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Duck Tales

January/February 1999

A Matter of Education

This Duck® was fortunate enough to have met with Craig Barrett, CEO of Intel Corporation, and his wife Barbara this past fall in Silicon Valley. Craig had just returned from visiting China, India, and Japan, and what he told me is well worth sharing here. Every weekend in public parks and assembly areas, the Chinese hold computer rallies. They meet with their laptops, share information, swap software, and generally mingle under the heading of technology, because they know their futures are tied to it. Craig was greeted at one such rally in Beijing, where over 110,000 people had assembled, yelling over and over "Intel Inside! Intel Inside!" You´d think Craig Barrett was a famous rock star being greeted by his adoring fans, instead of the CEO of a U.S. company.

But China wasn´t the only country to idolize technology and the Intel chief. Craig saw similar levels of enthusiasm in India too, and suggested that the superb educational system in Asia probably plays a large role in igniting young students´ enthusiasm for technology. He then expressed serious concern over America´s educational system and the fact that Americans do not seem to understand the intense world competition that we will be facing in the near future.

Consider that by 2015, the Chinese GNP is predicted to be the largest in the world. It makes you realize that in less than 20 years, the economic power of the world could shift -- all because of education. It´s time to say, "Wake up Americans!" and understand that the levels of competition and the rules of the game are changing drastically. And it´s time to do something about it.

