Steve Collins wrote the following:
Shawn Callahan of Anecdote argues that the need for the term knowledge worker is redundant now that technology is ubiquitous in the developed world and that almost every worker trades in knowledge of some sort. He sees its use as a way to discriminate between identified knowledge workers and those whose roles are not traditionally viewed this way:
It’s an dark undercurrent and tacitly becomes a basis for discrimination. “Our salespeople are knowledge workers but our gas fitters are not.” I suspect this feeling of superiority comes from the erroneous data-information-knowledge model where knowledge (and even more ridiculously, wisdom) sits at the pinnacle of the pyramid.
I see where Shawn is going with his argument, particularly in developed nations. But I agree with Matthew Hodgson, who puts forth an alternative position that Shawn’s views are misplaced. Matthew argues that Shawn misses an opportunity to communicate an understanding of knowledge work outward from the insider community to the larger workforce and organisational management who don’t necessarily label themselves as knowledge workers - “Oh, no! I work in marketing/HR/finance/logistics/whatever.”
This is the story so far as I can tell:
- Shawn sees every worker as a knowledge worker and worries about discrimination against perceived non-knowledge workers.
- Matt is worried about over-generalisation that implies an under-specialisation of the knowledge worker role, and what might happen in a world without knowledge workers.
- Steve is worried that people might read Shawn’s post and think that identified knowledge workers are no longer necessary.
Generally speaking, these guys know what they are on about. All three are respected within their own fields of endeavour. By the tone of the three posts, we can probably guess that Shawn doesn’t identify as a knowledge worker - but Matt and Steve do, and are looking to defend the distinct identity of the term.
There is a discrimination, if subtle, against non-knowledge workers by those who see themselves as being different. I’ve seen it. Wherever one profession sets themselves above another, there are territorial disputes - this piece of the project is mine, that is yours, don’t touch. Following the example set in IA recon, I think that the defenders of the concept need to separate knowledge worker as a role from knowledge work as an activity - then they may find more common ground with people like Shawn (and I) who see the role as devalued but the activity as essential.
Insanity took me a couple of months ago and I’ve been a Dodo customer (of sorts) ever since. I say “of sorts” because they haven’t provided me with much of any kind of service yet, and they haven’t billed me so I haven’t paid them. It’s a funny relationship.
Dodo has issues. Here is a rough timeline:
- A couple of months ago I filled out a Dodo website form, seeking further information on their broadband/landline plans.
- A few days later a salesrep called, and I confirmed the broadband/landline deal with him.
- The following week, a technical salesrep called, and said that I would have to pay an extra $300 or so for my landline as I wasn’t getting broadband at the same time. This is where things went seriously wrong - I spent an hour and a half on the phone to them, talking to representatives of five different departments. Five. The first couple of people I spoke to couldn’t be convinced that I had originally ordered the broadband and landline together, and the next three departments were concerned with cancelling the original order. I repeatedly sought assurance that they were going to be sending me a broadband router.
- The landline was connected a couple of weeks back. Surprise surprise, they sent the technicians to the wrong address, so these guys were wandering up and down my street calling me on their mobiles as they couldn’t believe that they had been sent to the wrong place. I know Dodo have my right address, as they have sent me mail here.
I do have the landline - it does work, woohoo, but still no broadband, and no router.
If this was an isolated incident then I would be feeling a bit paranoid - but Dodo is infamous for the highest number of complaints of any Australian ISP, twice that of runner-up Bigpond.
Where do they go so wrong? My guess, based on receiving-end experience, is that they have an information silo issue. Judging by the accents they have three different sets of call centres - one or more in Australia, one in India, and one in the Phillipines. There is nothing wrong with overseas call centres - they make good business sense when they are set up correctly - but when a routine foulup requires action by five different departments that don’t seem to talk to one another (and there is no effective resolution of the issue) then I have to guess that the information just isn’t being passed from one department to the next.
I’ve seen this happen on client site as well, and it always strikes me as an opportunity to change for the better. If consulting opportunity is the intersection of chaos and money, then all Dodo needs is the money. Chaos they have in abundance.
