Thinking for a Living

Knowledge workers create the innovations and strategies that keep their firms competitive and the economy healthy. Yet companies continue to manage this new breed of employee with techniques designed for the Industrial Age. As this critical sector of the workforce continues to increase in size and importance, that’s a mistake that could cost companies their future.

Thomas Davenport argues that knowledge workers are vastly different from other types of workers in their motivations, attitudes, and need for autonomy—and so they require different management techniques to improve their performance and productivity. Based on extensive research involving over one hundred companies and more than six hundred knowledge workers, Thinking for a Living provides rich insights into how knowledge workers think, how they accomplish tasks, and what motivates them to excel. Davenport identifies four major categories of knowledge workers and presents a unique framework for matching specific types of workers with the management strategies that yield the greatest performance. Written by the field’s premier thought leader, Thinking for a Living reveals how to maximize the brain power that fuels organizational success.

1. What's a Knowledge Worker, Anyway?
2. How Knowledge Workers Differ, and the Difference It Makes
3. Interventions, Measures, and Experiments in Knowledge Work
4. Knowledge Work Processes
5. Organizational Technology for Knowledge Workers
6. Developing Individual Knowledge Worker Capabilities
7. Investing in Knowledge Workers' Networks and Learning
8. The Physical Work Environment and Knowledge Worker Performance
9. Managing Knowledge Workers
   

A seminal work!>/p>

I am used to good works from Davenport, but this stands out as one of the seminal works in Knowledge Management, that tries to integrate processes and by consequence HR into the mix that is usually dominated by Technology and OD (both of which is still needed).

He skillfully adds back references to Drucker, that finally makes it all come together. An excellently researched book, well written and at enough of a high level that you don't get too descriptive but at the same time give solid and directed advice.

In short, it gets you thinking without you even recognizing what is happening. This is not only a recommended book, but one of the books that you need to have read, not only for yourself but for your organizations future.

By the publication of this book, Davenport has shown himself to be able to stand besides the other real "gurus" (like Drucker, Mintzberg, Jaques, etc.) and not being ashamed for himself. Worst part is that I now must read all he publicizes, as I otherwise may miss something.