I'm feeling a little bit philosophical today. As I was walking down the hallway, I saw a worker cleaning the break room. That's her job. She doesn't get paid much, but she does it well. At a higher level, if I'm managing the janitorial service, it would be pretty easy to find someone else to do her job. It does not require much training. It's just "plug and play".
So, then I thought about myself as a knowledge worker. Information systems, Information Technology, computer programming, whatever you want to call it. When planning out projects, our managers refer to us as "resources". In projecting timelines, they might think, "We need 3-4 resources 40 hrs/week for two months to finish this project." At that p0int there isn't much thought as to who the resource is. Just that it's a resource with the right type of role: web developer, database programmer, business analyst, etc. Having any one of these roles takes specific knowledge and experience. Not just anyone can do these. But within the roles, the manager typically does not differentiate who is performing the role. They just plug the available resources in. There are enough knowledge workers in supply. It's a far cry from cleaning the break room, but it is still "plug and play" mode.
Nothing new here. Not any big revelation. I suppose that generally speaking, most every job out there could be performed by someone else. So, I guess my challenge is: What are we doing to differentiate ourselves? How can I be unique in a way that my (fill in the blank: manager, customers, students, patients) clamor for my services?
Dad, that was deep. :)
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