IT Demystified – Buzzwords – Knowledge Workers
Knowledge worker is not a new term but it is one that is becoming more refined each day.
Traditionally a knowledge worker was someone who used their head and not their hands. So if you had an office job, and latterly used a computer, then you qualified.
In recent years there has been a focus on automating humans out of the loop. Fierce competition from emerging economies is forcing organisations to drive out costs. And humans are costly.
So working at a computer processing information no longer guarantees you a place in the post industrial economy.
So the modern day knowledge worker is more than just an organic extension to a corporate process. They actually deal in what they know (knowledge) rather than what the computer offers (information) knowledge.
The game is to be able to do what computers cannot (yet) do. So the more you are able to apply your knowledge in a creative manner the more likely you are to remain in play.
Ask yourself the question, do people think of you more as a bank clerk (process-oriented) or Salvador Dali (creative). That will give you a clue as to whether you are a knowledge worker or not.
