when space matters (for

collaboration, innovation &

knowledge transfer)

this is an updated report following a workshop I

ran for the NetIKX community in January 2014.

7 February 2014

Paul J Corney
contents

NetIKX January 2014 3

my observations post NetIKX 5
a case for ‘Orchestrated Serendipity’ 5
the rise of ‘Freelancers’ 6
the importance of social and technology 6
objects and the role of neutral space 7
highlights from NetIKX responses 8
virtual is becoming the norm 8
my 2013 observations 10
a summary of ‘findings’ from 2013 11
my workspace 11
memorable moments 12
reflecting where and how 12
a radical case for change 12
interesting conversations 13
real vs. virtual 13
appendices & bibliography 14
why space matters 14
postcards as a stimulus for conversation 14
“…probably the best coffee in the World” 15
about the author 18
NetIKX invitation 19

when space matters | February 2014 page 2 of 19

NetIKX January 2014

A good crowd from the NetIKX community assembled at the

British Dental Association’s offices in Wigmore Street London
attracted by the topic ‘why space matters’.
A lively 3 hours began by running the delegates through some of the findings
from earlier research and comparing them to NetIKX responses I’d asked them to
complete in advance. The NetIKX comments are woven throughout this
document for comparison with previous findings. I spent time extolling the
importance of creating a neutral space using objects and timelines as part of a
repertoire of conversation prompts drawing on recent work in the 3rd sector.
Everyone loved the RSA video (re) imagining the future of work - here’s the
link: http://vimeo.com/75407545 that set up the subsequent syndicate session.
After a network break the delegates were then asked to review a case study
drawn from the previous survey:
In my first knowledge role the office practice I worked for moved to an
open workspace environment and I was asked to be the change
management leader for our floor. We had a great external consultant
come in to assist with the move and the potential challenges it would
create. We created guidelines for working in an open plan office right
down to telephone etiquette, noise levels, desk sizes etc. In the old
environment many conversations were held in offices, Partners were
rarely seen or heard, staff kept to their own teams and rarely engaged
with other service lines etc. In the new environment while there were
challenges to begin with and some adjustments for senior staff in sitting

when space matters | February 2014 page 3 of 19

 Obstacles

out in the open we settled down quickly and for the first time everyone
knew each other by name and on sight. There was a lot more
collaboration, cross service line interaction, Partners were more
accessible and visible and staff felt engaged and part of a bigger team.
The design and layout was sensitive to the size of the practice, they
created comfortable and appealing coffee areas for teams to have
informal meetings and quiet rooms where you are able to have
confidential conversations etc if you need to away from your desk. In
this new space you saw most of the team every day and not only once a
month at a team meeting and the use of colour, plants, wall art and
notice boards helped make it a positive working space.
I asked the NetIKX delegates to think about: * trust

* perception of it being about cost cutting

* the characteristics that made this successful?
what obstacles do you think they had to overcome?
* balancing different needs

* any ideas that have worked for you. Ideas

*The feedback session was interesting. As this was a really positive story here
was a degree of scepticism as to whether this was a real example or merely a
proposition that you hire a consultant and everything will be fine. I responded:
‘it is (a real story) and it isn’t (an excuse to hire a consultant)’!
The word culture came up a lot, as did communication. What was clear: there is
no one size fits all and the way we organise the environment in which we work
is very much representative of how we work and our productivity.

when space matters | February 2014 page 4 of 19

my observations post NetIKX

To succeed in the 21st Century organisations will need to be

good at collaboration and co-creation and the research I’ve
undertaken suggests some organisations are changing working
environments and patterns in order to accommodate this. Are
they doing enough to take their staff with them though or do
their people merely see this as an attempt to cut cost?

a case for ‘Orchestrated Serendipity’

