Voice Prompts and Voicemail Greetings by Professional Voice Talent Boosts Image

More and more businesses who use voicemail and voice prompts for their phone system including  pbx, auto attendant  and IVR system developers are realizing that their  telephone voicemail and voice prompt recordings play a large role in impressing customers and bolstering their image. Those businesses and voice prompt developers who want their company to reflect a professional image are utilizing professional voice talent such as Lecia Macryn Voice Services www.Macryn.com who specialize in recording custom voice prompts and voicemail greetings for all types of phone systems, cell phones, auto attendant, pbx systems, and IVR (Interactive Voice Response).

Professionally recorded voice greetings and prompts help clients feel they are associating with a stable, established company and make a positive impression.  Callers are more apt to place more confidence in a company or phone interaction where the phone presence is confident, clear and professional. 

Voice greetings and voice prompts can be sent via internet in any format or recorded into any phone, including mobile/cell phones.  Lecia Macryn Voice Services, www.Macryn.com  works with small and large businesses, ivr developers, customer satisfaction survey companies, auto attendant/pbx systems, and all types of telephony applications and projects.  Most recording requests can be delivered same day, if needed and a free sample audition is provided as well to ensure the voice recordings are what the client wants.

Lecia Macryn Voice Services has been providing recordings for clients worldwide since 1993 and can accommodate the small business owner who has just one basic voicemail recording …to the most extensive voice prompt application entailing thousands of recordings,

Demos and more information is available at: www.Macryn.com or call Lecia Macryn Voice Services at (248) 288-2242.

Simple Stomach Exercises

You lead a busy life. You don’t always have the time for a full fledged exercise routine. Are there some simple exercises out there that can be easily done and without too much time or effort? Can these simple exercises also deliver effective results?

Are Simple Exercises Effective?
We have all heard of the expression ‘no pain, no gain’. While that is true to a certain extent, it doesn’t mean that there are not exercises that are simple to figure out and easy to execute. People often think that a simple exercise must not be effective. But not all exercises have to be trying, difficult, intense and make you think you are going to die. There are simple exercises that you can do that give you great results.

Are There Simple Exercises You Can Do At Home?
The simple answer is yes. There are exercises that will give you good results without going to extremes or without major inconveniences. These exercises can all be done at home, or anywhere you have a bit of room available.

Anywhere Ab Tone

Stand Up Straight. Lightly tighten you stomach muscles. Hold for a second while tightened. Take slow, deep breaths, in and then slowly out, all the while holding your stomach muscles tight. Keep taking breaths until you get tired.

This is a simple exercise that can be done nearly anywhere. If you are really stretched for time, you could do the same exercise sitting down, even at a desk. Just sit up straight and stretch your upper body up as much as possible so that your ab muscles are scrunched together.

Simple Tips For Simple Exercises
Remember to keep breathing. As you are doing simple exercises, you will be contracting your muscles and you will be compelled to hold your breath while doing it. You may not even realize that you are doing it, but when your muscles have continuous tension put on them, you have the tendency to not breathe. But breathing while doing simple exercises is very important to making the exercise really matter and to make it easier to do. Inhale when your muscles relax and exhale when they contract.

You should feel the burn. If you are trying to work your lower abs and after your reps you don’t feel them tightening, chances are that you are not doing it properly. The same goes for your upper abs. If you complete the assigned repetitions and you don’t feel it working, you may want to check and see if you are doing them correctly.

Final Thoughts on Simple Exercises
Simple exercises can be effective and an important part by themselves, or as part of a workout. Just because an exercise is simple or easy, it doesn’t mean you should ignore it. As you have read, they can be used for a variety of purposes, but chief among them is for the stomach toning results that they deliver.

Not every exercise has to be trying and extreme to be effective. Simple exercises are convenient and can deliver great results. Learn more Simple Exercises at tummy-toning.com

Mountain Bike Designs

The designs for mountain bikes can be classified in three categories based on suspension:

1.  Hardtail – A frame with no rear suspension, often containing a front suspension fork.
2.  Fully rigid – This is a sub type of hardtail, with a rigid fork.
3.  Dual or full suspension – These bikes offer a front suspension fork and a rear suspension that are integrated into the frame.
4.  Soft tail – Offers a frame with a small amount of rear suspension, normally less than a full
suspension frame.

The different designs of bikes in mountain biking will offer you what you need for your unique style of riding. You’ll want a different bike for different terrain, such as cross country or downhill. As the terrain changes, you’ll want to make sure you have the right bike for the job.

Mountain biking is different than any other sport, offering you plenty of excitement and thrills. If you are new to mountain biking, you’ll find the different designs to be very enticing yet very challenging at the same time. Each design serves a purpose with mountain biking, even some that excel on the trails.

There are also several other designs which reflect on the manny challenging disciplines in the sport of mountain biking. No matter what type of mountain biking you like to do, there are bikes for that specific discipline.

If you are new to mountain biking, you’ll want to check out the many designs and types of biking before you purchase a bike. Mountain biking can be a lot of fun and excitement, although it can also be very dangerous if you don’t have the right bike for the terrain. Before you decide to buy a bike and hit the trails, make sure you have the right design of mountain bike for the riding you are planning on doing.

