tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-106271182024-03-13T08:14:30.814-06:00Fast Learning"The ability to learn faster than your competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage." (Arie de Geus, Head of Strategic Planning, Shell, 1988).
This is what I am learning about “fast learning”. It is fundamentally about organizational learning and individual adult learning. But it is driven by today’s challenge of “learn fast” with new tools.Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-8774241813350828272024-01-04T21:23:00.000-07:002024-01-04T21:23:14.767-07:00Consultation with Boatcraft: Alignment issues at Puzzle JointsSo these are the photos I showed Rob at the Boatcraft shop. Some of the puzzle joints align. Some do not. So I am off by millimetres at the stern and also slightly at the bow although it is not as obvious. By this point I am worried and I flip the kayak's hull to check how straight the hull is. To my eye, it looks pretty straight, although at the top panels at the bow and stern there looks to be Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-5328212377535686632024-01-04T20:32:00.001-07:002024-01-04T21:33:13.172-07:00End of April: Alignment Problems at Puzzle Joints So I may have been over working an issue. 16 feet of panels and you can see that panels are slightly offset from each other at the bow and stern (just mm but noticeable). Since you wind up sanding the bow and stern anyways and then add a thick bead of thickened epoxy as stems to both, this may have not been a problem.But the problem originates as the puzzle joints in the middle of the kayakNeil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-24264573616350465542024-01-04T20:07:00.001-07:002024-01-04T20:07:43.587-07:00Hull Assembly: Mid April, Wiring in FramesThe manual and Timber Boatworks YouTube videos https://www.youtube.com/@timberboatworks do a detailed description of drilling panels for wiring and then wiring panels. This is the hull before gluing seams between panels. This came along pretty fast, probably 20 hours with clumsy hands. Note the electrical tape around forms and bulkheads. The tape worked well in preventing forms getting Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-30414353115728078052024-01-02T20:54:00.002-07:002024-01-03T15:27:54.915-07:00Layout: First Days, The Things You Must Pay Attention To Boxes with panels/fiberglass are 8 feet long. Box of supplies, expoy resin and hardner, is about 1.5 X 1.5 X 1.5 feet. Very compact and easy to handle. Check the box's inventory. The manual tells you to start there. We found nothing missing but the process familiarized us with the pieces and how they fit together.IMPORTANT POINT: When you lay the panels out for the first time, the Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-76955501521313368982024-01-02T19:15:00.003-07:002024-01-04T21:33:42.219-07:00The Motivation: Eye Candy Boatcraft's display of kayaks is eye candy for anyone who wants a kayak that paddles great, is light and will be loved by family long past the builder's days. The Anuri 16, my build for 2024, is the kayak in the middle of the last two photos.Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-88082775017652685602024-01-02T17:54:00.002-07:002024-01-02T17:54:22.686-07:00Setup: March 2023, Sawhorse/Cradles Son-in-law and grandsons set up their garage for the build. Sawhorses/cradles were 40 inches (approx. 1 metre) high. That was an ideal height to work at when covered with a 2 foot X 8 foot plywood sheet for wiring panels and gluing seams.Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-87660828171499722652024-01-01T14:37:00.005-07:002024-01-01T15:07:57.891-07:00Video: Kayak From Boatcraft/Timber Boatworks, Solace 16XL Sept 2023 Cockpit to SternI will post photos and comments on complete build.You can avoid some of my mistakes. Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-75671992335803768142024-01-01T14:12:00.008-07:002024-01-01T15:07:28.979-07:00Video: Completed Boatcraft/Timber Boatworks Kayak: Solace 16XL, September 2023, Bow to Cockpit Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-91271273719437867762014-09-12T14:06:00.005-06:002014-09-12T16:22:28.400-06:00 Mack D. Male: Using Technology for Public Engagement
Mack D. Male, at MasterMaq.ca
Mack D. Male has important things for you to learn about technology tools and public engagement.
Mack D. Male is a well know blogger on urban affairs in Edmonton, Canada and a coach on the use of social media tools.
In a presentation to the Alberta Professional Planners Institute, Mack Male covers the technology and processes possible for public Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-58229513072152129542014-01-12T10:05:00.002-07:002014-01-19T13:42:16.571-07:00Learning From a MOOC
Growing Insights is now being offered as a online learning course for professional development by the Alberta Professional Planners Institute.
Growing Insights is our first experiment in doing a MOOC (a Massive Open Online Course). The Alberta Land-use Knowledge Network launched its course on urban agriculture and local food the beginning of November, 2013. The course ran Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-55862501285627164942013-04-12T14:31:00.000-06:002013-04-12T14:31:43.478-06:00Outsourcing IT is Strategically Stupid
The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has received much publicity about its use of foreign workers to replace Canadian IT staff. While the storm has been about bad PR and the reaction of Canadian RBC clients, there is another reason to question the judgement of Gord Nixon, President and CEO of RBC and RBC's senior management. You might want to sell your RBC stock because their IT Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-43080639906395988962012-09-02T03:47:00.001-06:002014-01-12T10:26:15.432-07:00Information Pyramids: Actionable InformationInformation Pyramids are a concept that Ron Weisenburger invented in 2002 when he was working with forage and beef cattle researchers in Agriculture Canada and the western provinces in Canada.
This article explains information architecture design for websites that need to guide customers to best information, current best practice and detailed information in a way that does not result in Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-67698476831724602862012-08-23T13:52:00.005-06:002014-01-19T14:20:40.971-07:00It's About the Design: Knowledge Networks
Dr. Kirby Wright has brought new design concepts to the idea of knowledge networks (the evolution of communities of practice). The practical, visible version of what Kirby is thinking about for knowledge networks can be found at landuseKN.ca.
