Rethinking knowledge work: A strategic approach - McKinsey Quarterly

As always, McKinsey Quarterly is on the money when it comes to analysing business trends. In this issue, an insightful piece examines the way that knowledge workers carry out their tasks and discusses to what extent it is possible to establish defined processes for such employees to follow; essentially it is asking: should knowledge workers be fed by the spoonful, or just given their own spoons and allowed to get on with it?

“The problems of free access are fairly obvious: while workers may know how to use technology tools, they may not be skilled at searching for, using, or sharing the knowledge. One survey revealed that over a quarter of a typical knowledge worker’s time is spent searching for information.1 Another found that only 16 percent of the content within typical businesses is posted to locations where other workers can access it.2 Most knowledge workers haven’t been trained in search or knowledge management and have an incomplete understanding of how to use data sources and analytical tools.

Productivity losses can be substantial. Even before the advent of social media, workers in one 2005 survey sponsored by America Online and Salary.com cited personal Internet use as the biggest distraction at work. Another study of workplace productivity found that average knowledge workers access their e-mail more than 50 times, use instant messaging 77 times, and visit more than 40 Web sites a day.3 A UK study suggests that social-media use by knowledge workers costs British companies £6.5 billion a year in lost productivity.4″

This is the dilemma for any established business. Should it try to lock its staff into an established, tight, and (probably) successful methodology; or should it encourage and foster creativity in the interests of the greater long-term benefit to the business by taking the relaxed approach? Different employees benefit from different approaches, but I know which I prefer.

via Rethinking knowledge work: A strategic approach - McKinsey Quarterly - Organization - Strategic Organization.