The Knowledge Cafe: Environment of Evolutionary Project Knowledge and Innovation by Dr Benjamin Anyacho 

Presentation Description

We manage projects. Now, we’ve got to manage project knowledge as knowledge has become the most significant factor of production. By 2030, 76 million baby boomers will walk out of our organizations, taking decades of intellectual capital with them. Hyper-job mobility has a significant loss of knowledge cost (Knowledge Risk) associated with it. Gallup estimates that millennial’s turnover alone costs the US economy $30.5 billion annually. Learning agility, versatility, feedback, making sense of our experiences, and collaboration are no longer optional but are woven into the fabric of high-performing organizations—these should not be cumbersome, but as simple as walking into a corner café. We are pivoting to a new way of learning—the cafe. The “aha” moments and sense-making at one Knowledge Café can match the benefits of multiple conferences, workshops, and training put together.

The Knowledge Café (Café) is a knowledge transfer technique. It’s a conversational space and a mindset for knowledge optimization and innovation. Conversations are like ping-pong games, but how do we get people to go bowling? The café is a learning agility mindset and a space for creating the right environment for successful knowledge management. Fact: you can’t force people to share their knowledge. So, you must create the right knowledge environment—in a café—where knowledge workers are incentivized for a free exchange of knowledge and rejuvenation. Knowledge café construct can unleash a knowledge culture, learning agility in today’s project economy. Café knowledge exchange attitude and learning are where reflective and generative dialogue and discourse are covenanted; debate and diatribe are intentional outside the ground rules. The “aha” moments and sense-making at one Knowledge Café can match the benefits of multiple conferences, workshops, and training put together.

In this session, I will stir your curiosity for knowledge exchange and stewardship and how to design a knowledge café, outlining the principles of a thriving project knowledge environment. 

Presentation Objectives

1. Have their knowledge exchange and stewardship curiosity stirred
2. Be able to outline the design and implementation of a knowledge café
3. Apply the principles of a thriving project knowledge environment. 

Speaker 

Dr. Benjamin Anyacho

Global citizen Benjamin Anyacho, a Nigerian-born Texan for about two decades, is passionate, a quintessential project and portfolio manager, knowledge management (KM) cognoscente for 20+ years, with a mission to mentor one million servant-leaders. He is a fun, engaging, and author Complex-complicated projects and stakeholders are his bailiwicks. He simplifies complexities and gets knowledge transferred seamlessly. Benjamin’s works have been recognized locally and globally. He has presented original content (research papers and presentations) at multiple PMI Global conferences and LIM, NASEM-TRB, AASHTO, university commencements, symposia, etc., and a Journal of Knowledge Management reviewer.

Benjamin is a relational “bridge-builder.” A servant leader who has spent most of his life helping people to become their best. He is a missionary and a philanthropreneur. Complex-complicated projects and stakeholders are his bailiwicks. He is the Executive Director of Apostolic Bridge Builders, Inc. (ABB), Austin, Texas, since 2002. He co-hosted the radio/TV show Austin Arise! and is an Adjunct instructor at Park University and ITT Technical Institute, both in Austin, Texas

He serves on several national and global boards, committees, and project panels. NASEM-TRB’s Information and KM Committee, NCHRP project panels, AASHTO’s Committee on KM, etc.  He is the TRB/AASHTO Information and Knowledge Management Research Subcommittee chair, 2021, a board of trustees’ member of Juliana King University, Houston, where he was honored with a doctorate in leadership. Benjamin was the 2018 charismatic president of the Project Management Institute,  Austin Chapter.

He is a certified PMP®, holds BBA and an MBA in Global Business from St. Edward’s University Austin, Texas. A runner, lives in Austin with his wife, Precious, and two teenage children, Ben and Amara.

Agenda

6:30-7:00pm - Virtual Networking

7:00-8:00- Speaker Presentation