How PKM shapes our thinking
reflections from the PKM Summit 2025
A conference is so much more than just absorbing information. It’s a space where you step outside your daily routines and immerse yourself in conversations, ideas, and perspectives that not only make you think but also help you feel how you work, how you learn, and how you organize your knowledge. What stuck with me the most weren’t the tools or methods I could implement, but rather the experiences that reached a deeper level.
Radical reflection: What do you really want to keep?
One of the conversations that got me thinking was about how radically you can choose what to keep and what to let go of. Information flows in constantly, and I open a massive number of URLs every day. But more often than not, I never revisit them. Sometimes that’s perfectly fine—a natural filter that ensures only the truly important things stick. But what if I were more intentional about that selection?
That’s when I had an idea: instead of opening a URL directly in my browser, I could add a small automated step. A shortcut on my iPhone that first saves the link to a list with a tag or parameter for Dataview, and only then opens it in Brave. A subtle, effortless automation that doesn’t get in the way but could provide valuable insights over time.
Taking visual thinking to the next level
Visual thinking has always fascinated me, but after Zsolt’s presentation, I was once again impressed by what’s possible. His way of structuring and visualizing challenged me to take it a step further. I want to expand my Icon Bank: a system where icons are not only categorized but can also be dynamically adjusted and expanded. A kind of personal library of visual elements, making it even easier to enrich my knowledge visually.
I also realized that I often talk about integrating multiple senses into knowledge management, yet I hardly practice it myself. Why not take a step toward experimenting with other senses? One idea that emerged: combining reflection with movement. During my weekly runs, I could not only think but actively reflect on what I’ve learned. Maybe even use an AI assistant to ask deeper questions while running. A GPT that doesn’t just help summarize but also prompts me to pause and process what I truly feel and experience in the moment.
The power of collaboration and conversations
One of the things I’m incredibly happy about was the sessions I facilitated. Organizing a session with Peter Joosten was fantastic. It’s incredibly valuable to co-host a session with someone else: you see how the other person works, you’re challenged to articulate your own thoughts more clearly, and you discover new ways to approach a topic. The session itself led to fascinating discussions and highlighted different aspects of PKM.
In my own session, we discussed cognitive offloading and its risks—how much we actually outsource to our tools and systems, and what that does to our thinking. After that, we explored divergence in PKM. Everything around us seems to push us toward convergence—quick results, generating clear answers. But that’s precisely why it’s so important to consciously create space for divergent thinking.
Diverging with other people turned out to be the most popular answer. So we dug deeper: how do you ensure that conversations with others truly stretch your thinking? What are ways to embed that into your process?
What I loved was that right after my talk, I received all kinds of interesting reflections from others—each going in a different direction. It’s amazing how one story can spark such diverse thoughts. Some of the questions people brought up:
Cognitive offloading also happens in companies that hire consultants, right? Where is the boundary between outsourcing and strengthening your own thinking?
What makes a group effective in providing honest and valuable reflections on your ideas? Not every environment is equally suitable for deep discussions.
Sharing knowledge also builds trust. What does that mean for how we create communities and collaborations?
The intersection of AI and human thinking
What also stood out to me—both in our session on the future of PKM and in various other talks and side discussions—was that personal knowledge management seems to be evolving in two distinct directions. On one hand, there are those who want to optimize everything with AI and automation—the future of knowledge management as a self-organizing system. On the other, there are those who focus on the human aspect of knowledge processing—the value of deep thinking, reflection, and dialogue.
But these two perspectives don’t have to be at odds. In fact, the combination is the most exciting part. We shouldn’t just use AI to structure and optimize; we should also use it to diverge—to explore new perspectives and challenge our thinking. AI can be a powerful tool for injecting more creativity and unexpected connections into our knowledge processes rather than just pushing our thinking faster in a fixed direction.
What’s next?
After a conference, I’m always overflowing with ideas, but I don’t want to fall into the trap of an endless to-do list. What I will do is set up small experiments (thanks, Anne-Laure). Playing with automations, developing visual thinking further, and above all, becoming more mindful of how I process information. Maybe it will turn into something big, maybe not. But one thing is certain: knowledge management is not just a system—it’s a way of thinking.