Definition: Knowledge Work (or ‘Thinking’ Work)

Knowledge Work is a pattern of activity that can continue over time before producing an outcome. It is a stream of activity and/or interactions between individuals which generates (or supports the generation of) a high value outcome in the eyes of the organization.

Seven Characteristics of Knowledge Work

1 - Higher Value, Often Complex, Outcomes
There is a strategic nature to knowledge work. The intent behind knowledge work is fundamental to the organization’s mission and success, whether it is patient safety and satisfaction, guest satisfaction, or technology, market, product or service development.

2 - Future Focused – Building the Future State
Because the intent is strategic, the time horizon is often future-focused, and knowledge work serves to enhance the capability of the enterprise to survive and prosper over a number of years. Whether it is creating a patient who will be inclined to contribute financially to the hospital, or a guest who will remain loyal for a lifetime, or a product or service which can represent years of higher margins (and secure employment), knowledge work builds up an organization.

3 - Observable Activities and Interactions
Knowledge work it is composed of activities and interactions between individuals – and can be observed over time. Here are a few examples: responding well to a customer, mentoring a junior manager for a few minutes a month, washing hands prior to starting to work on a new patient, responding positively to an employee’s new idea, or resolving issues with a technology/ product development team. The difference between a typical nurse and an outstanding one normally doesn’t involve seeing three times the number of patients per shift, but rather the way the nurse treats each patient. Like a coach, who can see players’ level of effort, managers can see these interactions occurring and see knowledge work’s impact over time.

4 - Less Measurable - Lack of Transactions
Each of the above examples of knowledge work would be difficult to numerically measure throughout a work day without some additional recording effort. In fact, by adding superfluous recording tasks, management can extinguish or fatigue the target behavior (it’s what Peter Drucker was referring to above). This is the ‘soft’, culture side of business which is ignored as brokers buy and sell stock but absolutely contributes to business performance. This ultimately leads to a management choice – expend effort trying to measure these interactions or devote resources to encouraging these interactions.

5 - Less Decision Structure
The activities and interactions are usually not set out in great detail by management because of the spontaneous nature of the interchanges and/ or the expertise involved resides with the employees’ (in the case of experienced specialists). SMG research found unstructured activities and interactions to be responsible for the majority of future business revenue (e.g. leadership, development, customer service, innovation, etc.).

6 - More Personal Judgment
As there is less structure provided by the corporation when compared with other activities, knowledge work is dependent on the personal judgment of employees as they navigate daily activities and interactions. Again, this forces an elemental management choice: to trust employee decision-making (and all that entails) or to trust management and prescribe every possible interaction. The cultural and performance implication of this decision echoes for years within an organization.

7 - Sensitive to Work Environment (Culture, Leadership)
Since personal judgment is so important to knowledge work, it is extremely sensitive to the work environment. The prevailing culture involves what behaviors are encouraged or tolerated (there is little difference) and what behaviors are discouraged. Knowledge work involves people investing their creativity, passion, and intellect in daily interactions. If an organization lets individuals (really, leaders) treat these investments as trivial by allowing political manipulation, then the most promising innovators and service providers de-subscribe and purpose to do only what’s required. The result is a mediocre, hollowed-out workplace.

Implication: Knowledge Work Requires a New Approach
Not surprisingly, knowledge work doesn’t respond well to traditional management tools, which originated in manufacturing. While the productivity of earlier production functions could be evaluated by looking at quantity and quality, complex development roles can juggle 15 or more competing factors in an effort to produce a satisfactory outcome. Industry leaders are surprised that techniques from a less-complex and less-competitive time are still applied to sophisticated knowledge work environments. Doug Cooper, Canada Country Leader for Intel observed, "There is still an industrial-age, widgets per hour approach to managing knowledge workers that is prevalent in many organizations."

A new approach is needed – more about this in future articles.

(c) Streamlined Management Group Inc. 2007 - All rights reserved

Comments

[Vikrant Raina]

I am a Mechanical Engineer. Right now i am working in a consumer durables industry as an industrial Engineer. I want get information about lean manufacturing, as you must have heard & also about new tools & techniques available to reduce the reduce the main 7 losses experienced in shop floor.
They are as follows:
1. Loss due to excessive Production
2.Loss of waiting Time
3.Transportation loss
4.Stock Loss
5.Loss in working itself
6.Moving Loss
7. Rejection Loss
I would be grateful if any one can guide me over this issue

[Keith Miles]

Vikrant - some advice from practical experience.
1- Loss due to excess production: pace production to demand by working on two things at once pacing production to demand daily, and working to reduce change over effort to allow multiple changes per day (so you can pace production to demand). In one client, material handler set up the production kanban to store 3 days requirements, then the rest of the facility worked only to keep the kanban full - and once it was they all full stopped. Dramatic improvment in material throughput.

2 - loss of waiting: same issue - pacing production to one day's demand.

3 - Transportation loss: here hopefully we're talking about lost time not material = same issue pacing the production to a day's demand will force you to look at your workflow and batching quantities and make them smaller to speed the velocity of material through the facility.

4 - Stock loss: Shrinkage? Stealing or not finding or locating the item - not sure but cleaning out the shop floor and processing only a day's worth will free up space and make whatever is left, very easy to find.

5 - Loss in working itself: SMED single minute exchange of die + theory of contraints.

6,7 - Moving and rejection loss: Again theory of constraints and simple problem solving to identify (and hopefully to eliminate) root causes of material quality problems (Check machine, setup, and operator variability first).

Overall - SMED or Single minute exchange of die helps you look at work differently (internal vs external production activities) and sequence it differently to improve capacity. Eli Goldratt, wrote The Goal (about applying the Theory of Constraints to a small manufacturing facility) - absolutely the best book for you - learn all this in a fun instructive way - illustrates the principles and applications of all the things on your list. Enjoy.