Knowledge Worker Productivity

Well, some day I had to quote the Guru anyway, so why not now.

Peter Drucker says SIX major factors determine knowledge worker productivity (KWP)

1. KWP demands that we ask the question what is the task?
2. It demands that we impose the responsibility for their productivity on the individual K workers themselves. KW have to manage themselves. They have to have AUTONOMY.
3. Continuing Innovation has to be part of the work, the task and the responsibility of KWs
4. KWork requires continuous learning on the part of K Worker, but equally continuous teaching on the part of K worker.
5. Productivity of KWorker is not - at least not primarily - a matter of quantity of output. Quality is at least as important.
6. Finally KWP requires that KW should be seen and treated as an asset rather than cost. It requires that KW wants to work for the organization in preference to all other opportunities.

Well, when the GURU speaks - we need to listen. All IT companies out there - please understand Kilo Lines of Code / Person Week is a ridiculous measure of productivity. In fact such a foolish measure actually!!!!

The Kalki Avataar - Singularity

Karthik mentioned that in a way the 10 Avataars of Lord Vishnu as per Hindu Mythology indicates evolution of life on earth. The 10th Avataar called the Kalki Avataar is suppose to happen during our life time.

The technology Forecasting guru Ray Kurzweil claims the end of human race as we know is near and artificial /Machines will exceed biological intelligence b 2045 AD.

Since Arthur C. Clark died last week, as a tribute to the Science Fiction Writer, I predict, The Kalki Avataar will be half machine half human. I hope this is not blasphemy.

By definition then, the 10th Avataar has to be created by humans - not necessarily through biological processes alone but ma be through artificial process as well.

Let us wait - or shall we start thinking of making the next Avataar!

Work-life Balance, Vedic Triggers and Brainstorming

About a year back we did a brainstorming session using Vedic Triggers on HOW TO CREATE WORK_LIFE BALANCE facilitated by Karthik. Just reproducing the results below:

INITIAL IDEAS W/O TRIGGERS
•Let Office be Open 24 hours (Flexi-hours – Put in 45 Hours a week)
•Tele-working – Allow all to work from home
•Make “Work” “Life” = Come to work with Life (spouse kids) – Let Work become Life
•Force people to leave office everyday after they have continuously put 10 hours – Office Ejection Seat
•Make work Fun -> Can games be used as a process to develop work?
•For each person – let him/her decide Life and work and develop his own plan to work and life

Vedic Trigger – One Less than Before

•Do a complete Value stream on yourself for a week or two – Eliminate the least important activity systematically from the activities – One Less wsteful activity per week – e.g. watching TV
•Look at # of meetings in your workplace -> can we reduce one meeting less per day
•Minimize Ad-hoc interventions to other and avoid to yourself also

Vedic Principle – Turn it Around

•Create work life Imbalance – For one week work for 24 hrs/day and next week live life 24 hrs/day
•Time/Activities in Life where work can be embedded and in work time/activities where life can be embedded
•Start working as if that is life and Live as if it is Work

Vedic Trigger – Join and Separate

•Can some elements of work and life be joined – Create Modular Life and Modular Work – Plug and Play Work-Life – in Time and Space
•Life during work – Find Life (friends, family) in work – Create your own group of like minded common friends – Start your company Jointly
•Separate work completely from life – Clear demarcated time points – For Life and Work

Innovation Crafting Toon