Wisdom vs. Knowledge Continued...

I recently played the role of Dean of Symposia for our International Consortium for Coaching in Organization's Symposium in Chicago. The theme was "Growing (Strengthening) Leaders in an Increasingly Virtual Work Environment. What remained in my mind was something I heard a few years ago at another conference which was, “Learning is more than gathering information”. Add to that, how we're now working across borders, and taking into account the dynamics of global organizations, time zones, leadership dispersed in the field and the varying cultures at play, how we gather and share information and, in my mind, integrate it into what we do and  operate is key.

In a world where we look at the difference between knowledge and wisdom and were asked “How many people have you met who have an immense amount of knowledge, are like walking encyclopedias but aren’t very wise? And how many people are very simple and don’t have a wealth of knowledge or information but are very, very wise?” reminds me of the reality check  questions I ask which are: "Why am I reading this?" and "I am doing this (spending my time, energy, attention) for the sake of what exactly?"

In an era where a vast amount of knowledge is immediately available, the world is increasingly becoming an even playing field when it comes to sharing information. Social media creates a platform where everyone can weigh in no matter what their title or position. Everyone now has a voice and an opinion. How we experience and share what we learn brings wisdom.

I quoted Brian Solis' words of wisdom in my book where he says "The socialization of content creation, consumption, and participation is hastening the metamorphosis that transforms everyday people into participants of a powerful and valuable media-literate society.

In social media, influence has taken center stage. With the spotlight perfectly fixed on the ‘me’ in social media, a large shadow is now cast over the ‘we’ that defines the social web. As individuals begin to realize the possibilities and benefits that surface as a result of building connected social graphs, a very public exploration to find the balance between influence and popularity unfolds. http://tinyurl.com/3qf7prk

What do you think?

Wisdom vs. Knowledge Revisited

Since my original post about wisdom vs. knowledge, I continue to discover that learning really is more than just gathering information. Learning is integrating that knowledge in some way to grow, shift, evolve and respond. We can memorize everything we read and store it for future reference, however if it sits there and isn't used, did we learn or just memorize? Are we wise if we share what we memorized or are we if we synthesize and contextualize it?

Who do I consider wise? One who continually looks at the status quo and sees whether or not things can be better. People who know they don't know everything about any one thing. And one who continually asks the important questions around what can be better and how can we be the best for the world rather than the best in the world?

In these filled up days where so much information is readily available, the world is fast become an even playing field. There is way too much information bombarding us at the speed of light.We can look for guidance from those who have a wealth of wisdom because they see context, relevance and impact. Wisdom is priceless.

Do you consider yourself wise or knowledgeable?

I know many people with post graduate degrees who can’t find a job. Why? Because they’re scholastically overqualified but don’t have the savvy, the perception and perspectives needed in a fast paced, competitive world. They get lost in their knowledge and get stuck on research but don’t integrate it and use it as needed to move themselves and organizations forward. They consider facts and forget people.

When I chose my research and development team I didn’t look at their degrees as much as experience, impact, awareness factor and openness to grow, learn and create. Knowledge can hold you back in the realm of what was already studied and documented. My team looks at possibility. I'm seeing the same trends occur in the corporate world. Who do you think would serve your organization better? 

Wisdom vs. Knowledge

I was recently at a conference where one of the speakers said “Learning is more than gathering information”. That statement had a profound effect on me for many reasons. We looked at the difference between knowledge and wisdom and were asked “How many people have you met who have an immense amount of knowledge, are like walking encyclopedias but aren’t very wise? And how many people are very simple and don’t have a wealth of knowledge or information but are very, very wise?”

Take that question and add one of mine. Which person, the knowledgeable or the wise, leaves the biggest impact on you, so you remember the conversation, the context and take those words of wisdom and apply them to your life? My answer is the wise one.

In the days of vast amount of knowledge available at the tip of our fingertips, the world is fast become an even playing field when it comes to gathering knowledge. A great deal of it, through open source is available for no cost. Wisdom however is something that is priceless.

If we listen to all the knowledge that we’re bombarded with, we will close down and start ignoring it. There is way too much information to remember coming at us at the speed of light (thanks to technology). We can’t possibly retain it all. We can however look for guidance from those who have a wealth of wisdom because they see context, relevance and how it impacts us.

Do you consider yourself wise or knowledgeable? Regardless, which would you rather be?

I know many people with post graduate degrees coming out of their ears who can’t find a job. Why? Because they’re scholastically overqualified but don’t have the savvy, the perception and perspectives needed in a fast paced, competitive world. They get lost in their knowledge and get stuck on research but don’t integrate it and use it as needed to move themselves and organizations forward.

When choosing my development team I didn’t look at their degrees as much as experience, impact, awareness factor and openness to grow, learn and create. Knowledge can hold you back in the realm of what was already studied and documented. My team looks at possibility. How they live their lives, their work ethic and open-mindedness got them chosen for my team. I'm seeing the same trends more and more in the corporate world. Who do you think would serve your organization better? Perhaps it’s time to look at a culture change?

Best..
Donna Karlin

Generated Wisdom

In many organizations wisdom is generated but not captured. Teams amass an incredible amount of wisdom which isn’t captured or catalogued for subsequent teams and future use. Knowledge transfer is a constant struggle, especially for many organizations that bring in consultants to do long term work. Once they leave, the knowledge leaves with them.

How can you not only capture organizational wisdom at all levels, but have it readily available to use as a resource and build on to create organizational excellence? Think of how much time and money is wasted when you have to start from scratch time and time again. This, however is the status quo for many an organization.

In a world where technology is a part of everything we do, we should be able to catalogue this wisdom and ‘bank’ it to be built upon, honed, and changed as needed so this knowledge becomes part of the organizational structure. How an organization captures and integrates this wisdom is what makes it stand out in a crowd. Any organization that lets its wisdom evaporate only to start anew will be wasting time, energy and money instead of becoming masterful and known experts in their fields. This is not only unsustainable but damaging to its overall success.

Just think of the massive project archiving the internet is, but the Wayback Machine is a testament to what’s possible if a project that massive is possible, anything is.

Now what about in life? How much wisdom has been lost from generation to generation because the younger generations aren’t paying attention to their elders? I’m not saying they don’t love their grandparents and respect them, what I am saying is do they take the time to listen to them?

I know that things are very different now than when my grandparents emigrated to Canada. But what they learned in their lives, how they lived their lives and having a chance to learn about their rich histories, family dynamics and traditions was priceless to me. In passing these stories and traditions to my son, he will have a richer life as well and more to give his kids when they come along. There’s nothing more heartwarming to me than hearing my son tell me he’s going to get in his car and drive the 2 hours to see his grandparents because he loves to be with them. He too lives a busy life but the lessons learned and experiences shared from the time spent with my parents he can’t learn in any book. It’s called life’s lessons. And when we pay attention to the richness around us, we will learn more about ourselves and our place in life. It can be pretty amazing all around, don’t you think?

Best…

Donna Karlin



*Book Recommendation: 'Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal': This isn't the usual kind of book I recommend but one I believe everyone would benefit from having. I can't tell you how many copies I've given as gifts over the years. It's the kind of book that makes your heart smile.


"Sitting around the table telling stories is not just a way of passing time," writes Rachel Naomi Remen in her introduction to Kitchen Table Wisdom. "It is the way wisdom gets passed along. The stuff that helps us live a life worth remembering."