(Published in the Manila Standard Today under the Green Light column, Mar 14, 2005)
The number and importance of “knowledge workers” has grown exponentially since the time Peter Drucker coined the term some 30 years ago. A knowledge-worker is one who relies on knowledge rather than skills to perform his or her job. Doctors, lawyers, computer programmers, and technical sales people including the respective managers are examples of knowledge workers.
In the Philippines, the growth in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry led to the increase in the demand and employment of knowledge workers. At the forefront of this growth are the telecommunications and e-services such as contact centers and computer animation. The country is now envisioned to be the next ICT hub and best breeding ground of ICT professionals in Asia.
Challenging managers
With all the importance placed on the ICT knowledge workers, the challenge for managers now is how to improve their productivity and sustain their motivation. The insights of Drucker 30 years ago about “managing the knowledge worker” have never been as relevant as it is today especially in this knowledge-based economy.
“We know that the key to both productivity of the knowledge worker and his achievement is to demand responsibility from him or her”, Drucker asserts. “Direction of the knowledge worker toward contribution rather that effort alone – is the first job of anyone who manages knowledge workers.”
Drucker further maintains “but at the same time, knowledge workers must be able to appraise their contributions”. In other words, the computer programmers, technician, and the like should be able to sit down with management and answer two questions: “What have we contributed in the last two or three years that really made a difference to this company?” and “What should we be trying to contribute the next two or three years so as to make a difference?”
Taking care of expensive workers
The high demand for ICT knowledge workers has led to the increase in their incomes. Knowledge workers are an expensive crop. In a recent study, the Bureau of labor and Statistics noted ICT professionals are among the highest paid in the country.
As knowledge workers are premium employees, their placement in jobs that would lead to the attainment of the organization’s objectives is key to their productivity. Effective management of the knowledge worker, therefore, requires “ a regular, periodic inventory and ranking of the major opportunities”, as Drucker puts it.
Knowing and understanding the skills-sets and strength areas of computer programmers, technical support, and engineers within the organization, and deploying them where they are needed, is fundamental for sustaining their motivations and ensuring productivity among these knowledge workers. Misassignment of knowledge workers beyond their competence areas only dampens their motivation. Worse, promotion of a knowledge worker from one level to another, without any preparation, may only place him or her to a level of incapacity, as posited in The Peter Principle.
Lastly, Drucker places the most importance on “enabling the knowledge workers to do what they are being paid for”. This is perhaps the one which management pays little attention to. How often are the technicians and programmers, who are being paid for understanding the craft and technical problems and keeping up-to-date on the field, bogged down by unproductive meetings that they have very little, if not, no contribution at all? And how about, as Drucker illustrates, “the salesmen, who are being paid for selling and knowing it, cannot sell because of the time demands of the paper work imposed on them by management”?
Creating a conducive work environment
The role of the manager, therefore, is to create an environment for the knowledge worker, which is conducive to productive and motivating work – an environment that frees the knowledge worker from time-wasting meetings and unnecessary office and paper work, insulates him or her from enervating office politics, fosters collaboration among team members, encourages continuous learning for skills enhancement, and poses challenging goals and tasks that make use of the knowledge worker’s expertise.
In other words, the key to managing and motivating knowledge workers is to treat them as associates, and not as subordinates. The knowledge worker and his or her boss are part of a team working on the same set of goals. The manager is not in his or her position to give orders and directions, but to facilitate the attainment of organizational objectives and personal growth of the knowledge worker.
After all, knowledge workers are supposed to be more knowledgeable that their boss. As Drucker affirms “The very definition of a knowledge worker is one who knows more about his or her job than anyone else in the organization."
Making productive use of technically competent knowledge workers is requisite for the survival and superior performance of any organization in this knowledge-based economy. As Drucker puts forward, “The ability to attract and hold the best of the knowledge workers is the first and most fundamental precondition”.
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Reynaldo Lugtu, Jr. teaches Management Principles and Dynamics, Special Topics in Business Management, and Marketing of High-Tech Products and Innovations in the MBA Program of De La Salle Professional Schools. He may be e-mailed at rlugtu2002@yahoo.com.