This has been a mantra of mine for some time. The RSA clip cites the example
of people sat in open plan offices emailing colleagues sitting a few desks away.
Rather than promoting dialogue open plan has often had the reverse effect.
Pictures taken at Asian Development Bank, Manila’s
Where I’ve seen organisations working well they have tended to look at
Knowledge Sharing Space. (kHub)
workflows, people’s habits, made them an inclusive part of the process of
The library reorganized its physical space to become
change and communicated effectively. They’ve accepted that serendipity needs
a knowledge hub (kHub) to host book launches,
a bit of a push and have recognised that ‘ah ha’ moments often come from such
meetings and forums of the COPs. In collaboration
serendipitous meetings and arranged space such as a khub (see alongside) to with the different departments and COPs, an
accommodate that. I often speak about how interactions to and from prayers in average of four activities are held in the kHub
the Muslim world are often the most productive and why knowledge hubs and weekly, including “Insight Thursdays,” a weekly
information centres are often situated in close proximity to refreshments areas. forum where staff share insights on topics or issues
of interest to ADB. Wireless Internet connection and
It seems our personal habits are changing too: this week it was announced that
videoconferencing facilities enable staff at regional
more and more homeowners crave for multipurpose ‘living’ areas that can
offices to participate online in these forums. The
accommodate, cooking, eating and lazing! introduction of these facilities, including a coffee
shop in the library, contributed to the
transformation of the library spaces into dynamic
when space matters | February 2014 learning areas. page 5 of 19
the rise of ‘Freelancers’ How Freelancers Are Redefining Success To Be
About Value, Not Wealth
Knowledge workers are changing too, despite what Melissa Meyer said that all
-------
Yahoo workers should come to the office or quit! In a thought-provoking article
(I use a number of quotes alongside) Sarah Horowitz suggests that today in the Independent workers are establishing a new way to
US Independent workers make up a third of the workforce. By 2020, just six work--and in the process, they’re cultivating a new
way of life. Success in 2014 is less about wealth
years from now, 40% of Americans will be working as freelancers, contractors,
than it is about value--the value of time,
and temps. So if this phenomenon is growing how are we responding?
community, and well being.
I recall a presentation I gave in Houston in 1999 where I said that growth in the
------
number of independent (non-salaried) workers was dependent on three factors:
…Freelancers are shaping the new economy. As

* supportive collaborative technology flexible schedules and ubiquitous communication

become the norm, the work-life balance that we’ve
* a rise in physical meeting hubs
always struggled for is becoming achievable. As

* a change in the way financial services organisations assess the credit of non-
salaried workers with irregular income patters.
community and teamwork become more
necessary than ever to thrive, the lonely, closed-
off cubicle will make way for meaningful
All three now exist and so the key challenge is Trust (among peers as well as
collaboration. And as the demand for healthy food
with direct reporting lines) as the Yahoo example would seem to suggest.
and workspaces increases, industry will increasingly
connect corporate profits and social good…
the importance of social and technology
-----
I am a founding trustee (Knowledge Trustee) of a charity that aims to make
It might be tough for one freelancer to afford
better use of surplus food. www.PlanZheroes.org has no formal offices yet is renting an office on her own--but 10 freelancers
governance process is all very formal and in the cloud. We hold virtual meetings can pool their resources and create a co-working
and new volunteers are given access to all the materials and instructions they space together. The same goes for sharing
need to begin sourcing donors and recipients. As a knowledge hub for surplus expensive office supplies and high-end professional
food we perform a brokerage role helping to facilitate contacts between those equipment.
who generate surplus food and those charitable organisations that make use of Independent workers value community, because
it. All of this is made possible by collaborative technology, the rise of social collaboration and camaraderie are more than warm
media, which encourages and facilitates collaboration, a culture that is aligned and fuzzy feelings--they’re the foundation of
around a shared vision and the availability of suitable meeting places in which success in the emerging independent economy.
to conduct essential f2f interactions that underpin social exchanges. http://www.fastcoexist.com/3025055/how-
freelancers-are-redefining-success-to-be-about-
value-not-wealth
when space matters | February 2014 page 6 of 19
objects and the role of neutral space
One of my 3 takeaways is to use objects as a stimulus for dialogue and
innovation. The idea of neutral space is core: if you accept the premise that it
is important to create hubs for interaction such as that illustrated at ADB then
the same logic applies when looking at how to facilitate those interactions.
I saw a salesman use this very informal worksheet last weekend and wrote about
it. By using a worksheet (a neutral object) he was able to elicit valuable
information that helped make a sale.

picture courtesy of phones4u.

A great knowledge capture technique: phones4u
worksheet which can be found at
http://www.knowledgeetal.com/?p=1014

when space matters | February 2014 page 7 of 19

highlights from NetIKX responses

Q In your experience, can you ever replace real workspace

with virtual workspace? How?

virtual is becoming the norm

* It's a reality for me as my team is distributed in Paris, Cambridge UK,

Cambridge US and Houston. We meet face to face once a year. In real time,
our workspace consists of instant message software and screensharing. The
Telepresence software from CISCO is a big hit in the few centres where it is
installed in our company.

* Yes, I do it all of the time. But it's not for everyone, and I do prefer 'real
world' meetings.

