With sophisticated document management systems, global connectivity, and on-line networks professionals can find research reports, best practices, articles and experts from anywhere in the world. Because professionals have such direct access to information and people, many companies have let most of their administrative assistants go, leaving it to professionals to manage their own information. Over the last decade self-service has also replaced much traditional customer service.
Thinking is the core of most professional work. What if you as a manager expected staff, communities and teams to set aside time to think — and let them know that their think time was not to be given away?
Knowledge intermediaries manage the flow, kitting structures information into relevant, easy-to-use categories and think tanks reserve time for disciplined individual and collaborative thinking. All mitigate the impact of self-service information management. There are undoubtedly many more things you can do to free your staff to think. Let me know which ones you use.
Even if you don't have the authority or resources to free your staff to think, you can at least free yourself to think.
Read this HBR blog post
