Aim Quote by John Kao
“In a corporate context, companies have to try very hard to oppose the enticements of conventional wisdom. They must aim for the leaps, which means that companies have to do more than simply manage their knowledge, which is composed of the insights and understandings they already know. They also have to manage the knowledge-generation process. It's not just about, "Oh, we're going to create a data warehouse and we are going to invent a computerized filing system to get at all the stuff we know."”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Innovation Engine, John Kao, 2004
Companies must resist conventional wisdom and focus on creating new knowledge, not just managing existing insights.
In simple terms: Innovate beyond existing knowledge.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize knowledge creation over simple management.
Themes
innovation
knowledge management
leadership
strategy
Mood
determined
forward‑thinking
Type
strategic
inspirational
When to use this quote
- product development
- R&D
- strategic planning
- market disruption
Key Concepts
knowledge generation
disruptive thinking
organizational learning
Questions to Reflect On
- How can firms balance existing knowledge with new knowledge generation?
- What structures support continuous knowledge creation?
A Different Perspective
Creating new knowledge is costly and uncertain.
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