* A virtual workspace can complement real workspace and help keep things
moving, keeping up momentum between meetings, reviewing and
collaborating on drafts etc. Particularly if people are already known to each
other or used to working together. It isn't a replacement for coming together
however. To make it work you need to be clear about what you are doing
and why and not expect the technology to do the heavy lifting - it is a tool
and all the other things you need to do in terms of considering behaviours
and having agreed processes etc still apply.

* For many tasks, virtual workspace is just as good- for instance writing and
editing, designing, etc. Some feedback can also be provided and discussions
can be had using video conferencing. When sensitive subjects are discussed
(when emotion must be conveyed) or when design work is being done that is

when space matters | February 2014 page 8 of 19

 not easily shown on a computer screen, real workspace is very helpful and
sometimes a necessity. It seems like real workspace also saves time and can
contribute to productivity.

* As work teams are spread over different geographic locations we are

currently setting up Yammer groups to assist with collaboration

* I think this can be done in relation to some work processes, i.e. project
meetings, project management tasks, saving travel, time etc, but only if the
facilities support this.

* There is much greater use of video-conferencing to cut down on costs of

travel and subsistence. I work from home a lot due to caring commitments
but I do not think it is particularly helpful for the team. Face to face contact
is essential for some of the time. I do enjoy interactions on Linked-In but I
have to do all of this from home and often in my own time as it is not
allowed at work.

* Depends on the culture of the organisation. In a risk-averse workplace,

people are reluctant to put their name to informal conversations online.

Noeleen and Claire presenting their group’s findings

when space matters | February 2014 page 9 of 19

my 2013 observations

So many interesting exchanges take place around

Work space matters! In my early days cramming for exams I’d water coolers, coffee machines and even going to
and from prayers (in the Middle East).
seek a quiet spot. I craved solitude to concentrate but contact
Organisations that recognise and exploit these
(body language, expressions as well as sounds) to stimulate opportunities are pursuing a strategy of what I’d
creative juices and share experiences. describe as Orchestrated Serendipity.
Here’s an example of a room in Khartoum, Sudan,
used to run a working session entitled, ‘when you
I’ve recognized as I’ve worked with and in different cultures that there is no
look at things differently, the things you look at
‘silver bullet’. Individuals need different environments and surroundings to be
change’
creative and to share. And they need time. Here’s an example:
Over dinner some years back I was seated next to two authors who confessed to
widely differing methods of stimulating their thought processes:
“I always keep a notepad by my desk to record thoughts I’d had while
asleep”; “I take a recorder with me when walking the dog as that’s
where I get me best inspiration”
Today much of what ‘knowledge workers’ do is driven by the need to
collaborate: with peers, clients, management, stakeholders and competitors. A
lot of that collaboration is now conducted in virtual workspaces using social
media tools, in their infancy a decade ago when the first KMUK event was held.
So I thought it might be interesting to repeat the exercise my colleagues at
Sparknow and I ran with the delegates at KM Europe (the last to be held in the This exercise is an effective cross cultural way of
getting people to think differently about a task or
UK) in 2002. We asked 6 questions about their workspace (environment and
challenge: the change of venue and ‘profession’
practices) and how they thought virtual working might impact them in the
proving a catalyst for innovative thought and
future. I am indebted to those KMUK 2013 speakers who responded this time.
sharing.

when space matters | February 2014 page 10 of 19

a summary of ‘findings’ from 2013 my workspace 2013

* …this open environment is very conducive to

knowledge sharing and collaboration particularly
as the knowledge team sits amongst the client
serving staff and are considered part of the team
I’ve highlighted some of the answers (unattributed) that stood as a result…
out for me and compared them against the tips I’d provided in my workspace 2002
a recent blog post entitled ‘why space matters...’
* Paul and I have recently moved offices and now
have adjoining offices with the FIRST connecting
door in the Commission About half our work is
‘What to think about when planning physical collaboration spaces:
directed, and half we have freedom. This door,

* Importance of light, food and the demise of the managers’ dining room and our communication through it has changed
the dynamic and is wonderful. It creates lots of
* Serve great coffee and make space memorable
possibilities for collaboration, even with

* Use unexpected spaces for exhibits individual offices.