And you can hear Kirby talk in detail about these new design concepts on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2- 4 pm at 10155-102 Street, Commerce Place, Edmonton, 4th Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-5442966735458896382012-02-28T14:52:00.000-07:002012-08-23T14:06:30.821-06:00Knowledge, Hype and Opinion, the Blackberry Playbook
The Summary, in My (Humble) Opinion:
I have one. And I bought an additional 2 Blackberry Playbooks for my daughter and son.
The new operating software (OS2.0) makes the Blackberry Playbook a powerful, functional tablet.
I have found it a useful business tool (I am a consultant at lots of conferences and meetings).
At its current price point ($200-$300), the Playbook is a steal of a deal.
ForNeil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739708739852915021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-69401556483459231032011-06-16T21:24:00.017-06:002011-06-17T05:08:58.270-06:00A Network of NetworksThere has been some chatter in some KM circles about emerging trends. The focus is usually around new tools or processes. But the most interesting trends are those that affect behaviour. That is why I need to share Perry Kinkaide's journey into building a network of networks. For those familiar with the concept of Communities of Practice, Perry takes that idea to a whole other level. Perry is a Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-48974066024551861792010-06-08T00:19:00.005-06:002010-06-08T01:14:55.895-06:00The Client Inside the OrganizationThe “wired” patient"Organizations are already struggling with the "client inside the organization".Who wants to be the specialist or intern or nurse who meets with this patient in the next half hour?Thomas Stewart has an really interesting commentary about "the client inside the organization" in this video clip from the Association of Managing Consulting Firms' The Lords of Strategy discussion Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-53400188441538193042010-05-27T22:31:00.010-06:002010-05-27T23:43:19.126-06:00Knowledge Management "Killer" Success StoriesLinked-In has a discussion group for chief knowledge officers. A discussion thread was started on the topic of "killer" stories where knowledge management had created value. The request came from a consultant who was trying to answer the skeptical senior executive's questions about the value of KM. Below is my contribution to the discussion. KM success stories are not widespread these days Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-11308380284413992202010-01-01T08:07:00.003-07:002010-01-01T14:51:50.261-07:00The Most Revolutionary Question, thanks to Fr. Conor KennedyWhat kind of future do you want for your children?In 1975, while in Malawi, my fellow Canadian, Rick Sutton and I would hang out with a Roman Catholic priest from Edmonton, Alberta. Father Conor Kennedy was originally from Ireland but he hung out with the Canadian CUSO (now VSO) crowd. Rick and I were teaching high school in Nsanje, Malawi through CUSO's auspices. Rick and I had these in-depth Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-74320752753974404312009-11-18T11:59:00.006-07:002009-11-20T07:58:48.628-07:00Sharing What WorksCompanyCommand is one of the U.S. Army's communities of practice. It is a space for commanders of companies (150 men) share and discuss tough issues of command.The Canadian Forces has its own unit that focuses on lessons learned.The U.S. Army may not be the first place where you would think to look for communities of practice or rapid information sharing websites. But the reality is that learningNeil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-47248383725865711182009-11-06T09:06:00.003-07:002009-11-06T10:01:55.885-07:00A Conversation about Knowledge SharingConversations can be entertaining or sometimes they are nothing to howl about. You be the judge!Dr. Kirby Wright teaches a course in Knowledge Management as part of the Master of Arts in Communications and Technology at the University of Alberta. A team of his graduate students approached me for an interview as part of their project in the course. They have created a blog at kmcafe.org. Their Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-42895287955701728402009-11-04T03:45:00.005-07:002009-11-04T04:36:00.190-07:00David Snowden's Seven Principles of Knowledge ManagementDavid Snowden posted an update to his three rules (heuristics) for knowledge management. He has expanded them into seven principles. They are good reminders of the principles of knowledge sharing. They provide a starting point to examine conventional wisdom on how humans learn and share knowledge. Since my experience in KM is that I forgot the essentials on a regular basis, I regularly remind Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-45821063638392334812009-10-11T21:49:00.010-06:002009-10-27T21:55:11.332-06:00You Have No Idea How Good You Are!Tori Holmes, rowing the Atlantic OceanSir Ken Robinson makes the case for creativity in the school. Watch the video to see what he thinks creativity looks like.The simple reality is that youth and young adults are not challenged to find their real skills (usually not academic). Nor are they encouraged by parents, teachers and mentors to discover how good they really are.Case in point: The young Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-41138695380030432242009-10-11T20:08:00.008-06:002009-10-27T20:16:59.791-06:00The Future of Knowledge Workers, a SurveyTermite Fishing: Collaborative Learning?KM World magazine has a two-part report on a survey about the future of knowledge workers. Done by George Washington University and the Institute of Knowledge and Innovation it surveyed 125 professionals and executives. Executives and senior managers constituted nearly half of the respondents. As you might expect, the top type of work in the future will be Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-70174686612137175152009-06-09T12:48:00.007-06:002009-06-09T12:57:11.565-06:00The Recession, the Knowledge Worker and Human ResourcesEven in a recession, like a bad penny, the concept that staff are knowledge workers keeps returning to haunt organizations. In eight months, the search for competent workers has flipped to retaining talent and keeping organizational knowledge intact while downsizing. And Human Resources (HR) is expected to have the ideas since they understand organizational learning and training. Unfortunately, Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10627118.post-4953575824411578702009-05-28T14:28:00.006-06:002009-05-29T07:43:45.245-06:00Information Management Taxonomy, a teaserHere is a snapshot of Alberta Agriculture's draft of what taxonomy would look like for the corporate support processes in information management. This is only a partial picture of this category.But in terms of the structure of a functional taxonomy, "Information Management" would be considered a FUNCTION. "Information Access Management" would be considered a Sub-Function and "Information Request"Neil MacAlpinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00235437502702472183noreply@blogger.com0