This document discusses how organizations can develop emergent practices to address increasingly complex problems. It argues that social media tools and methods, like microblogging and crowdsourcing, can support the sharing of tacit knowledge and foster collaboration needed to develop emergent practices. These practices emerge through trial and error as people interact and learn from each other. The document provides examples of how social media could be integrated with serious games, enterprise portals, and mobile access to enable real-time conversation and knowledge sharing that supports the development of emergent practices for addressing complex, "wicked" problems.

1. Developing Emergent Practices
through Tacit Knowledge Sharing
Presented at:
The United States Coast Guard
Human Performance Technology Conference
September 15, 2011 - Williamsburg, Virginia
Ms. Janet Cichelli
Serco, Inc.
LinkedIn: janet-cichelli

2. Today’s Increasingly Complex Work Environment
The ability to figure things out, especially
wicked problems, is now a key competency.
Wicked problems differ from very hard problems.
Developing a new weapon system is a hard
problem, but it's not wicked, because the goal is
pretty straightforward.
• Righting a troubled economy
• Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
• Haiti, Katrina
--Now, that’s wicked

3. Knowledge
• Knowledge is what people use to
make decisions, such as whether to Explicit Knowledge
correct a navigation course, or which
action to take next.
Tacit Knowledge
• Knowledge may reside in people’s
heads (expertise), information systems
(data), or documents (information)
• Knowledge can be created
(innovation), moved (shared), or
destroyed.

4. Knowledge Management
• Knowledge can be managed directly,
e.g., by embedding knowledge tools
and techniques in the work environment
• Knowledge can be managed indirectly,
by fostering an environment where
knowledge activities (e.g., creation and
sharing) are encouraged.

5. Most Tasks Involve a Combination of Data,
Information & Expertise

6. The Human Element Increases as Knowledge
Becomes More Complex

7. The Work & Problem Domain
Complex Complicated
A way to look at our
work environments,
in terms of the
nature of the
problems or tasks
we face.
Chaotic Simple
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8. Simple Problems
Some problems are
Simple
Complex Complicated Subject to simple
cause and effect.
Predictable: I do this
and that always
happens.
Chaotic
Simple

9. Complicated Problems
Some problems are
Complicated
Complex
Complicated • Requires a body of
knowledge
• Specialists invest in this
body of knowledge.
• Trainers seek to transfer
this body of knowledge.
• This can sometimes be
Chaotic Simple limiting – get so invested
in the Complicated that
we can get ―stuck.‖

10. Complex Problems
The new cannot be known. New problems tend to be
Complex or Chaotic.
Complex Complicated • We can only know the cause
and effect after the event.
• Practices emerge via trial
and error, and interaction
. with the changing
environment and the
problem.
• We must engage the
problem and learn by
Chaotic Simple probing.
• Requires different approach
to training for defined
Methods to solve simple and complicated problems problems and measurable
will not work with complex ones outcomes.

11. The Work & Problem Domain
Complex Complicated
Emergent Good
Practice Practice
Novel Best
Practice Practice
Chaotic Simple

12. Training Challenges
Training looks
backwards, at what
Complex Complicated worked in the past (good
& best practices), and
Emergent Good creates a controlled
Practice Practice environment to develop
knowledge and skills.
Novel Best Training
Practice Practice
Chaotic Simple

13. To Address Complexity, Organizations Need to
Support Emergent Work Practices
This means having an environment to support
• collaboration,
• conversation,
• synthesis,
• pattern recognition,
• and creative tension
all within a secure and trusting environment.

14. The Power of Social Media is Its Potential to
Support Emergent Work Practices
Tools and social networks:
• Enable conversation and
collaboration
• Has greatest value in
sharing tacit knowledge
• Can directly support
emergent work practices
How social media tools get used is itself
an emergent practice.

