Title: The power of not-knowing and our experiencing for adaptability and innovation-in-practice

Authors: Patrícia Cristina Do Nascimento Souto

Addresses: Ibirapuera University, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract: This conceptual study is concerned with core conditions for responding innovatively or adaptively in an ever-changing, increasingly complex, ambiguous and nonlinear work context. In such context, we need to constantly adapt and innovate. For such, what is more appropriate is a practice-based way of knowing and locally responding, adapting or innovating, that is, a knowing-as-we-go, not before we go, which inherently requires: 1) an attentive awareness of the particular experiencing we are in and its unfolding; 2) a not-knowing way of being. However, most of the time we are disconnected from our practical experiencing, from what is going on, and our western thinking disregard, avoid and have difficulties in a not-knowing way of being, both for varied reasons. The main contribution includes understanding innovation-in-practice as a skilled knowing-as-we-go process, for which the power of awareness of our practical-experiencing and a not-knowing way of being in it are core conditions.

Keywords: not-knowing; knowing-as-we-go; knowing-in-practice; innovation-in-practice; adaptability; knowing; knowledge creation; innovation; creativity; awareness; attention; perception; beginner's mind; wayfinding; learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTLID.2020.112752

International Journal of Technological Learning, Innovation and Development, 2020 Vol.12 No.4, pp.310 - 351

Received: 25 Oct 2020
Accepted: 04 Nov 2020
Published online: 01 Feb 2021 *

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