* Analyse flows (of people and knowledge) and be opportunistic

memorable moments 2013
* Create a knowledge (and information) hub’
* We sometimes use the formal meeting rooms for
my workspace informal drop in sessions for staff to come and
find out about our services...
Throughout the responses there are differing opinions on what is the optimal set
memorable moments 2002
up to encourage collaboration. I recall dreading going into a trading area, then
as now totally open plan, feeling like I was entering a bear pit and many people * …’s office. Its fun to get in there, it's a nice
place. There is a bouncy chair you can sit on and
are uncomfortable with conducting conversations in full sight and sound of
jump up and down. There is candy. There are
others. As a ‘virtual knowledge worker’ for 15 years I find I need a combination sharp comments. People come to get playful and
of both personal space (and quiet) and collaborative space (and personal to know things. People bring gifts. Started by
contact). giving out candy, and then people started to feel
a bit mean just taking, and not giving, so a kind
In helping a client to plan an open space environment (claims area) a few years
of ritual of `giving to take' started to establish
back we paid much attention to giving people the ability to create their areas
itself so people bring candy now
with a sense of their own character or that of their team.

when space matters | February 2014 page 11 of 19

memorable moments reflecting where and how 2013

This question yielded some vivid descriptions. Perhaps the most striking * …our open plan layout really doesn't suit me and
on office days, I rarely get through the work I
‘takeaway’: the workspace environment is critical for stimulating the way
hope to do due to constant interruptions and
people work and think about work.
noise. Sometimes, this can be stimulating and
My memorable moment was at a client’s in Jeddah where Victoria Ward and I the conversations are good but I now do at least
had gone to run an awareness-raising event with senior management at the start 1 day at home to have some quiet space. But I
of the programme of work to develop a knowledge management strategy. Faced now always feel behind as can't be productive in
with the prospect of conducting hands on sessions in an auditorium we scoured the office.
their buildings for a suitable open space with comfortable seating. It took a lot reflecting where and how 2002
of cajoling to persuade their top ‘brass’ to work in a breakout room. Once the
political/etiquette hurdles were overcome the session ran smoothly and got the
* I use my office for 'getting things done'. When I
want to reflect or be more creative I go to
programme off to a flying start. Interestingly this theme reappeared in one of another room or even to my house in France for
the speaker’s responses. peace and tranquillity + no phone!

reflecting where and how a radical case for change 2013

I loved the ‘I do my creative thinking on a horse’ comment from 2002. It bears * …We created guidelines for working in an open
out the earlier anecdote about the authors. In my case I used to retreat to my plan office right down to telephone etiquette,
study with a clippings file but today with so much material in digital format our noise levels, desk sizes etc. In the old
environment many conversations were held in
systems have become the messy office and we use search engines to try and
offices, Partners were rarely seen or heard, staff
make sense of the mess.
kept to their own teams and rarely engaged with
other service lines etc. In the new environment
a radical case for change while there were challenges to begin with and
It’s clear that in the success stories a huge amount of preparation has gone into some adjustments for senior staff in sitting out
the relocation. When a client moved across the city, consolidating a number of in the open we settled down quickly and for the
first time everyone knew each other by name
businesses under one roof in an open environment, the biggest challenge was to
and on sight. There was a lot more
build a metaphorical bridge between the old and the new. People were able to
collaboration, cross service line interaction,..
visualise themselves as a Tardis like room was created in the old building where
a radical case for change 2002
all discussions about the new offices were held. And a blogger sited in the new
building to provide regular updates and images during construction. * Yes, the sales team were all moved to
teleworking from home. We had to set up
mechanisms to ensure continuing human contact

when space matters | February 2014 page 12 of 19

The most striking comment though that illustrates the negative impact a change interesting conversations (where) 2013
in workspace policy can have:
* The number 8 bus from the main station to the
end of the line (which is also the main building
…In Aberdeen, the free lunches were stopped as part of a cost-cutting
entrance) is generally referred to as the
drive in the early 90’s. The result? Packed lunches. People stayed at
"collaborating center", a designation usually
their desks. All day. Had anyone offered to the business unit leader that
bestowed on universities or other partners…
for a mere £3 per day they could significantly raise the level of
interesting conversations (where) 2002
collaboration, networking, sharing and deliver a resulting increase in
motivation and productivity... He would have bitten their hand off! * Tend to stand on the staircase, or, like here,
just stand in the same place in the corridor and
wait for people to pass me by. Standing still in a
interesting conversations
thoroughfare.
No surprises here. It’s where people feel comfortable. Is this why there has
been resurgence in interest in creating workspaces that foster collaboration?
real vs. virtual 2013