Felix Pappalardi, Corky Laing, and Leslie West performing on Randell’s Island on July 19, 1970. It was .50 at the gate, or no Mississippi Queen! Do you know what I mean?” Go to: thegreatfatsbies dot com

More Mountain Articles

Why Didn’t He Call?

Nothing is worse than going on a date (or even several dates) with a guy and then suddenly he stops calling. Or you give and guy your number and he seems totally into you but then he never calls. Maybe you’ve even made plans with him and didn’t show up and didn’t bother to call to tell you.

You can be left asking yourself “why didn’t he call?”, stressing over what you may have done wrong, or sometimes even worrying what might be wrong with you.

Let’s face it, it’s painful when a guy doesn’t call and the worst part is not knowing why. The truth is there are any number of reasons that guys don’t call you back and each situation is different. Here are some common reasons guys don’t call back that may help you sort out your own situation.

He’s Unavailable

This is one of the pitfalls of meeting guys at clubs or out at a bar. Many of the “single” guys in the bar really have girls or wives at home waiting for them. He may have been caught up in the moment, flattered that you seemed interested in him and flirting more than he should of.

The next day when the booze has worn off he forgets the whole thing or pushes it to the back of his mind and gets back to life with his wife or girlfriend.

He’s Not Ready for a Relationship

If you’ve gone on a date or two and thought things were going well and then your guy just stopped calling out of the blue it could be because he’s not ready to be in a relationship. It might be that he has a fear of committment and things were getting too serious for him. Or maybe he just got out of a long relationship and isn’t ready to get into another.

Perhaps he just wants to date lots of girls and not settle down with one just yet. No matter what the reason a lot of times guys just aren’t ready and don’t quite know how to tell you that so they just stop calling.

He’s Scared You’ll Reject Him

A lot of guys don’t call even if you have given them your number because they are afraid that you will still reject them. They run scenarios through their mind of you having given them a fake number, you suddenly being too busy to see them or anything else they can envision going wrong.

Before long they have worked themselves into believing that you aren’t interested in them and rather than risk rejection they just don’t call.

Obviously there are other reasons men don’t call, but these are a few of the most common.

If you’ve been having trouble finding a good man who respects you, you tend to attract the wrong kind of guys or you just are ready to stop playing games and have a meaningful and fulfilling relationship I’d recommend checking out How to Captivate a Man, Make Him Fall in Love with You – and Give You the World!. It’s got some really great advice for attracting (and keeping!) the right man, understanding how men think, and learning how to find a healthy and loving relationship.

Find out more and get a free chapter from the book at http://www.thewaytolove.info

Good luck!

Knowledge As Emerging Patterns Of Interaction

Normal 0 Knowledge as emerging patterns

of interaction

Knowledge as Emerging Patterns of Interaction

1 Introduction

This paper examines how knowledge can be seen as continuously emerging patterns of interactions between individuals. It particularly focuses the nature of human organisations and how that nature affects the learning in individuals and -as a consequence- the continuous emergence of organisational knowledge. In order to do this, we will first look at the nature of organisations. This by examining what we see is the most helpful way to characterise organisations, clearly offsetting organisations as ‘systems’ versus ‘processes’. It will be clarified that knowledge may exist only in the interaction between people and can therefore not simply be reified as ‘tangible’, ‘tacit’ or ‘explicit’. We propose it exists in context and only in context. Thus, we consider knowledge as intrinsically social. Also, we consider knowledge as something that emerges only ‘from within’. There are no outsiders. Someone with information that exists in total isolation without the possibility to act cannot generate knowledge. This makes knowledge inherently ‘local’. ‘Global knowledge’, as in ‘best practices’ or ‘business processes’ are an illusion if they do not resonate with the experience of people in local interactions. We will use recent insights from the complexity sciences to examine the interactions and hence the continuous emergence of knowledge. It will become clear that ‘knowledge’ and ‘organising’ are ‘complicitly’ linked.

In the quote above from the ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’, this is illustrated with the illustrated with an interesting philosophical undertone, despite its inherent humour. The supercomputer Deep Tought took seven and a half million years to some up with the answer to Life, The Universe and Everything as the world-famous ‘42′. In the next chapter from the book the immediate implication is that we then first (sic!) have to know the ‘Ultimate Question’ (Adams, 1995: 128). It then is decided to build the Earth as the next generation supercomputer to find that Ultimate Question. Later in the book it becomes clear that the Ultimate Question is ‘six by nine’ (Adams, 1995: 305). At least, in base thirteen. All is contextual, you see.

