Knowers Rule. OK?

Paul SummersUniversity of Portsmouth

• A knower is defined by Hinken as “A person who actively hides his or her lack of knowledge from others, and is unwilling to be influenced."

• A learner is defined as "A person who actively increases his or her ability to produce desired results."

• A non-learner is "A person who is unaware of, uninterested in, or ambivalent about any possible discrepancy between his or her desired effectual results."

• Knowers are comfortable with their current ability to produce desired results because of their knowledge and are therefore unwilling to be influenced by anybody.

• Knowers say someone or something needs to change whereas the learner says I have to change.

• According to Hinken knowers are stuck in one place however I suggest knowers make poor decisions, often ruinous, for their organisations due to their absolute belief in what they know as well as a failure to be influenced by anyone who doesn’t share their view.

Based on Hinken, 2007 p 6

The battle of iSandlwana, Anglo Zulu war 1879

“Oh, British troops are all right; we do not need to laager – we have a different formation.” Lt. Gen F A Thesiger

The sinking of RMS Titanic 1912"I will go a bit further," he said. "I will say that I cannot imagine any condition which could cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that." Captain Edward J. Smith

The project management crisis

“We know why projects fail, we know how to prevent their failure – so why do they still fail?” Martin Cobb

The banking crisis 2008

• “No, I do not feel I am particularly personally culpable.” Andy Hornby former Chief Executive, HBOS plc,

• Fetal X-rays – Stewart v Doll• “I can give you the statistics, [but] we know

them.” Barbara Follett

• “The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance — it is the illusion of knowledge” Daniel Boorstin

• “We are not what we know but what we are willing to learn.” Mary Catherine Bateson

• "Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Albert Einstein

• Reflective practice• Collaborative learning• Challenge our assumptions • Ask why• Less training, more elicitation• Critical thinking

Based on Hinken, 2007

• Ackoff (1981, p.20) writes ‘There are three kinds of thing that can be done about problems – they can be resolved, solved or dissolved.’ Ackoff goes on to suggest that ‘resolving’ requires a solution that is good enough; that satisfices (Simon, 1956, pp. 129, 136); that is adequate – a quick fix. This similar to changing our doing and deals with symptoms only. ‘Solving’ optimises and is a research approach, changing our thinking and challenging assumptions, whereas ‘dissolving’ changes the nature and /or the environment of a problem and is a design approach changing our being.

The learner’s way

• Hinken’s book “The learner’s path” I suggest “The learner’s way”. Hinken’s suggests a linear progression from A to B whereas I contend learning needs to be a habit, a way of life and continuous.

Summers principle

• “At every level in all organisations there are people who are knowers appointed beyond their desire to learn and their decisions will lead to crises of varying criticality.”

References

• Ackoff, R.L. (1981). ‘Art and Science of Mess Management’, Interfaces, 11 (1) February

• Hinken, B. (2007). The learner's path. Waltham, MA: Pegasus Communications, Inc.

• Hinken, B. (2010). Facing Organizational Uncertainty by Learning How to Learn. Leverage Points.