Knowledge workers create the innovations and strategies that keep their firms competitive and the economy healthy. Yet, companies continue to manage this new breed of employee with techniques designed for the Industrial Age. As this critical sector of the workforce continues to increase in size and importance, that's a mistake that could cost companies their future. Thomas Davenport argues that knowledge workers are vastly different from other types of workers in their motivations, attitudes, and need for autonomy--and, so, they require different management techniques to improve their performance and productivity.
Based on extensive research involving over 100 companies and more than 600 knowledge workers, Thinking for a Living provides rich insights into how knowledge workers think, how they accomplish tasks, and what motivates them to excel. Davenport identifies four major categories of knowledge workers and presents a unique framework for matching specific types of workers with the management strategies that yield the greatest performance.
Written by the field's premier thought leader, Thinking for a Living reveals how to maximize the brain power that fuels organizational success. Thomas Davenport holds the President's Chair in Information Technology and Management at Babson College. He is director of research for Babson Executive Education; an Accenture Fellow; and author, co-author, or editor of nine books, including Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know (HBS Press, 1997).
About the Author
Thomas H. Davenport is the President’s Distinguished Chair at Babson College and a research fellow at the MIT Center for Digital Business.
As with many excellent books, I read about this in the Economist. Should be required reading for all managers & personnel people in firms and/or institutions employing 'knowledge workers' (industry, academia, research). Such organizations are filled with incompetent, pig-headed managers (sadly, often themselves knowledge workers who've been put in charge of others, based on their technical achievements, while often having terrible people skills) who often put their companies at risk by demotivating and ultimately losing high-quality technical talent (and the know-how they take with them).
Scientists, engineers, technicians, programmers, analysts (lawyers, doctors...) and all the rest of us 'symbol manipulators' are often not so hard to motivate...that's why we're in our field in the first place - but on the other hand, easily de-motivated by arrogant/ignorant managers who micromanage activities they don't understand, apply pressure in obviously counter-productive ways, or fail to understand the real problems and work being done in their area (usually by failing to ASK, LISTEN, THINK, and COMMUNICATE).
Put another way: how important are proprietary know-how and processes to your organization's competitive edge, or experts in your field, how much does it cost you to find(!) talented/skilled people, and then to train them to the point that they begin to be productive (usually a year or more, perhaps even several), and how useful would their vested knowhow be to your competition? Every company cannot and should not try to emulate the Google shangri-la, but if your organization relies on knowledge workers and there seem to be issues with motivating and retaining them, this book will open your eyes and get you thinking. Also a good book to leave lying on the desk of someone who could make a difference, if they're bright enough to use what's in here.
Product Details :
- Hardcover: 240 pages
- Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press (September 13, 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1591394236
- ISBN-13: 978-1591394235
- Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 6.5 x 9.5 inches
More Details about Thinking for a Living: How to Get Better Performances And Results from Knowledge Workers, 1st Edition
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