2 Are organisations systems or processes?

The complexity sciences have emerged mainly from the natural sciences like physics, chemistry and biology. It has shown tremendous power in helping these sciences forward and explaining complex phenomena that previously could not be described adequately. These were those situations where the sheer number of interactions between particles or smaller units (the ‘local’) led to unpredictable behaviour on a global level. The complexity sciences were able to convincingly explain why simple global patterns emerge out of complex local interactions. Because of these successes, and the many complex issues that human organisations, and particularly business organisations, face complexity theory has often been used successfully as a metaphor to help organisations forward (see for instance Zimmerman, Lindberg & Plsek, 1998: 4-18). Understandably. Human organisations consist of many ‘agents’ interacting and display very complex and unpredictable behaviour. So much is not disputed. In order to be able to describe many of the observed behaviour people resorted to complexity theory. In natural systems, a very useful idea has been the definition of these bounded systems as ‘complex adaptive systems’ or CAS. The theory being that because of the complex interactions the system is ‘coupled’ to the external environment (perhaps via semi-permeable boundaries) so that they ‘adapt’ to it. Thus viewed, each system is ‘nested’ in a larger (‘higher’) system. Therefore it is a small step to then see human organisations as systems and consequently as complex adaptive systems, in parallel with the natural sciences. This view then logically leads to teams, departments, organisations, etc., being seen as ‘nested systems’ (Kelly & Allison, 1999: 12-13, 19). The next step is to realise that human organisations may not simply ‘adapt’ to the environment. Perhaps what they do is co-evolve in that environment. We may see them as Complex Evolving Systems, or CES. (See for instance Heylighen, 1997).

These metaphors are powerful ways to look at human organisations. The principles of self-organisations, emergence, ‘edge of chaos’, etc., from the complexity sciences can provide interesting new insights in issues that organisations face. Given the constant struggle in business organisations to find ways to ‘cope’ with the inherent uncertainty they face, these relatively new theories help to make sense. But, as with all metaphors, there is a risk that we take them too far. People started to have conversations on whether or not organisations are a CAS or CES. Then, by inference, we start to say that organisations therefore must comply with this and that observation for a CAS. An interesting example, for instance, is the debate between organizational professionals whether or not ‘therefore’ (sic!) ‘human systems’ emerge from ‘simple rules’. This, in turn, is inferred from simple computer based systems in which ‘boids’, having been programmed with three ‘simple rules’ start displaying behaviour that has been characterised as ‘flocking’, very much like a 2D projection of flocks of birds. But please note that in reality, these boids are just computer blips on a screen. The ‘simple rules’ can adequately describe the behaviour of those ‘blips’ on the screen. But that is all they can do! They cannot describe any real life flocking behaviour at all. Let alone describe how birds reproduce or multiply. Hardly a rich description of something as complex as a

living creature. But, since the observed ‘flocks’ were so convincing, it has been assumed most complex systems are somehow emerging from simple rules. Since a CAS can emerge from simple rules, so must human organisations, so people claim. That is why some people with some (but no more) notion of complexity theory state that what we have to do is ‘just find the simple rules’. These often are typified as ‘values’. Stating the simple rules than becomes ‘defining the values’ of the organisation. This is reverse logic. An Organisation is not a CAS. It may be modelled as a CAS, and as a metaphor that can give really powerful insights. But what are organisations, really? It may be helpful to start by what we know ‘for sure’ about human organisations. They consist of people interacting in their daily (working) practices. Therefore for the purpose of this paper we will start with that: the interaction between people in organisation that we will call ‘the social’. My claim in this paper is that a metaphor different from a ‘system’ may be more helpful to describe (the evolution of) organisational knowledge. The recent thinking from Ralph Stacey on complex responsive processes sees organisations not as systems, but rather chooses to pay attention to the interaction between people (Stacey, 2000). This view emphasises that organisations are not systems as such but looks as them as processes of people interacting. For the purpose of this paper I see this as a very helpful approach. These processes consist of ‘the narrative-like sequences of gesture and response between human bodies’ (Stacey, 2000: 146-148). In these interactions people continuously reinterpret their own experiences (‘past’) in order to act (‘gesture’) to achieve some future expected state. This expectation, in turn, feeds back on the interpretation of the past experiences. Each gesture triggers a similar process in other people who then ‘respond’ with a new gesture. With many interactions this is a highly complex process (hence the term ‘complex responsive processes of relating’).

With continued interaction, as is happening in organisations some ‘themes’ will

emerge. These themes emerge because of some common intention of the

future, real and existing differences in experience and intentions and real and

existing issues that exist in order to achieve this desired future. This

emergence is self-organising in nature. This is where insights from complexity

theory are very helpful indeed.

For the purpose of this paper I will call this process of emerging themes

‘patterning’ of the interaction between people.

There are a few implications that are paramount in this process.

For one, we need to realise that not all participants of this process are equally

‘autonomous’. Crucial, as pointed out also by Stacey c.s. (Stacey, 2000: 213-4),

are the power relations that exist in all interactions. ‘Some people are more

autonomous than others’.

Secondly, all action is action that is interpreted by each individual differently.

There is no ‘knowable truth’ other than what resonates with each individual’s

past experiences (sic!) and their individual intentions (sic!). Since all individual

past experiences as well as their individual intentions are different, so is each

individual’s ‘truth’.

Also, importantly, there is no guarantee that people will speak ‘the truth’. All

people will ‘gesture’ as to achieve their own desired future. In many

organisations not open and honestly sharing information is the norm rather

than the exception. Often, this is due to expected repercussions if the truth be

spoken. This means that conversations, as we can observe in all organisations,

are in fact the continuous negotiation of each person’s ‘intention’ and

‘expectations’. Thus, other people’s intentions become ‘enabling constraints’

(Stacey, 2000: 151-3) for these negotiations.