real vs. virtual * Replicate rather than replace… Just a few

minutes ago, I finished a WebEx session with the
We are a more networked society today than 2002 and people (youngsters in UN which had me allocating 30 participants to
particular) are much more comfortable working cross-border and ethnicity. A breakout "rooms" which contained materials and
friend was describing how his son and peer study group located in 5 countries videos. I was able to visit each room
did their homework concurrently on line using a combination of Skype, momentarily to check in on progress, spot
people raising their hands, share back the
Facebook, YouTube and Search Engines, each performing a different (unspoken)
outputs on a group whiteboard, "smiling",
role as part of a team. That the tutor could be ‘Skyped in’ periodically is an
"laughing" and get votes and prioritization from a
illustration of how far social media is transforming the way we work outside of
group representing 20 different countries,
the corporate firewall (at least in academia). That generation (‘rent’ as they before conducting an open discussion with
are known by some) are less constrained by political barriers, ethnicity and everyone. I would go as far as to say that it was
religion and ‘you are what you write’. While they are networked virtually often even more productive than the equivalent
their face-to-face (f2f) interpersonal skills are under developed. physical workspace.

A theme throughout the responses that underscores the above example is that real vs. virtual 2002

some f2f contact is vital to build the trust all communities need to thrive; one * Virtual space is good for exchanging information,
even complicated stuff such as designs but you
of the rationales perhaps behind the early network collaboration systems that
used to be known as ‘expert networks’ such as BP Connect? need you need real contact for developing
relationships and for closing deals

when space matters | February 2014 page 13 of 19

appendices & bibliography Method
Since the theme of this year’s event is around
collaboration, the use of social media and virtual
working Leah and I thought it would be good to
recognise the anniversary of KMUK by looking back a
Though a piece of research conducted and funded by decade and decided to resurrect a postcard exercise
about workspace run at KM Europe’s last visit to the
knowledge et al (www.knowledgeetal.com) it felt right to UK in 2002 and compare and contrast the outcomes.
publish this as a Sparknow document in recognition of the
original design thinking around postcards and space that have
been a consistent part of Sparknow’s Knowledge Management
work since its formation in 1997.

why space matters

I was asked by a new business focused website to write a thought piece on this.
The Wall St Journal, Marisa Mayer of Yahoo and a conversation with Professor
Clive Holtham of Cass Business School were the genesis for ‘why space
matters…’http://www.findtheedge.co.uk/innovation/managing-creativity/why-
space-matters-for-collaboration-innovation-and-knowledge-transfer in which I
discuss the concept of Orchestrated Serendipity. Here is a the front page and a first page response

postcards as a stimulus for conversation

Slow Knowledge: uses of the postcard in re-forming organisational time, place
and meaning: 'In search of time' conference, Palermo, May 2003 Stephanie
Colton, Angela Dove, Victoria Ward*, Clive Holtham,

when space matters | February 2014 page 14 of 19

“…probably the best coffee in the World”
Originally the Information Technology department was located in traditional This is taken from an interview conducted by a
offices with corridors and individual offices and had very little in the way of member of the Sparknow team with a prominent IT
communal meeting spaces either formal or informal. It became apparent to the professional in 2002.
department that this was not conducive to collaborative working or the It is interesting since it still talks to many of the
exchange of knowledge and information. The senior management and expertise issues raised during the 2013/14 surveys.
was hidden away in their cells and there was no way of bringing together large The idea of using a postcard as an object for
project teams which was becoming a real necessity. stimulating conversations and inspiration should be
attributed to Victoria Ward,
An opportunity arose for the department to move to a new space which they
accepted and it was decided that an open office concept would be embraced.
The refurbishment was duly completed and the division moved in to what was a
completely open plan space.
This was partly successful in that it did allow large project teams to work
together and collaborate. However, it quickly became clear that there were
major problems with the lay out and not just because the senior management,
in particular, found it a major culture shock. There was a lack of meeting rooms
and private spaces which meant that there was a noise problem and specifically
tele-conferencing became almost impossible. It also meant that there was
nowhere to go to have smaller enclosed meetings which resulted in one manager
having to carry out an appraisal with a colleague in his car in the basement car
park! Air conditioning and heating also turned out to be a problem in such a
large open space since those on the outside of the space were getting a
different climate to those in the middle. All these problems were exacerbated
by overcrowding when a separate group of employees were temporarily
relocated to this space. However, as a result, ….and the IT operating company
lobbied for and were given permission to seek new premises again, albeit that
any refurbishment costs would come directly from their own budget.

