The knowledge game

Learning through knowledge should be no stranger to us. We have accomplished this playing games as children or in perfecting new skills later in life. Business, like life, is full of countless opportunities for us to build our capacity, agility and expertise. To a very large extent business success is determined by how well we play these knowledge games and how well we understand the dynamics of being human.

Whether we are at home or work winning the knowledge game is a skill we cannot ignore. Irrespective of whether you like or dislike the games people play, it is very difficult to remain detached and unaffected by the fact that you will need to interact and learn with each other to solve life s challenges.

To be successful contemporary business needs a knowledge game plan. Managers must encourage a business culture where ideas and talent can be built without unnecessary obstruction and interference. Knowledge is not something that you can manage or box. It often has a personality all of its own, where it can grow, fade away and change without warning. As a result, managers need to be wary of exerting too much control and command and be more tolerant of teamwork, collaboration and sharing.

More often than not it is our capacity to inspire imagination, foster talent and put knowledge to work that makes us stand apart from other businesses. As Laurence Prusak, an international authority on knowledge and innovation, says the only thing that...