Industrial Work vs Knowledge Work
November 6 2012, 2:50 AM
In industrial work, we want to manage work for consistent, repeatable, predictable results. Industrial goals are best when they are specific and quantifiable. In such cases, we want to ensure that our goals are as clear and unambiguous as possible. The more specific and measurable the goal is, the better. When we have a clear, precise industrial goal, the best way to address the challenge space is with a business process - a series of steps that, if followed precisely, will create a chain of cause and effect that will lead consistently to the same result.
But in knowledge work we need to manage for creativity - in effect, we don't want predictability so much as breakthrough ideas which are inherently unpredictable.