What is a Knowledge Worker

What is a knowledge worker?  That was the question asked of me by a reasonably good reporter with a national business magazine. 

Here's the problem: he ought to know. Every business reporter ought to know. Every government leader ought to know. Every American economist ought to know.  And almost none of them do.

And this is a major reason why America is in decline: our leaders don't have a clue about the economy of the 21st century.   I was at a conference and talking with three young Germans there. They all knew the term and concept of knowledge worker.  I asked them how to say 'knowledge worker' in German. The irony: Germans, who are way out in front of us in the knowledge society, use the English term. They don't even translate it. 

An American, the brilliant Peter Drucker, invented the term back in 1959 and correctly predicted the emergence of the knowledge society in his writings for decades. As long as our leaders persist in fighting the lost battle over manufacturing, we continue to fall behind.

Comments

[Gaurav]

In the knowledge society what will be the hot professions for Gen Y?

With manufacturing as the economy driving last century professions in sales, marketing and managers were at large as they need to push their products to the consumers.

With Gen Y the sales of nick nacks is going to decline and hence the push sales at large.

Also knowledge workers are not very compatible with managers as they really don't like managers manage them, what will be the hot professions for Gen Y in the knowledge society.