when space matters | February 2014 page 15 of 19

Search commenced in April 2000 and in July, a building in central Den Haag was
identified of which they wanted three floors. The whole building then also
became of interest to the ….. Group at which point the Group Facilitation
management wanted to have some input. … and his relocation team persuaded
facilities that their need was immediate and that they had some specific needs
that they wanted to incorporate into their refurbishment programme, which
was, after all, coming out of their budget.
The relocation team worked in close partnership with the group’s external
architects to work on a brief for the ideal lay out and design that would
encourage collaborative working throughout the operating company despite the
not inconsiderable difficulty of being spread on 3 floors.
Work commenced in December and was completed in June 2001 and the finished
space includes

* A large informal lounge space on the middle floor. To ensure that people
were attracted to this space, from there respective lower and upper floors,
Bram and his team invested in “the best coffee machine in the world”
around which there are various comfortable and informal seating
arrangements. This was an immediate success and is used constantly for a
variety of meetings both informal and more formal, as well as for the
occasional big event or celebration. It is an environment that clearly
encourages debate, conversation and collaboration amongst the whole
operating company by providing an open, informal space as a focal
destination point.

* The remainder of the space on this floor is taken up with different sized•
meeting rooms (including tele-conferencing facilities ) which are bookable in
advance.

* The lower and upper floors are given over largely to open plan offices,•
albeit with clever glass partitions with integral white boards to maintain a
feeling of openness whilst reducing noise and climate control problems.

when space matters | February 2014 page 16 of 19

 There are also designated “hot desking” areas on these floors for visiting references
workers from which they can access their own computers via portables. ADB ‘story’: http://library.ifla.org/187/1/221-
balagapo-en.pdf
Initially, the use of space and investment in “luxuries” was criticized by some
outside the operating company, as being wasteful. However experience has DEGW_WorkingBeyondWalls.pdf
shown that the reverse is the case with real and valuable knowledge sharing and PHYSICAL SPACE – THE MOST NEGLECTED RESOURCE
collaboration being fostered by the space. IN CONTEMPORARY KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT?
Ward & Holtham
It was a considerable investment risk for the operating company but now they
have more staff concentrated into a smaller area (square meters) than their The state of the office: The politics and geography
of working space - ISBN 1 85835 942 2 – The Work
original arrangements.
Foundation
One unforeseen drawback was that their coffee is so good that when the other
floors were completed and other group companies moved in, people from these
other divisions would feel free to use their space and drink their coffee, so a
swipe access card system was introduced for the lounge. Again this caused some
consternation but Bram pointed out that the cost came out of IT operating
budget and that if outsiders wanted to use it they could, but at a unit cost per
person.
They have now invested in a jukebox for the lounge area to be used at certain
times.

when space matters | February 2014 page 17 of 19

 My early background was financial yet eclectic: I
spent 25 years in the City as Senior Manager at
about the author Saudi International Bank and as a Vice President at
Zurich Reinsurance.
Since 1998 I’ve run a portfolio of activities: Strategy
& Business Advisor to the CEO of a software and
consultancy group Sopheon PLC; Information &
Knowledge Advisor to the CEO of a leading
I help people and businesses to realise their potential: as an
reinsurance broker BMS Group; and Managing
Advisor; business manager; coach; facilitator; and project Partner Sparknow LLP.
director. An early pioneer of intranets in the mid 90′s and one
I have a broad global experience working at all levels across a range of of the first ‘knowledge managers’ in the City of
industries: energy, finance, development, government, information, knowledge London I’ve led many challenging assignments,
often cross culture, and frequently cross continent.
management, retail and software.
I was a visiting lecturer on knowledge and
information management at London Metropolitan
University and have published numerous articles the
most recent of which is featured in Making
Knowledge Management Work for Your Organization
published by Ark Group in 2012. I speak at and
chair international events. In 2014 I am chairing
KMUK, running masterclasses on knowledge audits
and space and contracted to publish.
Diplomacy intrigues me. I am a member of the Royal
Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House)
and the Institute of Directors. I’ve been the
Chairman of Pyecombe Golf Club and the Manager
of Hassocks Football Club both of which taught me
the need for effective engagement.
Since stepping back from the role of Managing
Partner in the fall of 2012 I’ve combined business
(leading km practice at Sparknow) with ‘pleasure’
(helping to get PlanZheroes charity off the ground
and advising and mentoring a local business through
the early stages of its development).

when space matters | February 2014 page 18 of 19

NetIKX invitation

when space matters | February 2014 page 19 of 19