Richard Knowles (2002) has developed structured ways to examine the

processes of interaction and the emergent patterns. The combination of

Stacey’s complex responsive processes theory with Knowles’ self-organising

leadership theories could form a sound basis for studying knowledge

processes.

3 What is knowledge?

This is a paper about knowledge processes in organisations. We looked at

organisations as processes above.

I would like to use a definition from Dee Hock (1999), emeritus-CEO of VISA for

‘knowledge’ and the hierarchy he puts in it.

Noise

Data

Information

Knowledge

Understanding

Wisdom

Noise is the undifferentiated stuff happening all around us;

Data is the first level of organisation of the noise. It can be discerned and

differentiated by the human mind

Information is the next level of organisation of the data. Patterns and

relationships are starting to add meaning (Bateson’s ‘difference that

makes a difference’)

Knowledge is the organisation of the information in a way that in the

right context it becomes useful to act, decide or create new knowledge.

Understanding is organisation of knowledge by individuals in a manner

useful for conceiving, anticipating, evaluating and judging. This is a

unique, personal experience.

Wisdom is achieved when the understanding is informed by intention,

ethics, principle, memory of the past and projection into the future.

Science, including organisational science, has traditionally focused on data,

information and knowledge and has largely ignored Understanding and

Wisdom. In the context of this paper I would like to maintain that Knowledge

without Understanding is not useful for the sustainability of organisations. In

the context of complex responsive processes a deep understanding, as wisdom

in the above definitions, is paramount.

For long term survival and health of organisations knowledge processes should

recognise the need for understanding and wisdom.

This is an important statement.

If we analyse it a few things jump out:

Information as such is not knowledge; just having information is not

enough. ‘Just a book’ is not enough. That is ‘just’ information;

Knowledge is where pieces of information have been integrated;

knowledge, in that sense, has the potential to be novel. It also says that

more that one piece of information is required. This means at least a

form of diversity;

This combination has to happen in ‘the right context’. So, without the

combination happening the real world (context) there is no knowledge

just pieces of information;

This knowledge must be applied. Crucial. If we cannot use the combined

pieces of information to act it is -by definition- useless;

This knowledge in itself can then act as a new piece of information to

create new knowledge. This is the ‘recursiveness’ in this definition.

Understanding happens when individuals are able to project and apply

Seeing the importance of understanding, thus paying attention to

intention, ethics and principles, will lead to ‘organisational wisdom’ that

is seated in the individuals!

Thus phrased, ‘knowledge’ is continuously emerging where the context

requires the combination of pieces of available information in order to ‘act’.

In this definition knowledge is not something tangible. It can not be codified or

taken away. Information can. We can store information in databases. Knowledge

has to be contextual. Since the context exists only where and when people

apply the knowledge it can not be codified.

So, books or papers or databases are ways of codifying information. By reading

we start ‘contextualising’ this information in our heads. In this process we start

to create our own interpretation of this information. This interpretation is

dependent on our own personal past experiences and our own individual

expectations of the future. It either ‘resonates’ with our experience or it does

not. The information distilled from a book or paper or any other source will -by

default- always be different for the reader than from the writer. Meaning, thus,

is being created by the ‘responder’ not by the ‘gesturer’.

Reading it a second time around will again give different interpretations and -

hence- different pieces of information. Even the writer will interpret his/her own

writings differently a next time round.

This has as an implication that each piece of information will, by default,

already have in it a level of diversity if more than one person at any one time is

interacting round this piece of information. Stacey (2000: 202-6) quite

convincingly points out that it is this very diversity that makes that ‘novelty’ can

emerge out of the interactions. Without it, no novelty can occur. Put in a more

lyrical way, some one on his/her own in some remote and isolated desert can

acquire a massive amount of information (from books, etc.), without interaction

(diversity) true novelty will not occur.

If people interact they do that in a certain context. They will ‘be’ at a certain

time and at a certain place. People’s individual experiences are continuously

being recreated in that context. This context is the perceived (!) issue around

which people may interact. Hence the pieces of information will continuously

change. Therefore, reflecting the ideas of complex responsive processes of

relating in organisations, their gestures and responses will continuously

change.

This is another way of saying that each action people make, decisions they take,

information they create will change in each different circumstance.

Knowledge emerges in the gesture/response process as a social act.

Since these gestures and responses are the complex result of the many

individual’s past experiences and future expectations, so will the knowledge be

emerging out of those past experiences and future expectations in the context

of the perceived issue at hand.

Referring to paragraph 2 above, with continued interaction the expectations

and experiences will start to display complex themes or ‘patterns’.

Knowledge can thus be seen as a pattern that emerges out of these

interactions.

People’s actions are, in turn, governed by the emerging pattern thus closing the

loop. This loop helps us understand knowledge processes in organisations.

4 How organisations learn…

What we can learn from the paragraph 3 is that organisations don’t learn.

People as individuals learn.

Organisations are forums for people to interact. Organisations have been given

some form of intention by the people that work in/for them.

These people, though, are not isolated from the rest of their lives and context

outside of the organisation. If we mention a person’s individual past

experiences we mean all their individual experiences, in the business

organisation, at home, at their sports clubs, universities, on holiday, etc.

The processes of organising are these processes of interaction that we called

complex responsive processes of relating.

