DaChispa

I’ve always known that geography played an important part in effective knowledge management – working for global organisations usually means that location, culture and language all created additional barriers to good knowledge sharing – sometimes simply because you just didn’t realise that you needed to ask the right question.

On a smaller scale, I have just moved desk. It has totally altered the dynamic of my working day. It means that I am suddenly plugged into a whole other set of opportunities and way of working. I haven’t changed my job – I’ve just got a new perspective on it by relating to different people. I used to regularly walk around this area to ensure that I got to know people and they got to know me – but it is not the same as being co-located.

It strikes me that regularly rotating where you sit to encounter different teams is a good way not only to find out what is going on, but also encourages creativity. A form of ‘static’ hot desking – where there is enough time to develop relationships with people, but not so much time that you fall into a rut, might be a way of looking at this.

A final confession – I really didn’t want to move as the new desk is not as spacious or as quiet as my previous location – now I find the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. It is relatively easy to manage space and noise, evolving a network is far more difficult

I am an optimist…most of the time. I learnt a long time ago that it is easier in the long run to challenge or cut off the pessimists and cynics of this world rather than to join them in making their miserable expectations a reality. If you expect the best, you usually get it – if you expect the worst it will happen. I know which I prefer. Now research shows that friends and your social network really do have a profound effect on your happiness (see http://www.stoweboyd.com/message/2009/01/nature-or-nurtu.html for more information).

Cutting out negative people from your life is a drastic action to take – and I would suggest that you do need some challenge to a determinedly rosy view of life – however I would concur that you should do your utmost to not be sucked into that way of thinking. I like the fact that this research also takes into account the positive effect we can have on our friends and colleagues. Negative doesn’t always win – your personal optimism and happiness can change minds and moods too!