I am often asked by friends and peers how I use Twitter and Co. Social media is part of my PKM habit. The term PKM = Personal Knowledge Management was coined by Harold Jarche. He developed the seek – sense – share framework. I find this simple and clear framework really useful as it differentiates the three essential stages of my personal learning habits: reaching out to others for valuable information and filtering information (seeking); reflection and digestion, the crucial step (sensing); and finally I share my insights, stories and reflection with others.
PKM is a set of processes, individually constructed, to help each of us make sense of our world, work more effectively, and contribute to society. PKM means taking control of your professional development, and staying connected in the network era, whether you are an employee, self-employed, or between jobs.
Harold Jarche
How does my “seek – sense – share habit” look like?
My seek-sense-share habit
Social media plays a role. Furthermore I am also journaling a lot, as I am a reader- writer type of learner. I also started drawing, which is an interesting experience. This new habit is not only fun, it also sparks my imagination and supports my thinking and reasoning. I brought Jarche’s idea to visualize our PKM habits (see his blog What is your PKM routine or Jane Hart’s entry My daily PKM routine practices and toolset) to the Swiss Knowledge Management Think Table. This is a community of knowledge sharing and organizational learning practitioners.
Here our harvest. We came up with the following conclusion:
- Seeking is like fishing. Depending on the weaving of the net or the lures we use we make our catches more accidentally of more strategically. Some of the KM Think Table members make use of social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blog Feeders etc.) and mailing lists. Others prefer the personal exchange. Many mix the two approaches.
- Sensing is like cooking. In the sensing phase, the group privileged very much the personal conversation to connect the dots, to combine ideas, to add new thinking, to challenge old patterns and understand. Through conversation we make meaning. We are learning. Sense making is therefore social.
- Sharing is inviting guest to the table for a joint meal. Sharing is also celebrating.
Our drawing and exchange exercise made clear that we are different type of learners and our learning style influences our PKM habits.
Let’s walk the talk – we are sharing and organizational learning professionals. Or in the words of Even Le Brogne: “We share because we care.”
Thank You Charlotte, Bertha, Camille, Nina, Riff, Jon-Andri, Carlos, David, Michaela, Cecilia, and Stefan for sharing your drawings!
What is your personal sharing and learning habit?
Learning Moments 
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