In the previous paragraph we described that ‘knowledge’ is one of the emerging

patterns in that process of organising.

But, at the same time, this patterning forms the process of interaction! Action

emerges out of the interactions whilst using the knowledge that emerges out of

that very action!

Cohen and Stewart (1997: 414-22) call such a relationship as here between

organising and knowledge a ‘complicit’ relationship.

Processes of organising Knowledge

ACTION EMERGES

Figure 3 – Action emerges, complicitly, out of organising and knowledge processes

Action emerges out of the coevolving relationship between knowledge and

organising. It is therefore inherently impossible to decouple knowledge from

the organising process. Since the entity of an organisation emerges out of this

complicit relationship, the complicit knowledge and organising processes are

‘the organisation’.

This has some major consequences for how we see organisational learning.

We can describe the learning in organisations as the continuous patterning that

is happening in the process of interactions.

Knowles (2002: 107-23) introduces the model of the Process EnneagramTM.

This model is a way to show the perspectives of the interactions as process

patterns. It does that via multiple (nine, ‘ennea’ (?????) is ‘nine’ in Greek)

unique perspectives.

In the interactions, people go through all perspectives all at the same time. This

is not a linear process at all. All nine elements are connected, but some

connections between elements will be stronger than others. That depends on

which people are interacting where and at what time. Thus, these patterns

reflect the collective histories of the interacting people, often organisations.

By paying attention to those connections we can see the patterns emerge.

People in organisations are thus given an insight in those patterns that they can

then internalise and use as pieces of information for their gestures and

responses.

Time

Patterns as shown in

Process Enneagram ©

People interacting via

continuous gesturing

and responding

Emergence

Figure 4 – Making emerging patterns visible

They will only ‘internalise’ those patterns if they see that these patterns

sufficiently resonate with their individual experience and intention. In other

words, the issue at hand (context) must be compelling enough for individuals

to want to engage in this way. Thus the interaction becomes the continuous

negotiation of what is and what is not compelling for individuals.

It is a very important leadership skill to be able to act (gesture) in ways that will

help people see the importance of the emerging theme. If the gesture is

compelling, people will respond to it in ways coherent with the leader’s

intention. The mentioned power relations may distort this view, because people

may act not because the issue is compelling, but because the potential

consequence of not acting the way a leader wants is compelling enough.

It is obvious that thus people do not internalise the emerging ‘knowledge’

pattern as part of their experience, but rather the ‘fear’ for repercussions. This

in turn becomes part of the organising pattern and hence organisational

‘action’!

It seems to me that this has significant implications for ‘organisational

learning’.

By internalising these emerging patterns as part of the interacting processes

this internalisation itself will become part of the patterns thus potentially

transforming the identity and intention of the interacting individuals.

Their individual transformation means they will act differently to the contextual

issues than they would have otherwise. Over time, we suggest that the

individual and collective identity and intention will converge since more and

more of the patterns will be internalised in each individual. They will never be

the same because each individual will still have an individual past experience

and future intention.

If the pattern that people make part of their individual identity and intention is

around the issue at hand than the action that people will take is important for

the organisation. People will have learned coherent action that will be ‘helpful’.

Applied to the issue this is knowledge creation in the definition above. Thus the

process of learning is the process of evolving new patterns.

If, on the other hand, people internalise the ‘fear’ pattern, than the individual

learning will be entirely different. There will be very little connection between

the issue and people’s actions and -hence- the knowledge pattern. Very little

has been learned. Evolution is not linked to real life issues, but rather to people

avoiding other people’s actions (the boss’s actions!). Our experience shows

clearly that this happens in organisations.

We already established that the process of organising and knowledge creating

are complicitly linked.

From the reasoning above we can see that organisational learning as emerging

patterns of knowledge happens when people chose to interact around issues

that are important to them as individuals. The process of organising, including

the importance of power relations, can help or work against this process.

Leaders, therefore, have the choice how to ‘gesture’ in organisations realising

that their gestures may carry more ‘weight’ than that of others.

Without leaders seeing the importance of truly involving their people by

appreciating that their gestures somehow will have to resonate with people’s

authentic experience, very little knowledge creation will happen.

We have to think about how certain ‘best practices’, defined as actions that

elsewhere have led to perceived positive (business) results, may or may not

resonate with people’s experience in the organisation where we work.

Actions, emerging from local interactions, are by definition local. ‘Best

Practices’ are therefore global patterns from specific local interactions. There is

little reason to see that they therefore will -automatically- resonate with other

people interacting locally.

In the words from above, practices need to evolve as patterns in organisations.

In the evolution metaphor, one can also not simply ‘plant’ a new species

somewhere and expect it to flourish.

Evolution of knowledge happens complicitly with the evolution of the

organising patterns. That is a major insight that surely must have major

implication on how organisations treat ‘managing knowledge’ and looking at

‘knowledge processes’.

5 A Story: ‘Sphinx’

We will now look at an example from all this in action. The particular story I will

use is about a business change management company I used to work for. Let’s

call the company Sphinx for the purpose of this paper. It is not the real name.

