Training Industry Magazine - Fall 2022 - 27

major organizations in a wide range of
industries and several regions of the
world. The effectiveness of these projects
enables management to witness firsthand
the potential of management systems
designed specifically to support knowledge
workers. In many cases, these projects
compel organization-wide transformations
to support all knowledge workers.
Perhaps the challenge isn't that
we don't know how to improve the
productivity of knowledge workers.
Rather, it is that executives need to see
it work (i.e., at least a pilot program)
within their operation before they will
bet on a change that could disrupt
current success.
This is where L&D gets involved. In most of
our projects, the company's L&D function
provides essential support, including
employee and executive interviews,
group facilitation, work analysis,
development program design, and more.
Few, if any, other company functions
understand both human work and human
nature, which are central to improving
knowledge worker productivity.
HOW IS KNOWLEDGE
WORK DIFFERENT?
Current management principles, systems
and methods were conceived to control
manual work, which creates value by
performing standardized tasks - hence
the engineering maxim, " variation creates
waste. " In contrast, knowledge work
depends on variation to create value, with
knowledge workers customizing their
response to each opportunity to maximize
the value created. Figure 1 on page 28
illustrates this and other differences.
Manual work is divided into standardized
tasks - the people performing this work
are told what, where and how to do their
work. The result is work that can be
taught to and performed by most people
to yield predictable output at the lowest
possible wage cost.
In contrast, knowledge work begins with
human capital - a person's potential to
create socioeconomic value based on
their education, capability development
and experience. This human capital
is matched with responsibilities that
convey specific opportunities to apply
this potential to create value.
productivity is best improved by realizing
more of the value potential inherent in
each opportunity, which is contingent on
three primary factors:
The L&D function
understands both
human work and
human nature,
which are central
to improving
knowledge worker
productivity.
Whereas knowledge workers can create
" minimum " value just by assuming a
responsibility (i.e., response-ability), they
can create additional if not unlimited
value by:
* Providing exceptional
service
(e.g., perceive unspoken needs,
demonstrate sincere concern).
* Exceeding typical
business
outcomes (e.g., secure a larger
contract, lower costs).
* Creating intellectual assets with
continuing value (e.g., develop
software, improve process).
* Supporting management's strategic
intentions (e.g., encourage others,
take initiative).
It is this virtually unlimited potential to
create value that should drive any attempt
to improve knowledge worker productivity.
Indeed, the future success of most
businesses will depend on management's
continuing ability to identify sources of
new socioeconomic value for knowledge
workers to actualize.
STOP LIMITING KNOWLEDGE
WORKER PRODUCTIVITY
Manual worker productivity is best
improved by reducing labor costs. In
sharp contrast, knowledge worker
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - FALL 2022 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
1. Job and role design (e.g.,
" win-win " employment terms,
robust responsibilities, challenging
opportunities, minimal unrelated
time demands).
2. Knowledge worker capability
(e.g., human capital, role mastery,
achievement intention, work ethic, selfdiscipline,
character, relationships).
3. Organizational support (e.g.,
minimal constraints, autonomy,
supportive culture, helpful manager,
onboarding, development, technology,
facilities, adequate resources).
Before we focus on how to improve
knowledge worker productivity, take
a moment to
recall
a
few
specific
knowledge workers in your organization
(including yourself), and consider their
situation relative to these three factors.
Can you imagine how potential changes
to any of the above factors could improve
the person's productivity?
Chances are you can, because most
organizations
continue
to manage all
or most of their people with the same
top-down control-oriented management
principles, systems and methods
conceived a century ago to manage
manual workers. Management's instinct
is to retain these methods because they
have been highly effective in years past.
The bottom line is that most knowledge
workers are being managed like manual
workers, which is counterproductive.
These are capable people with complex
challenges and they need to be organized
and managed to give them every possibility
to maximize the value realized from their
responsibilities and specific opportunities.
YOU CAN IMPROVE
KNOWLEDGE WORKER
PRODUCTIVITY
The best place to begin to improve
knowledge worker productivity is by better
aligning relevant management principles,
systems and methods with the knowledge
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Training Industry Magazine - Fall 2022

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