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Unlocking a Project Teams High-Performance Potential Using Cognitive Redainess: A
Research Study Report and Call to Action
PM World Journal November 2013
1 Cognitive Readiness(CR) nature CR is the optimum state for detect,
generate, store and distribute knowledge, is a positive disposition for evolve
using knowledge for (i)transform data into information, (ii)transform
information into knowledge (iii)generate metacognition (iv)generate new
knowledge. It has three aspects, each one imprescindible (a)Yes attitude
(b)Always ready and (c)Best effort.
CR is also an indicator of the individual and team evolution for manage
knowledge in predictable and stable way. Thus CR belongs to the Knowledge
Managements Field.
There are at least seven fields that must be touched to integrate and enrich the
concept of CR (1)Personal Knowledge Management, (2)Multiple Intelligence
(3)Corporate Knowledge Management (4)learning communities, (5)Machine
learning, (6)Education and (7)Career plan
I have bridges detected for each one of the fields to CR
2. CR as a permanent state for multilevel process. In any human group
there are mental paths for process the common reality, when the group is
oriented to produce wealth, the main asset is knowledge, if its explicit and
communicable, CR is a catalyst for made it self-improvement process for one
person or for the group.

The nature of the whole process of knowledge and the particular process to use
and develop CR are cyclic

I have real experience of applying these concepts in companies

3. Trust is the main ingredient. As in any human group trust is High
Performance Teams are indispensable for growing, but also is hard to achieve
among the individuals and between them and the team, and also between
them and the company. In some cultures trust is not an easy accomplishment
because the corruption, prepotence and abuse are the rule. In general in an
egocentric society, trust is the cement of the construction and also gold. For
transfer your knowledge to the team you must really trust, and this is the basic
action for CR, without bidirectional flow of knowledge CR is not possible.
4. CR as a collection of disciplines, techniques and tools. We receive an
abundant flow of data, information, formal and informal knowledge, our
educations is not prepared for that speed and amount, even if the teams
receive a lot of training in soft and hard skills, technical knowledge, even
couching if they do not know the new tools based in neuroscience and
cognitive science, they will lose many opportunity to implement the knowledge
in the project.

One of the main aspect of CR is Metacognition and Asertiveness, CR as a

collection of disciplines, techniques and tools makes a real difference

I made a experiment with a software company giving the trainees 5 workshops

for Personal Knowledge Management, they reach the next level in only 6
months instead of 24.
As a certified Buzan Lincenced Instructor I fisrt gave them Mind Maps and then
I used for all the other workshops.

5. Cognitive Constrains are Knowledge Barriers. There are abundant

literature, experiments and experience in knowledge barriers in human groups,
companies, teams, is exactly the same of cognitive constrains.
I applied a quest of knowledge barriers in one company of software
6. Maturity Model. Is an chicken-egg problem, what is first a HPT with an
appropriate environment for CR or a team with participants with CR who made
a HPT? It is not trivial, a person with high level of CR in a company with low
level of CR, even in a HPT, could suffer trying to sell paints in an auction with
blind audience. The CR of group or team is not the same than a CR of a
person, even more, the CR of a Team is not the same than a CR of a company.
There is a lot of work to match the maturity model with CR.
Project Management is only a way of thinking or conceptualize the reality to
achieve collective objectives, then the maturity of the group for working with
projects is the maturity of the group for handle collective knowledge, the level
of development of the group to manage personal CR for growing the Groups
CR.
In the call to action of the paper must be the construction of the crosswalk
among maturity models and CR
7.Time management. One aspect that is very important in personal
knowledge management is the personal time management, many PMP and
other participants of the project lacks of a good time management, CR must
include a strong skill of Time Management.
I gave time management workshops because I found that is the highest
barrier for KM in the teams.