Knowledge as emerging patterns of interaction.doc © 2003, Symphoenix Ltd Page 12 of 15

Founders

‘Leadership team’

Sectors

Services

Knowledge Groups

Back-Office

Others

Figure 5 – Sphinx’s emergent structure (2000)

Sphinx has always been an organisation that relied on people organising

themselves in helping its clients through complex change programmes. In order

to do this, the creation of novel and creative ways to help the clients is of

paramount importance. It is clear that the success of Sphinx’s business is firmly

based on knowledge (in the definition of this paper) and creativity. The way

Sphinx was organised was truly an emergent effect of the interaction between

people. In Figure 5 this is depicted as a series of ‘cells’. Usually people were

part of 2-3 cells at least. Some cells were permanent, others much more

transient, depending on the nature of it.

The ‘Knowledge groups’ were groups of people coming together to share ideas

and learning in areas that the people found important. The emergent nature of

it was that knowledge was being created when needed as perceived by the

group.

This is very consistent with the model described above, where the ‘organising’

process and the ‘knowledge’ process happen ‘complicitly’. Effective action (i.e.

helping the client) emerged. And, interestingly, there was no-one steering this.

People’s deliverables with clients were placed on a ‘Knowledge Database’, in the

language of this paper containing Information and Data about work that people

had done. In the Knowledge groups (either the more permanent ones or the ad

hoc ones) people would then refer others to material on that database that

seemed to fit into the emerging theme. These other could then ‘contextualise’

(read: create knowledge of these themes) in their own client environment.

The way of working was very successful and the company achieved very large

organic growth percentages year on year. The latter was of course not just due

to the way knowledge processes worked, but it certainly played a pivotal role.

Building on its success, the company decided on some aggressive growth plans.

The growth plans unfortunately coincided with an unforeseen sharp down-turn

in the consulting market in 2001-2. The company’s ‘management team’

decided that more structure was needed and imposed (sic!) that structure based

on its views. This happens in many organisations because often ‘structure’ is

associated with ‘control’. In my experience this is a flawed concept where,

despite this flaw, many organisations are based on. It ignores the resonance

with people other than the managers.

One of the structural components that were introduced was that a ‘Sphinx Way’

was developed. This meant to be an Approach (certainly not a detailed

methodology) that all in Sphinx would use as part of their ‘knowledge’.

‘Knowledge Teams’ were instated (as opposed to: ‘encouraged to emerge’) to

cover the subsets of this Approach, enabling management to control were

money would be spent on.

This had as a consequence that the Knowledge database was ‘restructured’ to

reflect the new Approach and the new Knowledge Teams were set up to

populate and maintain the database and proliferate the knowledge. Although

there are apparent advantages in doing that (for instance: common language)

the richness of the emergent knowledge groups was lost. More importantly,

‘knowledge’ was now reified and thought to be ‘transferable’. This did not

resonate with people’s experience at all! The Knowledge Teams very much

became mechanical groups and the Sphinx Way a management tool for

budgeting purposes. The database was no longer a source for conversation but

something that needed to be ‘populated’. Much money was spent on people

doing just that: populate it.

In the mean time, other changes happened and the company has since been

shrinking significantly. This might well be worsened because the main asset,

conversations that created novelty and new knowledge, was unwittingly

inhibited.

6 Conclusion

We cannot segregate the creation of knowledge from the organising processes

that happen in organisations (as in the Sphinx story). A helpful way of looking

at those organising processes is the relatively new idea of complex responsive

processes of relating. Using principles from the complexity sciences we can see

that out of the many complex interactions of gesture and response, patterns

will emerge in a self-organised way.

These patterns are leadership themes, reconciled individual intentions, etc. The

patterns make that people in organisation can act in a meaningful way.

Knowledge as emerging patterns of interaction.doc © 2003, Symphoenix Ltd Page 14 of 15

If we define knowledge as integrated pieces of knowledge in the ‘right’ context,

we can clearly see that knowledge can only be created in context. Without an

appropriate shared view of the context in which individuals act, knowledge is

not a meaningful concept since it cannot lead to effective action.

There is an all important leadership task to be able to help people see the

issues at hand (context) in a way that is important enough for those people to

choose to engage in the process of organising and -hence- in the process of

knowledge creation.

If people see the context too differently, actions will be ‘incoherent’ and no

positive knowledge creation and hence coherent action can happen.

The ideas of ‘best practice’ proliferation as ways to share information and

‘manage’ knowledge, has the potential of working counter productive if the

context in which it is being applied varies significantly from the originating

context. Chances are that they will be quite different on a global level. In that

case the information does not resonate with people’s experience and no

positive action can emerge out of the organising processes. This may explain

the difficulty in proliferating best practices in large organisations.

The codification of information (via databases, memos, books, procedures, etc.)

surely is an important part of the knowledge processes in organisations. But

without the facilitation of open and honest interaction between individuals in

organisations and the presence of leadership skills to help people ‘see’ the

emerging patterns and shared context there is very little knowledge creation

happening.

Sadly, in many organisations the emphasis of knowledge processes is focused

on capturing information, rather at this all important element of open, honest

and direct interaction.

Our suggestion is that leaders use structured conversations, for instance as

proposed by Knowles (2002) by using the Process EnneagramTM. This model

allows people to ‘see’ the emerging patterns as well as provides with a coherent

forum (‘map’) for sharing context and learning.