The Knowledge-Based Business
Three huge forces are transforming the business world, according to the co-authors of Blur: The Speed of Change in the Connected Economy. Stan Davis and Christopher Meyer say that today´s unprecedented speed, the interconnectedness of computers, and intangible assets are converging to create one big "blur." What kind of organization will succeed amid this blur? The knowledge-based business, because it is an expert at reexamining and reinventing every aspect of its business from products and services to relationships and culture.
Products and services. Take it from Manco Duck®: Now is the time to come up with your next line of products and services. The business you´re in today won´t get you very far tomorrow. Think about what you sell and determine how it could be enhanced to succeed in a world of speed, connectivity, and intangibles. Maybe your product would be improved if it could interact, customize, upgrade, anticipate, or set a standard.
Relationships. New strategies and products will require new knowledge-based relationships. Virtual companies and outsourcing will become commonplace, and new relationships between business and customers and between business and employees will emerge. Customers will have greater input in a company´s development processes, for example, and employees will be valued and rewarded for sharing their knowledge.
Culture. A knowledge-based culture encourages the creation and sharing of knowledge. Without this, an organization cannot be truly called knowledge based.
Keeping the Knowledge Worker
They´re highly skilled. Versatile. Dedicated to work and hungry for knowledge. They could be working anywhere, but they choose to work for your company. How do you manage the "knowledge" worker, one of your company´s greatest assets? With an increasing shortage of skilled workers, many companies are wisely looking at ways to retain these core employees. The needs of the knowledge worker differ from those of employees who simply work for a paycheck. Here´s what they crave from you:
Information. Knowledge workers thrive on the latest information and data and are almost obsessive about remaining on the cutting edge.
Networking. Knowledge workers respond most favorably to feedback and praise from peers. Keeping in touch with peers allows knowledge workers to benchmark their personal progress and that of the company.
Space to grow. Keep hierarchy and bureaucracy to a minimum and avoid lengthy meetings. Knowledge workers will accomplish more if you simply explain what needs to be done and then allow small teams with defined leaders to meet goals and schedules.
Challenges. For knowledge workers, power comes from responding to a challenge. Give them opportunities to push themselves and the company to new limits.
Who Will Be Working in 2010?
The year 2010 may mark the beginning of a severe labor shortage, leaving the unprepared swimming upstream. According to the Hudson Institute´s Workforce 2020: Work and Workers in the 21st Century, a number of factors will converge in 2010. The result will be fewer workers in a much-changed workplace. Prepare now, advises the institute, by developing human resources policies designed specifically for these shifts in population:
Retiring baby boomers. The bulk of today´s workforce will begin retiring in 2010.
Population growth slows down. Look for a smaller pool of workers to replace the retiring baby boomers.
High-skill jobs on the rise. Like Old Manco Duck® has been saying: Jobs will require more education and skills. If Americans don´t have the skills, jobs will leave the United States in an increasingly global economy.
To meet these challenges, the institute advises companies to rethink recruitment and retention policies. The aging workforce will be looking for different benefits and work arrangements. Flextime, telecommuting, parental leave, and daycare will become increasingly vital to retaining workers. William E. Brock, former Labor Secretary and initiator of the institute´s original study, says, "The companies that take account of these family needs are going to have a happier and more productive workforce than the ones who don´t. It´s that simple."
Mentoring and Business
While many organizations have the potential to be great, few actually achieve excellence. Fewer still achieve greatness by copying other successful businesses. In essence, great companies are created when one great worker begets another great worker. A company on the path to greatness is one that enhances and sustains its accumulated knowledge. It does this through a formal mentoring system in which individuals work one-on-one with workers to pass along their knowledge. Here are some suggestions on establishing a mentoring system:
Identify mentors. Once a company sees that mentors are a valuable asset to formal training, the first step is assigning mentors. An effective mentor is adept at coaching, counseling, and instructing. Good mentors do not concentrate on duplicating themselves, but, instead, help employees achieve their potential.
Define the mentor´s role. Business mentoring does not involve a traditional student-teacher relationship. Adult learners expect to feel personally involved, to take initiative, and to view learning as problem-centered. Mentors must adapt their style accordingly.
Create a competency profile. Mentoring should include competency profiles to assess progress. Consider measuring competencies such as leadership, communication, and decision making. Set up competency profiles for the beginning of the mentoring process, then after three weeks, and then every six months.
Establish a readiness system. There comes a point when workers demonstrate capabilities beyond their standard responsibilities. The mentor must be able to identify the "readiness" of the mentored worker and recommend a next position.
A Nation of Spectators?
Turn off the television and get involved. That´s the message from the National Commission on Civic Renewal. The bipartisan commission released a report entitled "A Nation of Spectators," which found that Americans´ involvement in community activities has dropped dramatically in the last 25 years. The reason? Television. The average American spends 40 percent of his or her free time in front of the TV set. The commission urged every American to turn off the television and instead volunteer in a local organization or association.
John P. Robinson and Geoffrey Godbey, authors of Time for Life: The Surprising Ways Americans Use Their Time, also blame television for usurping Americans´ free time. Since 1965, the average person has actually gained five hours a week in free time, say the authors. That´s surprising news to most Americans, who feel more rushed and stressed than ever. But, say the authors, television is to blame. With so many sitcoms, sports events, and news shows to watch, people feel they don´t have time for other activities, like volunteering in the community, taking a class, or reading a book.
Studies on children´s viewing habits are just as bleak. The average elementary-age child watches approximately 1,500 hours of television each year -- that´s just over 4 hours per day. Meanwhile, that same child spends 1,000 hours in school each year, 100 hours talking with parents, and about 20 hours reading for pleasure. "TV teaches people not to read," warns one U.S. novelist. "It renders them incapable of engaging in an art that is now perceived as strenuous, because it is an active art, not a passive, hypnotized state." In fact, television is most likely the main reason why 60 percent of Americans never read another book after leaving school. With statistics like these, it´s no wonder our country stands to fall behind as an economic leader.
Techno-Trends to Come
Information technology is one of the most powerful communication tools we have today. While futurists can´t predict with certainty every trend that will occur in the next decade, the rapid growth of the Internet makes some trends almost inevitable:
Speech recognition. The most powerful PCs already offer 98 percent accuracy with voice recognition. Within five years, battery-powered devices that fit in the hand will be able to perform everyday tasks like reading aloud incoming e-mail and taking dictation and orders.
Parlez-vous français? The need to learn a foreign language will greatly diminish, as electronic translation becomes much more sophisticated. For example, employees will be able to dictate questions to their computers, which will then instantly translate the questions for an employee in another country. The remote computer can then translate a response back to the person originating the question.
Electronic cash. While coins and currency won´t disappear in the next decade, look for our financial lives to become more electronic. "Smart cards" will be filled with cash and used to perform small transactions, like paying for a soda simply by inserting the card in a pay slot.
Paper-free transactions. That unending paper trail of invoices, purchase orders, and inventory data will shorten as more and more PCs connect. Some companies are predicting a 90 percent reduction in annual inventory costs.

Sincerely, Your Friend
Manco T. Duck