Why Information is not enough for Knowledge

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If I gave you all the available information about the deep geology of the offshore waters of Angola, would you know where the undiscovered oilfields are hiding?

If I gave you all the information about the beer-buying habits of the Brazilians, would you know how to put together a marketing campaign to increase the market share of Brahma beer by 10%?

If I gave you all the information about the engine performance of your Audi Quattro, would you know what to do to increase that performance by 5%?

Unless you are an outstanding individual, you would not be able to answer Yes to all of the above.

In each case, information is not enough. You need to have something else - you need to have Knowledge before you can make effective use of that information. Knowledge of oil exploration, or marketing, or car engines and how to tune them.

That knowledge comes from experience - both your own experience, and the experience of other professionals. Providing information to people is not enough, you need to give them access to shared experience, so that they have the knowledge they need to make the best decisions, and to deliver performance improvements and business results.