I am Noga, and my professional identity is comprised of several components. I am an organizational psychologist, a lecturer, a group director, and a Knowledge Management consultant. My work at ROM envelopes, contains and connects these various components.
I arrived at ROM many years ago as a young organizational consultant, originally involved in the field of research and evaluation. All I knew about Knowledge Management was that it involves using content trees, organizational portals, lists of properties and values to manage documents. I was glad to have the opportunity to work for leading organizations and contribute to the optimization.
I gradually evolved, I became a mother. I became aware of the community in which I live, the individuals that live in it and are delighted when they can be together.
I began searching for a deeper meaning in my work. I asked myself whether there's a way in which I can help these people connect to their own abilities and strengths. Assist them in connecting to one another and generate a sense of togetherness which in my opinion is the most powerful and empowering force.
I became involved with my first knowledge development group coincidentally. I began directing and was charmed. I saw miracles performed before me: a group was born, then grew, overcame and contributed.
Groups began as a collection of individuals with no common denominator, each fearing that they have nothing to contribute to the other participants. What if inviting them here was simply a mistake? Yet they begin talking: someone shares a painful story of her experience of professional failure, and surprisingly the other members encourage here, point to other aspects that she might've neglected, highlight the small successes hidden in her story.
These little stories take form and become a meaningful professional doctrine that can change the lives of both sides of this process.
During the early stages, I did not understand some things that occurred in the group. Hesitation during the first meetings; conflicts during later stages; meetings cancelled due to change of location or a difficulty to finish the process and constant delaying of the last meetings. I wanted to understand more and went to learn. I became a professional. I understood how my direction method and adapting it to situations, stages and the different characteristics of these workers can benefit and promote the group.
Today, I'm very proud of my work as director of knowledge development and instruction teams in ROM. Yes, the groups evolve into great teams.
Besides the process's significant contribution to the organization, I am proud of the interpersonal process the teams promote. I am proud of people that start as strangers, then bravely learn to speak with people that previously intimidated them professionally. I am proud of the collaborations the team has generated. I am proud of the sense of belonging, the professional pride that the participants have developed and their faith in their abilities and the organization's abilities that develops as the process proceeds and their ability to contribute to themselves as well as to their community and society.
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