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New Skill-sets and Core Competencies for Knowledge Workers – The Shift to Individual Responsibility for Lifelong Learning

Andy BELLDirector of TDP Development Ltd.United Kingdom

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New Skill-Sets and Core Competencies for Knowledge

WorkersThe Shift to Individual

Responsibility for Lifelong Learning

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TDP Development LtdAndrew Bell

Director

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TDP Development LtdAreas of work: Work in Accountancy and Financial Services

Competency Research and Modelling

Assessment and Training Consultancy with UK based Accountancy Professional Institutes

Development Work with Senior Finance Professionals Private/Public Sector

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The Knowledge Age

Chinese Imprecation: 

“I curse you: May you live in an Important Age”

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The Knowledge Age

 “For Countries in the vanguard of the world economy the balance between knowledge and

resources has shifted so far towards the former that knowledge has become the most important

factor determining the standard of living …… Today’s most technologically advanced economies are truly knowledge based”

World Bank 1998 World Development Report

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The Knowledge Age

“The emergence of knowledge based economies has profound implications for the determinants of

growth, the organisation of production and its effects on employment and skill requirements and

may call for new orientation in industry related

policies” OECD 1998

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The Knowledge Age

The Knowledge Economy A knowledge driven economy is one in which the

generation and exploitation of knowledge has come to play a predominant role 

It is a general phenomenon - encompassing the exploitation and use of knowledge in all production and service activities not just those classified as High-Tec or knowledge intensive

The value of organisations resides entirely in its patents and its Staff

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The Knowledge Age

Why is Knowledge Important?

Four Driving Processes1. Advances in Information and Communications

Technology

2. Increased speed of scientific and technological advance

3. Global competition

4. Changing demands and expectations from consumers

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What are the implications?Organisations:• Must nurture and utilise their knowledge assets• Shorter product lives• Respond to increased competition • Anticipate and react to the reshaping of political landscape• Innovate and collaborate• Develop smart systems integrating Hard Knowledge

management systems and Soft formal and informal networks developed between people

• Develop new learning cultures that innovate and transform

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What are the implications?

Investors and the Financial Community  Wealth creating potential is tied up in intangible

assets including the knowledge of the workforce

Valuing assets becomes harder and they are increasingly mobile

Increased risk and uncertainty in investment decisions

Flexibility in financing crucial to organisational growth and delivering returns on investment

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What are the implications?

The Policy Makers in Economic and Educational Spheres: 

Create a framework supporting continued technological and scientific excellence

Develop a culture of enterprise and innovation

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What are the implications?

For Employees – The Knowledge Worker:  Acquire and maintain new and relevant skills

Develop as a Reflective Practitioner

Take personal responsibility for continuous learning throughout their lifetime

Take responsibility of their intellectual capital as well as their well-being and life balance

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What are the implications?

Educators and Trainers Learner Centred approaches to education and

continued learning Dynamic and Interactive systems Learning systems, which encourage ownership Based on a model of shared learning Learning Systems which encourage experiential

and reflective practice Focused on developing the effective Reflective

Practitioner

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The Knowledge Worker

Knowledge workers are not simply the holders of specialised knowledge – requirements change rapidly. Rather the knowledge worker must:

Sense and respond to unstructured knowledge Create and produce structured knowledge Connect the two to create value to the

organisation

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Shift to Personal Responsibility

Core Skills Sets and Competencies for the Knowledge workerOverarching –

Continuous Learning Reflective Practitioner Developing Mastery Develop competencies which support learning

and which themselves can be learnt

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New Skill Sets and Competencies

  Information Cluster Sourcing – knowing where to find information and knowledge and how best to access it 

Questioning - challenging data and information to ensure its is the right knowledge and adds value Sensing - being responsive and open to new information, often requiring suspension of judgement until all the information is available. It requires perceptiveness

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New Skill Sets and Competencies

Social Cluster Networking - building a network where information and support can be located or steers as to where they can be found 

Team-working – crucial to the success of the knowledge worker is the ability to collaborate and share knowledge 

Dialoguing - the ability to work without preconceptions and to value all the arguments and viewpoints

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New Skill Sets and Competencies

Cognitive 

Analysing - using logic and systems thinking, reasoning and mental modelling based on rationality 

Creating - deploying an emotional approach thinking laterally and creatively working with the imagination 

Reflecting - thinking about what has been learnt from the experiences gained and being able to self reflect

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Implications for Professional Education and Training Systems

 Traditional Models  Input led Didactic Concentration on technical knowledge - Curriculum led Focused on summative assessment and qualification Outside of the workplace not part of it Viewed as the key to starting the journey not the journey

itself Remote and difficult to access

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Implications for Professional Education and Training Systems

Emerging Systems Ongoing - designed for lifetime and lifestyles Learner Centred Encouraging innovation and creativity through challenge Dynamic Accessible and Credible Eclectic – using a variety of approaches and methods Encouraging sharing and leaning within a community Encouraging self ownership and personal growth – character

building developing the reflective practitioner

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New Skill Sets and Competencies

“People cannot afford to choose between reason and intuition or

head and heart anymore than they would choose to walk on one leg or

see with one eye”Peter Senge