23 May Knowledge-Worker Productivity (...asset...cost.)

[Paul Terlemezian]

Drucker identifies six major factors that will determine knowledge worker productivity.

 

There is an emphasis on innovation, autonomy, learning, teaching, quality and....treating the knowledge worker as an "asset" rather than a "cost."

 

This last part is what will hold the key to productivity improvements of knowledge workers.

 

Knowledge work is focused on data, knowledge of what to do with the data and the quality of the decisions that are made with the knowledge. Underlying this will be the cost and speed with with the decisions are made.

 

Drucker asserts that Knowledge Worker productivity demands that we ask the question - "What is the task?"

 

Given that the task is understood we need to allow the Knowledge Worker to accomplish it with autonomy and be responsible for innovation in doing so. This will require that they are learning all the time and Drucker asserts that they must also apply continuous teaching (who are they teaching?)

 

What will it take for us to treat knowledge workers as an asset vs. a cost?