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The WIZOCRACY Leadership Brandand/or

a Process forAttracting, Motivating, & Retaining

Knowledge Workers

Pete Sorenson, Holt Sorenson & Colleagues(GINKGO Enterprises & Counterpane Internet Security)

IEEE-USA 11th Biennial Careers ConferenceUtilizing & Retaining Technical Professionals in Today’s Marketplace

San Jose, California2 & 3 November 2000

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THE SITUATION

More Work than Workers

More Conflict than Collaboration

More Turnover than Stability

More Problems, Issues, & Concerns than Solutions & Resolutions

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THINKING ABOUT THINKING

MyWorldView

MyNoise

My ThinkingProcesses

Action &Consequences

Reflec tion

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ROLES for KNOWLEDGE workersSeeking to Achieve

SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Role #1:Acquiring

Knowledge

Role #2:Applying

Knowledge

Role #3:Creating

Knowledge

Role #4:Sharing

Knowledge

Role #5:LeveragingKnowledge

FIVE DISTINCT BUT INTERDEPENDENT ROLES

from Bristow, Nigel, “The Future of Knowledge Management: Making Knowledge Management

Everybody’s Job,” March, 2000, Targeted Learning, Provo, Utah, 2000 [801.235.9414]

Role #6:ChallengingKnowledge

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Leadersh

ip = Attr

ibutes X Resu

lts

Ulrich, Zenger, Smallwood, Results-Based Leadership, HBS Press, 1999

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ASSESSMENT SELECTION & DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS

ASSESS SELECT HIRE ORIENT

SetClimate

------

Lead------

Coach------

Mentor------

Develop

SetClimate

------

Lead------

Coach------

Mentor------

Develop

ASSESS

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SUCCESS MODEL

Trust,Faith,

&Fairne

ss

Discretionary

Effort &Initiative

CoreCompetenc

ies&

Capabilities

Sustainable

Competitive

Advantage

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There are several underlying premises upon whichthis panel is being convened

 

• The technical content of work has increased dramatically in the last three decades

(both raw amount and proportion) 

• In order for organizations to compete in the marketplace today there will be a

significant portion of resources allocated to technical tasks and technical people.

 

• If the organization’s products and services are technical in nature or driven by

technology the portion of resources allocated to technical tasks and technical people will be even greater.

 

• In order to compete effectively organizations must tap into the discretionary effort

and initiative of members of the organization. 

• Technical people think differently than regular people. 

• If you want to tap into the discretionary effort and initiative of technical people you

have to know:• How they think, • What they value,• How they work, • How they like to be treated.

 

• This is a complex issue. People and situations differ. Therefore how you handle

people and situations must differ. Hopefully, some underlying principles can be identified to guide leader action.

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Here are some questions to consider • What are some characteristics of:

• Organizational environments you enjoy working in?• Leaders you enjoy working for?• Senior leaders you enjoy working under?• Colleagues you enjoy working with?• Work you like to do?

  • How can you be motivated to offer Discretionary Effort & Initiative?

• How do you like to be treated?• What motivates you to work at maximum output over a short period of time?• What motivates you to work at maximum output over a long period of time?• What de-motivates you?

 • What attracts you to an organization? • What keeps you at an organization? • What trends do you see around:

• How leaders behave?• How organizations work?• How people respond?• How people decide whether or not to contribute?• How people decide to stay or leave?