Just returning from Denmark (land of some of my ancestors), where I presented a paper at the Aarhus School of Business – “Knowledge 360” conference.
Perhaps the best thing about presenting my paper “Tools and Techniques for Online Cross-Cultural Knowledge Communication” – was that people in the audience knew about research and resources regarding 
cross-cultural innovation that I was not yet aware of. And it is always good to make connections with people who are doing interesting things which promise some potential of future collaboration.
One of the strangest things is that one of the most prolific faculty at the business school there, Connie Kampf, used to be the friendly girl serving me and my friends Orange Julius when we were teenagers at the Eden Prairie Center shopping mall in Minnesota years and years ago! (It is easy to remember because it was located near the arcade where we could get free tokens for getting good grades on our school report cards.)
In the last couple years, since we have both received
our doctorates, I randomly met her in Malta, again in Estonia, now in Denmark and will see her later next month in the south of France!
Just goes to show what a crazy, small world this is – and that you never really know the potential or future of any ordinary person you meet on the street!
*So don’t give up on me just yet, I might one day do something worthwhile. 🙂 (No promises – but I’m just saying it is a possibility.)
Hey, I just figured out that at least some blogs are not blocked in China- yours being one of them!
I like your perspective on your presentation- where many would not look at that as a positive thing- that those you presented to might know more in some areas. The mind-set of a true learner!
Phew – it is good to know that I haven’t been blocked in China yet. 🙂
Also, thanks for the compliment. If I got discouraged every time someone knew more than me, I would indeed be a very miserable person. 🙂
I do like to use every teaching/presenting experience equally as a chance to learn. I think it makes it more fun that way. And one of the technologies presented by Martin Eppler at this conference (Infocus – http://www.lets-focus.com) I think invites that kind of collaborative sharing and learning environment and mindset (at least more than something like the frequently mind-numbing PowerPoint presentations which I think all of us have had to endure at times).
Huh. I expected to learn about cool new collaboration technology. But it’s neat to hear about your own methods of collaboration. I need to understand the technology behind that sort of chance encounter so that I can get a few of my own. I sometimes meet people I know in the airport…
Ha! Yes, a technology for chance encounters…hmmm…
I was going to recommend an online dating service, but you are already married. 🙂
Seriously though, I have been surprised how many friends from a long time ago I am now reconnecting to via FaceBook. I just connected this week with two of my best friends from grade school that I don’t think I have heard from since we graduated!
The other thing that I find strange is that friends from so many places, time periods, and social groups are all kind of merged together in the same place. It was kind of strange at first, but I am slowly getting used to it now.
Are you on FaceBook yet?
I haven’t yet ventured to try out Facebook. I guess I have a LinkedIn profile, but I’ve mostly used blogs to keep track of friends and hunt down new ones. I guess it’s not as efficient though, but it lets me pretend I have a little more control over the process.
No offense, but I think I get more out of mind-numbing power points than…
“let´s focus ist ein praxisnahes, die verschiedenen Prozesse bei Sitzungen und Workshops sehr gut unterstützendes Tool.”
(Let’s focus is a something something, the something something and work shops very good tool of some sort)
I don’t know. Maybe it’s about the same. =o)
Whoops – I probably should have given you the English link, huh?
http://en.lets-focus.com/index.php
That should make a little more sense.