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I left off explaining that analyzing one’s strengths and weaknesses along the value chain of knowledge work can help formulate more successful strategies that ensure a differentiated position in a global, increasingly competitive labour market for knowledge. In this post I will highlight the two most important elements of such a strategy.

A competitive strategy starts at two points:

1. What a market is to a firm is an audience to a knowledge worker

2. What the typical production process is to a firm is the reflective processes that lead to insight for knowledge workers.

An audience for knowledge consists of individuals who express an active or latent demand for insight. Typically, the value of knowledge comes from being able to answer specific questions to reduce uncertainty. The more unique knowledge is, the higher is its potential to answer questions that specific audiences have an interest in answering – usually to reduce uncertainty. Value is enhanced when time plays a critical role. The above said boils down to the following: The better one can answer questions that audiences seek to receive insight about and the stronger the demand for this kind of insight times the degree of urgency that the audience places on reducing uncertainty, the higher the value of the contribution. We need not say at this point, that in efficient markets, this value is expressed in monetary attributes.

The conclusion is this: Any strategy of a knowledge worker starts with the analysis of the audience. Which questions can I answer? How, by delivering insight that results from the processing of information on the basis of my personal knowledge, am I able to reduce uncertainty? Just as firms ask “in which markets should we compete” knowledge workers must ask “which audiences do I serve with insight?”