Thousands of people all across Canada are facing the grim reality of financial difficulties over which they are losing control.  The thought of declaring personal bankruptcy as the only way out leads to many a sleepless night and days filled with fear.  Perhaps the toughest burden of all is that far too many people in trouble feel they must confront their troubles completely on their own.

The truth is, you are not alone.  All of us have networks of people around us that are not only there when times are good; they are there in tough times as well.  It takes a special kind of intelligence to recognize these potential supporters – collaborative intelligence.

This is a concept first introduced by a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Business, William Isaacs, in his book Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together. He defined collaborative intelligence as the ability to create, contribute to, and harness the power within networks of people.

Some Canadians view financial well-being as the ultimate measure of success.  The more money you make and the more possessions you own, the more successful you are.  For such individuals, seeking the support of the networks of people surrounding them may be out of the question.  Assumptions guide behavior and if you assume you alone must face your troubles, it is not likely you will tap into your network. Continue reading this post…

There is an old proverb of African origin that says it takes a village to raise a child.  Should we not apply the same proverb to the increasingly crucial issue of eldercare?

In actual practice, it appears the opposite is true in all too many cases.  After a lifetime of togetherness, the often painful task of caring for aging parents is delegated to a single sibling.  The criteria for anointing the sibling caregiver range from proximity to compatibility.  In the end, some families are more than willing to leave that single sibling alone, hanging in the wind. Continue reading this post…

Great post comparing MS with Google in  relation to CQ in computing.

Google announced last night it would be developing an operating system, called Chrome OS, for release in 2010. Just as Microsoft takes aim at Google’s search expertise with Bing, Google is launching Chrome OS (operating system) to compete head-to-head with the software juggernaut’s bread and butter.

Formed to further develop the work initiated by Raymond Kurzweil. the Singularity University is based at NASA. This is a good introduction to what the university is about and also where we might be going as a species  http://bit.ly/4qzqzL

One of the hot topics on the net is ‘How will Google Wave impact online collaboration?  As with many new ‘tools’ often the way people use it and the way it was intended to be used by the developers differ greatly. I wonder what mash-ups will emerge from Wave?  http://bit.ly/CEdht

I am also wondering how Google Wave will effect Peer-to-Peer communication?  http://bit.ly/1Ws6H1

This is a very good question, given the costs associated with implementing software and hardware that is supposed to enable collaboration. Whether collaboration actually does occur or increases is another point entirely. If a team or division was not known for its collaborative efforts before an initiative it is unlikely that throwing resources at the problem will change things. Helping team members to develop their collaborative capacity should be the first step to creating a team that can use technology to further enhance their willingness to collaborate.

This blog post http://bit.ly/4uB4FX  makes some very good arguments about where and when collaboration tools can actually work.

A Thousand Suns tells the story of the Gamo Highlands of the African Rift Valley and the unique worldview held by the people of the region. This isolated area has remained remarkably intact both biologically and culturally. It is one of the most densely populated rural regions of Africa yet its people have been farming sustainably for 10,000 years. Shot in Ethiopia, New York and Kenya, the film explores the modern world’s untenable sense of separation from and superiority over nature and how the interconnected worldview of the Gamo people is fundamental in achieving long-term sustainability, both in the region and beyond.

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