(Frank Smits, © February 2003)

References

Adams, D. (1995). The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Five Parts.

London: Random House.

Cohen, J. and Stewart, I. (1994). The Collapse of Chaos, London: Penguin Books.

Heylighen, F. (1997). Classic Publications on Complex, Evolving Systems: a

citation-based survey, Principia Cybernetica Web,

http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/EVOCOPUB.html

Hock, D. (1999). The Birth of the Chaordic Age, San Francisco, CA: Berrett-

Koehler Publishers

Kelly, S. and Allison, M.A. (1998). The Complexity Advantage, Boston, Mass:

McGraw Hill

Knowles, R.N. (2002). The Leadership Dance, Niagara Falls, NY: The Center for

Self-Organizing Leadership

Stacey, R. (2000). Complex Responsive Processes in Organisations, London:

Routledge.

Zimmerman, B., Lindberg, C. and Plsek, P. (1998), Edgeware, Irving, Tx.: VHA,

Inc.

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New York City (Nyc) Personal Injury Lawyer – 866-Atty-Law

If you or your loved ones are injured due to negligence or deliberate actions of some individual or authority then you can file a personal injury compensation claim. Different types of compensation claims are covered under New York Personal Injury Law. It is generally difficult to receive justice and compensation from the negligent authority. If you or somebody close to you was a victim of medical malpractice then pursuing a personal injury case can get complicated. It is never advisable to go alone when it comes to filing a personal injury lawsuit. If you seek legal counsel from an experienced personal injury lawyer then it will help you improve your chances of receive justice and compensation from the negligent individual/or authority involved.

Following are some of the FAQs related to New York personal injury law.

Is it compulsory to hire a personal injury attorney?

No, it is not compulsory as per the law. However, in certain cases your injury lawsuit can get complicated. If there were any state authorities involved, then you would be having slim chances of getting any compensation regardless of your injuries and damages. There are several experienced attorneys who offer free personal injury consultation on contingency basis. These lawyers will work on no-win-no-fee policy and only receive a fraction of amount from the final compensation claim amount. Therefore, they will only receive their fees if they succeed in winning your case. Hiring a personal injury attorney will certainly increase your chances of winning your case.

What is the statute of limitations?

The statute of limitations is a set amount of time during which you must file a lawsuit. You cannot file a personal injury lawsuit once the statute of limitations has expired. The statute of limitations could vary from state to state.

New York Statute of Limitation

Personal Injury: 3 years.

Fraud: 6 years.

Libel / Slander / Defamation: 1 year.

Injury to Personal Property: 3 years.

Product Liability: 3 years.

Contracts: 6 years.

Whether it is advisable to go for a personal injury settlement or a jury trail?

This is bit difficult to decide, but an injury lawyer will help you take the right step in the right direction. You should discuss these issues with your lawyer and he will let you know the best options available to you.

What are the different types of compensations which are covered under New York Personal Injury Law?

You will receive compensation for various types of injuries which includes medical bills, damage to your property, suffering and trauma, damage to your health and other types of physical injuries, injuries received in an accident. This amount will variate depending upon your injuries and losses.

You should get in touch with a New York personal injury lawyer who will help you receive justice and compensation from the negligent individuals or authorities involved.

New York Personal Injury Attorney – 866-ATTY-LAW – representing victims of medical malpractice, auto accident injuries and various other types of personal injuries.

Mountain Biking Accessories

When you first start out with mountain biking, it can be a bit overwhelming when you walk into a bike store to buy your first mountain bike and see all of the available accessories you’ll need when you first start riding.

There are several mountain biking accessories and related products that you can purchase. Although the sales staff will try to sell you anything they can, the real question for those on a budget isn’t what’s cool, but what accessories you need to make your rides more safe and enjoyable. By starting with these accessories, you’ll be just fine when you hit the trails.

Bike helmet
The bike helmet is the most important mountain biking accessory that you can buy. No one should ever be on a bike without a helmet. There have been many people who have experienced serious head injury, when it could have prevented by wearing a helmet. All mountain bike helmets are comfortable and stylish and everyone who rides on the trails wears one.

Mountain bike gloves
No matter what season you ride in, your hands can take a beating. Beginners will normally keep a death grip on the handle bars, which can be very brutal for their hands. When you crash, your hands will be the first thing to hit the ground – and everyone crashes at some point. Mountain bike gloves are a must have accessory, as they will take the beating for you. 

Mountain bike shorts
After the first few mountain bike rides you take, you’ll notice that your rear end will be quite uncomfortable. Even though your body will adjust, bike shorts are great to have as they will help keep it at a bare minimum. You can get shorts that are very comfortable, making them a great addition to your mountain bike ride.

Mountain bike shoes
Depending on the type of pedals you have and the type of riding you do, you’ll want to pick your mountain bike shoes accordingly. If your bike has clipless type pedals, you’ll want to get shoes to accept the special cleat for your pedals. Good mountain bike shoes are durable, comfortable, and also a stiff sole for better efficiency when pedaling. Also, you should make sure to get the right shoe for the terrain you’ll be riding in as well.

Eye protection
If you get something in your eye, you can run off the trail in a matter of seconds. Sunglasses or clear lensed glasses can help keep your eyes safe from debris, as well as protect them from the wind. When you buy your glasses, make sure they are non-breakable.

