Diane Tunick Morello, Gartner

[ 12 Oct 2001 ] The tribe of knowledge workers is increasing, and managers must learn how to inspire and challenge them, Gartner analyst Diane Tunick Morello advised participants Friday, October 12, at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2001.

Ms. Tunick Morello, a Gartner vice president who focuses on workforce strategies, presented “Knowledge Workers: Tapping Into Top Talent.”

“Knowledge workers are people whom enterprises trust enough to make smart decisions within their respective domains,” she said. “They understand their domain of influence, knowledge, activity and responsibility.”

Knowledge work entails the creation, transformation and analysis of data, information and knowledge to generate value-added products and services.

For the benefit of these creative employees - and for the benefit of the enterprise - Ms. Tunick Morello said managers must find ways to balance the workers’ needs for learning and new situations against the enterprise’s need for efficiency. Corporate leadership will play a key role in this effort.

Because knowledge workers thrive on innovation, they tend to seek employers that offer them new roles, relationships and opportunities.

To attract and retain the best knowledge workers, Ms. Tunick Morello recommended:

• Making the workplace “person-centric,” not “place-centric.”

• Designing and distributing work so that everyone operates at peak levels.

• Defining tasks by work roles rather than job descriptions. This strategy will lead to an agile workforce.

“Executives and managers must play one primary role,” she said. “They must create the culture, values, work environment, tools and galvanizing purpose that drives collaboration, innovation and organizational excellence.”

Knowledge workers will rally around leaders who infuse their work with inspiration, context and a sense of purpose, she concluded.

« Back