Awakening the Unconsciously Incompetent

[Pamela Meyer]

Our burning issues related to this topic include:

Assisting those in the Neutral Zone
Those who Don’t Recognize the Need to Know
Overcoming Inertia
Barrier Breaking
Personal Profit

[Dan Heck]

While we were developing the category title, I was in the back of the room searching for a phrase John Kao uses in his new book, Innovation Nation, How America is Loosing Its Innovation Edge, Why It Matters, and What We Can Do to Get it Back.
A paragraph from his book (page 7): "I decided to write this book out of a feeling of alarm over the nation's ever-duller cutting edge. In some ways, our country is in the position of someone suffering from anosognosia, a brain malfunction I first encountered as a medical student at Yale. Imagine a stroke victim with a paralyzed left arm and leg who denies that he is paralyzed. Anosognosia often begins with a right-brain injury that typically blocks the patient from feeling or even comprehending the left side of his body. The only know relief from anosognosia is a squirt of ice water in the patient's left ear, the shcok causing a temporary return of feeling.
This book is my attempt to squirt ice woater in America's ear."

So- whose ear are we wanting to squirt water into!?

[Pamela Meyer]

Attached is the summary of our "So What/What's Next?" Conversation on Awakening the Unconsciously Incompetent. Please respond with your additional thoughts and ideas for continuing the conversation.

[Marilyn Fettner, MA, MCDP]

I agree. It's essential to find a way to reach students and inform them about all of these issues. As mentioned, getting the business community involved can be invaluable. It's vital to get students and the business community thinking together about innovative talent needs in the workplace -- new competencies/occupations -- that can fill a void and move us forward, collectively. Occupational growth in innovative, niche areas provides immeasurable opportunities for growth as a country, as well.

Marilyn Fettner 4-23-08
[e-mail]