Thinking for a living : how to get better performance and results from knowledge workers /

What's a knowledge worker, anyway?-How knowledge workers differ, and the difference it makes-Interventions, measures, and experiments in knowledge work-Knowledge work processes-Organizational technology for knowledge workers-Getting personal: developing individual knowledge worker capabilities-Investing in knowledge workers' networks and learning-The physical work environment and knowledge worker performance-Managing knowledge workers.

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.