N
ot broken? Fix it and make it better
NTU Staff Digest
October 2003 Issue 148
PICTURE NTU ten years from now. What do you see?
Perhaps a University of Global Excellence, steeped in ideals, passion, creativity, and entrepreneurialism?
This, in fact, is the new vision of NTU as mapped out by President Su and senior management during a Shared Visioning retreat in May.
The critical question is: How are we going to get there?
In his welcome address at the ceremony to honour long-serving colleagues, NTU Dy President Prof Lim Mong King said the answer lay in us. He challenged staff to become enablers of organisational change - to rewrite the rules of work, discard unsound rules, experiment, act, and make a commitment to change. He also suggested ways of unlearning ingrained habits (see tutorial). His call: break the old attitude of
if it ain't broken, don't fix it.
"Think of NTU's vision and reflect upon ourselves," he urged. "Have we been at least a micro-activist, starting with our own area of work? Each one of us can add that critical value ... When you look back years later, you will be glad to know that you have helped to make a difference. Take incremental steps today."
Mindset Overhaul 101
Prof Lim shared a strategy of tweaking the questions we ask ourselves as a way to change our attitudes and behaviours. Here are a few examples he gave:
Why? vs Why not?
Not me! vs Take me!
I can't ... vs Yes, I can if I want to ...
Not now! vs Why not now?
I have to do X or Y first ... vs What can I do today that will move me towards NTU's goal?
I am only one person ... vs Who do I know who can help me?
I don't know how to ...? vs Where can I get this information?
My boss won't let me ... vs How can I engage this person to my point of view?
I'm a manager in X office, I only deal with ... vs I work for the University. How can I help you?
Getting NTU to Practice KM
Discussion held on 1 Dec 03 between MSc(KM) Faculty and Students
Student: It is important that NTU be branded as the premier institution for KM. In this way, the students and alumni of the KM program will benefit in the industry. As an institution offering the first KM course with a dedicated KM Faculty (none so far in any university), how can we get NTU to practice KM?
Staff: KM is already being practiced. Universities are institutions of knowledge. There are established knowledge sharing processes going on like coaching, mentoring, debates, publications, etc. KM is more for industries where there are clear profit objectives which KM can help drive. If KM is that important to universities, then Harvard would have developed a KM program. We do not see KM being practiced there. We have faculties from Cambridge and there is no formal KM program. Working with professors to analyse knowledge sharing culture in NTU, we have found it to be a difficult task.
Student: I have a lot of respect for Harvard and Cambridge, however that does not mean that there is no opportunity for NTU to distinguish itself in the field of KM. Skandia did not become what they are with their IC report if they had followed the trend. Buckman Laboratories did not become a shining example of knowledge organisation if they had not "bucked" the trend. Lets have the unique ways of KM in NTU being studied and publicised. Intellectual Capital in NTU can certainly be measured - are our key professors staying or leaving, what is the impact, etc.
Initiative:
Explore KM initiatives unique to academic environment. FTLiu to facilitate.
