Poor
Learning from Experience
Companies
have rarely evaluated the returns on their new initiatives.
There is an 'astounding lack of knowledge about what actually
improves performance.'
'Measures, controls, hypotheses and even the
recording of lessons learned are often lacking. Instead it seems
that fad, fashion and faith drive most decisions about new work
environments for knowledge workers.'
Without
measurement there can never be process improvement. Currently
the researchers state that technology support has not shown
any marked change in user behaviour. It was only when 'extensive
training and coaching' to high-end knowledge workers on IT software
was faithfully provided that some true electronic-learning skills
were generated.
More collaborative
office design showed similar failings without overt incentives
and support. Few staff members are actually using the meeting
places designed in offices... because they are not rewarded
for doing so but its usage may be seen as discretionary time,
ie., downtime which appears unproductive. Management has obviously
not examined the success of these new social interaction workplaces
to make improvements. However, there are some successes when
this has been done.
Corning
R & D achieved increased usage in these meeting areas when
the director was seen to frequent them routinely twice a day.
The director saw clear results, stating that 'the best ideas
resulted from the discussions held there' and modelled it for
their staff.
Reluctance
To Change the Knowledge Work
Especially at the high-end of knowledge work, there seems to
be a reluctance, if not, resistance to altar the work roles.
Knowledge workers themselves sometimes resist changes intended
to optimise knowledge work. Three approaches have been clearly
seen.
Reengineering
Process Approach - controlling knowledge generation and flows,
such as codifying and documenting repeatable processes in a
growing number of less structured tasks (compared to lower level
knowledge work jobs like order fulfilment, invoicing, staff
benefits etc.). One example is Partners Healthcare that collated
patient and medical data into one complex decision-making database.
Practice
Approach - more organic development, having implicit coordination
and exploration. Examples are hiring smart people and leaving
them alone to develop their expertise. Another example is limiting
the numbers of staff in abusiness unit or location to optimise
the social learning relationships.
Combination
of Process and Practice. Examples are well-structured brainstorming
sessions as well as prototyping initiatives with a continuously
iterated process.
Davenport
et al summarise the paper with some clearly discovered rules of
thumb in optimising knowledge worker performance :
1. Accept
that there are invariably several categories of knowledge work
in an organisation.
2. Provide
continued room for choice in a knowledge worker's role because
it is both immediatly productive and in long-term a strong staff
retention factor.
The researchers
then created a workable 'Framework of Work Setting Solutions.'
The framework provides the appropriate work-setting solution for
a particular knowledge worker's real needs. The two dimensions
used are the Degree of Choice one has in their work and the Degree
of Segmentation (level of knowledge work) and a fuller explanations
is given in the paper. Their warning is not to be forever fixed
on a solution since work roles inevitably change and new solutions
will be required. Customise the solution for optimal alignment
of needs and outcomes.
HUMAN LEARNING -
NATURAL DRIFT TO LOOSE COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