The number and importance of “knowledge workers” has grown exponentially since the time Peter Drucker coined the term some 30 years ago. A knowledge-worker is one who relies on knowledge rather than skills to perform his or her job. Doctors, lawyers, computer programmers, and technical sales people including the respective managers are examples of knowledge workers.
In the Philippines, the growth in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry led to the increase in the demand and employment of knowledge workers. At the forefront of this growth are the telecommunications and e-services such as contact centers and computer animation. The country is now envisioned to be the next ICT hub and best breeding ground of ICT professionals in Asia.
Challenging managers
With all the importance placed on the ICT knowledge workers, the challenge for managers now is how to improve their productivity and sustain their motivation. The insights of Drucker 30 years ago about “managing the knowledge worker” have never been as relevant as it is today especially in this knowledge-based economy.
“We know that the key to both productivity of the knowledge worker and his achievement is to demand responsibility from him or her”, Drucker asserts. “Direction of the knowledge worker toward contribution rather that effort alone – is the first job of anyone who manages knowledge workers.”
Drucker further maintains “but at the same time, knowledge workers must be able to appraise their contributions”. In other words, the computer programmers, technician, and the like should be able to sit down with management and answer two questions: “What have we contributed in the last two or three years that really made a difference to this company?” and “What should we be trying to contribute the next two or three years so as to make a difference?”
Taking care of expensive workers
The high demand for ICT knowledge workers has led to the increase in their incomes. Knowledge workers are an expensive crop. In a recent study, the Bureau of labor and Statistics noted ICT professionals are among the highest paid in the country.
As knowledge workers are premium employees, their placement in jobs that would lead to the attainment of the organization’s objectives is key to their productivity. Effective management of the knowledge worker, therefore, requires “ a regular, periodic inventory and ranking of the major opportunities”, as Drucker puts it.
Knowing and understanding the skills-sets and strength areas of computer programmers, technical support, and engineers within the organization, and deploying them where they are needed, is fundamental for sustaining their motivations and ensuring productivity among these knowledge workers. Misassignment of knowledge workers beyond their competence areas only dampens their motivation. Worse, promotion of a knowledge worker from one level to another, without any preparation, may only place him or her to a level of incapacity, as posited in The Peter Principle.
Lastly, Drucker places the most importance on “enabling the knowledge workers to do what they are being paid for”. This is perhaps the one which management pays little attention to. How often are the technicians and programmers, who are being paid for understanding the craft and technical problems and keeping up-to-date on the field, bogged down by unproductive meetings that they have very little, if not, no contribution at all? And how about, as Drucker illustrates, “the salesmen, who are being paid for selling and knowing it, cannot sell because of the time demands of the paper work imposed on them by management”?
Creating a conducive work environment
The role of the manager, therefore, is to create an environment for the knowledge worker, which is conducive to productive and motivating work – an environment that frees the knowledge worker from time-wasting meetings and unnecessary office and paper work, insulates him or her from enervating office politics, fosters collaboration among team members, encourages continuous learning for skills enhancement, and poses challenging goals and tasks that make use of the knowledge worker’s expertise.
In other words, the key to managing and motivating knowledge workers is to treat them as associates, and not as subordinates. The knowledge worker and his or her boss are part of a team working on the same set of goals. The manager is not in his or her position to give orders and directions, but to facilitate the attainment of organizational objectives and personal growth of the knowledge worker.
After all, knowledge workers are supposed to be more knowledgeable that their boss. As Drucker affirms “The very definition of a knowledge worker is one who knows more about his or her job than anyone else in the organization."
Making productive use of technically competent knowledge workers is requisite for the survival and superior performance of any organization in this knowledge-based economy. As Drucker puts forward, “The ability to attract and hold the best of the knowledge workers is the first and most fundamental precondition”.
---------
Reynaldo Lugtu, Jr. teaches Management Principles and Dynamics, Special Topics in Business Management, and Marketing of High-Tech Products and Innovations in the MBA Program of De La Salle Professional Schools. He may be e-mailed at rlugtu2002@yahoo.com.
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