been power, but today it is more appropriate to say that knowledge is power. Trying to cope with raw information is like standing at the mouth of a sluice gate and wading against the current. You don’t get very far. By contrast, processing knowledge is like sipping from a cold water fountain: The knowledge is refreshing, enriching, and sometimes invigorat- ing. So the challenge then becomes how do you, as one who leads from the middle, turn the flood of information into knowledge you can apply strategically? Here are some suggestions.
CR E AT E A N IN T E R N A L AL E R T SY S T E M
Colonial America created a militia that would gather at a mo- ment’s notice to confront British troops. They were called Minute Men. As manager, your duty is not armed response, but it is to keep on top of information. Assign people to monitor the flow of information from senior management. So often in large organiza- tions emails are sent and received, but never read, because there are too many of them to digest. A solution is to divide and con- quer. If you divide the task of scanning emails among members of your team, you can digest more of it. Have the monitors summa- rize key points or report on them at the next staff meeting. Keep summaries simple and rotate people through the job.
AP P O I N T EX T E R N A L IN T E L L I G E N C E GAT H E R E R S
Nokia, the Finnish-based mobile phone maker, is famous for send- ing its designers to Venice Beach, California, to observe what young people and teens are up to, not simply with mobile phones
but also with fashion, music, and design. Immersion in the youth culture gave Nokia designers a feel for contemporary trends that would help in future design and applications. The same applies to managers. You can assign different members of your team to do one or more of the following tasks: observe the competition, watch customer behaviors, listen to the customer service center, and keep up with business media.
SE R V E A S CH I E F IN F O R M AT I O N OF F I C E R
Gather the intelligence people together in staff meetings. Have them share their information. To make the information accessible, challenge your people to present their information creatively. For example, some folks might like to create a skit, others may want to do a wall poster, and still others may want to do an electronic pres- entation. As the manager, you want to put yourself at the center of it all so you are observing as much as possible. Ask your teammates to help observe, too. Formal reports are not necessary, but active discussions are. Make a whole day of it, and yes, spring for lunch.
TU R N DATA I N T O AP P L I C AT I O N
You have to be a strong swimmer not to drown in the flow of data, but one way to channel it is to manage it. Voith, the German maker of power plant equipment, requires its engineers to spend time with their customers. By observing how the product is working, Voith engineers have been able to offer product enhancements, among them fish-safe turbines. The ideas your team gathers can be turned into product upgrades as well as process improvements. The application of information to specific uses transforms it into
knowledge that matters.10
SE E K MO R E IN F O R M AT I O N
Information gathering is a 24/7 proposition. Your challenge is to keep the team up to speed by continuing to seek it out and assem-
ble it. You can ask people to switch information-gathering posi- tions, e.g., the person spotting market trends may shift to the cus- tomer service center, and vice versa. This not only offers a change of pace, but also a new perspective. Also, make certain you get out of the office. Look for opportunities to attend conferences and seminars. Invite different members of your team to accompany you or attend on your behalf.
When people on the team understand that they can contribute in meaningful ways, they become engaged in the process, and good things can result. “Knowledge is the eye of desire,” wrote his- torian Will Durant, “and can become the pilot of the soul.”