Those who have heard me speak know that I often quote Dee Hock, the Founder of Visa, and one of the great business innovators of our time.
I use his quote below to describe how technology is evolving us, how we’re evolving technology and how both are evolving culture.
- Noise becomes data when it has a cognitive pattern.
- Data becomes information when assembled into a coherent whole, which can be related to other information.
- Information becomes knowledge when integrated with other information in a form useful for making decisions and determining actions.
- Knowledge becomes understanding when related to other knowledge in a manner useful in anticipating, judging and acting.
- Understanding becomes wisdom when informed by purpose, ethics, principles, memory and projection.
Further, I map this evolution to a timeline:
1945-1965
Noise to Data
1965-1985
Data to Information
1985-2005
Information to Knowledge
2005-2025
Knowledge to Understanding
2025-2045
Understanding to Wisdom
Today, we are Knowledge Workers evolving into Understanding Workers. Understanding Workers use technology to anticipate, judge and act. Think about it. This is what we’re doing with FitBit, Quantified Self, 23andMe.com, Facebook, and so many other technologies of this era.
As we move into an Era of Conscious Computing, we’ll also be moving deeper into Understanding and closer toward Wisdom.
Great quote. Very true and true under multiple conditions, including political.
I would like to receive your blog postings via e mail. thanks,
Linda-
Dee Hock is one of my favorites as well — Love the word “chaordic” and how he thinks about organizations and people. Had the opportunity to speak with him in 2003/2004. His book inspired me to write this post drawing parallel of the intent of his creation of VISA years ago and that of Jack Dorsey’s Square these days. Just thought I’d share it with you.
http://www.thinkingoutloud.com/eg_ventures/2009/12/will-square-be-the-visa-of-the-21st-century.html