15. Methods for Supporting Emergent Practices
Social Media integrated with Serious Games
• Identify expert performer patterns
• Convert tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge
• Continuously improve training
Social Media integrated with Enterprise Portal Applications
• Real-time conversation & collaboration
• Fostering of communities of practice (CoP)
• Provides for communication, synthesis, and creative tension

16. Methods for Supporting Emergent Practices
Social Media integrated with Serious Games
• Identify expert performer patterns
Crowdsourcing
• Convert tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge
• Continuously improve training
Social Media integrated with Enterprise Portal Applications
• Real-time conversation & collaboration
• Fostering of communities of practice (CoP)
• Provides for communication, synthesis, and creative tension

17. What is Crowdsourcing?
Crowdsourcing is
• a social networking method that leverages the
collective experience and intelligence of a group.
• the act of outsourcing tasks,
traditionally performed by an
employee or contractor, to an
undefined, large group of people
or community (a "crowd"),
through an open call
(www.wikipedia.com).

18. Crowdsourcing Emergent Practices for Fighting
Somali Pirates
Somalia has complex economic,
social, and political problems
The complexity and uncertainty
make it difficult to arrive at
simple solutions.
The diversity of interests and
perspectives will confound future
solutions, military or otherwise.
MMOWGLI (Massive Multiplayer Online WarGame Leveraging the Internet)
marks the first major effort by the American military to help "crowdsource"
new ideas and different opinions to look at hard problems.

19. First: The Challenge is Presented

20. Next: Play Your Ideas
Each card is a ―micro-strategy‖—140 characters of your best thinking about
how to meet this challenge.

21. Micro-Strategies Build up to Breakthrough Strategies
Scan ideas from others and respond with ideas that build on theirs.

22. Crowdsourcing Spurs “Out-of-the-Box” Thinking
Encourages ―novel combinations and
complex interactions of ideas‖ on anti-
piracy strategy that ―otherwise might
not emerge from more traditional
wargame approaches.‖

23. Methods for Supporting Emergent Practices
Social Media integrated with Serious Games
• Identify expert performer patterns
• Convert tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge
• Continuously improve training
Social Media integrated with Enterprise Portal Applications
• Real-time conversation & collaboration
• Fostering of communities of practice (CoP)
• Provides for communication, synthesis, and creative tension

24. Methods for Supporting Emergent Practices
Social Media integrated with Serious Games
• Identify expert performer patterns
• Convert tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge
• Continuously improve training
Social Media integrated with Enterprise Portal Applications
• Real-time conversation & collaboration
Micro-Blogging
• Fostering of communities of practice (CoP)
• Provides for communication, synthesis, and creative tension

25. What is Micro-Blogging?
Micro-blogging is
• A form of blogging that allows users to write brief
text updates (usually less than 140 characters) and
publish them.
• Can be viewed by anyone or by a restricted group
chosen by the user.

26. What Micro-Blogging Looks Like
Twitter
Yammer

27. Integrating Micro-Blogging with CoPs
Embed Micro-Blogging tools on an enterprise portal to make conversation,
groups and profiles social, real time, and mobile.
• Integrate content with context
• Support conversation and
experiential learning
• Spawn ad hoc conversations
and groups
• Enable communication from
remote locations
• Support photo uploads,
ratings, polls, comments
• Mobile availability and
continuity

28. Support Mobile Availability & Continuity
Always-Carried, Always-On Access via
iPhone/iPad – Blackberry - Android
• Anytime, anywhere access
• Support and knowledge-
sharing at the point of need
• Potential for location-based
learning
• Supports/enhances two-way
interaction
• Reach-back to experts &
support

29. Enabling Conversation and Performance
Example: Incident Response Capability:
Alert and mobilize an entire workforce, across all communication
channels. Ensure safety, awareness, and accurate information sharing.
• Create Crisis Comms
Group
• Launch Group with
Events, use for planning
activities
• Crowd-source ideas,
coordinate
• Create, align, and publish
across Groups and
Communities

30. Bringing Together Learning & Work
The integration of learning and work is no longer just
an ideal.
It is a necessity in today’s complex world.

31. In Summary
• New work problems are increasingly complex
• Less about trying to determine a lock-step process
toward a predictable outcome
• More about supporting and influencing possibilities
• Falls squarely into the Human Performance domain
• Requires tacit knowledge that cannot be documented
as best practice
• Social media tools and methods can support
31 emergent practices

32. Questions? Conversation.
Janet Cichelli
Practice Manager, Advanced Learning & KM
Serco North America
240-778-1223
janet.cichelli@serco-na.com