I would add to Ann Reilly's definition of a knowledge worker. The
knowledge worker has "know-how" that others need; "others" being
co-workers, clients, competitors, etc. Learning how to keep growing in
one's core knowledge area must be combined with learning how to deliver
our "know-how" and to work with the "know-how" of others. I think that a
knowledge worker is characterized by "dynamism" in a chaotic world and by
connectivity, i.e., knowing with whom to connect to respond to constantly
changing opportunities. I'm not sure that formal job descriptions would
ever exclude someone from being a knowledge worker.
dennis
Dennis Bozyk
Madonna University (Michigan)
bozyk@smtp.munet.edu
>I have only a simplistic definition for knowledge worker. It is someone
>whose job depends on what they know (or can learn) as opposed to how much
>weight they can lift or how fast they can turn a wrench. Obviously, many
>jobs are some of both - but the degree of brain vs. brawn is the
>determinant for me.
--DENNIS BOZYK <BOZYK@smtp.munet.edu>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>