Hydration system
Bringing a water bottle or hydration backpack with you is always a great idea. It’s very easy to get dehydrated so you should always bring water with you and drink it on the trail to ensure that your body stays properly hydrated at all times.

Trail repair kit
It’s easy to get stuck in the woods or on the trail if you don’t bring the proper repair kit for your bike. To be on the safe side, bring a multi-tool designed for bike repair, tire levers, and a patch kit for fixing flat tires.

Off Road Crocs For Men Uniting Style And Personality

If you thought Crocs were just for the beach then think again. This wildly popular brand of shoes has a new line of Crocs for men called Off Road Crocs. These road clogs are available in a variety of distinctive Croc colors and offer the same level of comfort as their other shoes. The Off Road Crocs are made with a more rugged sole so they are suitable for hiking over rugged terrain.

The sole on the Off Road Crocs provides better traction for hiking on wet or slippery surfaces. The strap is adjustable so the shoe fits snugly and stays secure. The toe has a protective cap to protect the toes from stubs and bumps.

Beware of imitations. After Crocs became so popular the market was flooded with cheap imitations. These may look similar to Crocs in appearance but are not designed according to the Croc standards. Croc has spent a lot of money and effort on designing an ergonomic, relaxing shoe that is also stylish and durable. Off Road Crocs are more than simply stylish, they are also designed to provide proper foot support and take pressure from the knees and lower back like other well made shoes are designed to do.

Like all other Crocs for men, the Off Road Crocs mold themselves to the shape of your foot. They are resistant to odor and are made from the infamous croslite material. These shoes are incredibly durable and clean up easily after hiking through mud and dirt. It is nearly impossible to destroy one of these shoes but just like tires, the tread on the bottom will slowly wear down. When that happens it is time to replace the shoes so you don’t lose traction when hiking.

The Off Road Crocs for men are not only functional, comfortable, and durable, they are also quite stylish and allow your personality to shine through. These Crocs are available in Army Green, Black, Chocolate, Navy, Orange, Khaki, Sienna, Orange and Red. They can be a solid color or have contrasting strap colors.

You no longer have to wear heavy hot hiking boots to stroll through the woods or cross a stream. You can go from a hike to the beach and then to work all while wearing the same comfortable crocs.

These Off Road Crocs are very lightweight yet they have a shock absorbing sole which means there is less stress upon your knees and feet as you walk. They were designed with ergonomics in mind which means they help prevent tired muscles.

Crocs for men have a reputation for being super comfortable. The shoes seem to fold around the foot and the little nubs on the sole massage the foot and help increase circulation. Off Road Crocs not only protect your feet, they are good for your feet to wear.

Off Road Crocs are resistant to wear and tear. They clean right up with just soap and water. They are odor resistant and don’t become smelly like sneakers do. With all of these great features it is no wonder Off Road Crocs have come out of nowhere to become one of the best selling brands of shoes on the market today.

Better Trades – a Better Teaching Strategy

Do you really want to learn your stock market trading strategies from someone who has never traded?

One of the problems of the Internet is that there are hundreds of people and countless websites that say they know how to use the stock market when they are simply regurgitating the information available everywhere. If you’re trying to build your personal wealth, reading the same information found on virtually every trading website simply won’t help. Fortunately, there’s a better way.

BetterTrades is a truly unique educational company in the world of trading. We rely on live events that you attend in person to ensure that you are learning trading information unavailable anywhere else. Interactive seminars, live mentoring, online courses and specialized trading information are also used to help you get a maximum return. Our interactive multi-training makes BetterTrades an exceptional resource for any trader either new or experienced.

One of the best things about Better Trades is that all of the instructors are experienced traders who have worked extensively with the stock market in the past. With over 200 years of combined experience, you’ll find a team that has written a multitude of books and designed thousands of seminars. You’ll also find the only team who can help you meet your personal wealth goals.

Many of the instructors began their stock market experience with virtually no training. For some, trading was a hobby. As they realized that they were able to fulfill their own financial goals, trading became much more. Because our instructors began their trading career as novices, you’ll get realistic advice that teaches you the necessary skills to get started. Free of the technical jargon that can confuse many beginners, you’ll learn how to make a fortune no matter what the market conditions.

With thousands of satisfied students to date, BetterTrades is an educational company that provides personalized advice. With highly educational classes that will teach you to apply smart trading tactics, you could turn a few hundred dollars into thousands in just a few months. If you’re not trading as successfully as you like, it’s time to contact BetterTrades.

Better Trades is for those who truly want to learn how to trade in the stock market. After all, why would you use another company whose instructors have never traded when you can work with a faculty that has made its own personal fortune from the techniques offered in each class? Contact BetterTrades today, and start your trading education.

This article is originally published here: Better Trades

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Download Falling Slowly and Unlimited Music for Nintendo DSi!

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Nintendo DSi Center is a membership based and the program has been granted with Nintendo license agreement to distribute games, music and movies for download. When download the newest and your favorite DSi music you wouldn’t have to worry about copyrighted materials. You can download Falling Slowly and more single and albums from Nintendo DSi Center. As a member of Nintendo DSi Center, you will be granted unlimited access to download any of your favorite music!

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