Continuous Learning in Knowledge Work: A knowledge organization has to be both a learning organization and a teaching organization

excerpt from “Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker

Knowledge workers must have continuous learning built into their tasks. And a knowledge organization has to be both a learning organization and a teaching organization. Knowledge today, in all areas, changes so fast that knowledge workers become obsolete pretty soon unless they build continuous learning into their work. And that is not just true of high knowledge such as that of the engineer, the chemist, the biologist, or the accountant. It’s increasingly just as true of the cardiac nurse, the person who handles payroll records, and the computer repair person. But also, a knowledge organization depends on knowledge specialists understanding what their colleagues are doing or trying to do. And each of them has a different specialty. Knowledge workers need, therefore, to hold themselves responsible for educating their colleagues, especially when the knowledge base of their own specialty changes.

This means that knowledge workers are well advised to sit down and answer two questions:

  1. What do I need to learn to keep abreast of the knowledge I am being paid to know?
  2. And what do my associates have to know and understand about my knowledge area and about what I can and should contribute to the organization and to their own work?

Action Point: Answer the two questions at the end of this reading.

Did you know that our Growth Training Workshops/Seminars are open to the public?

Did you know that the Emerging Enterprise Center (EEC) hosts a series of business growth workshops that are open to the public and discounted to NCC Chamber of Commerce members?

The EEC began as an initiative that came out of the NCC Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council (EDC). In 2008, the EDC saw a need for a place to help baby businesses from failing in the first 5 years. The EEC’s vision and mission is to develop business skills for early staged businesses so that they can grow and generate jobs with a sustainable and scalable business model. The EEC is a 501(c)3, separate entity from the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. However, the two entities work hand and hand with each other to partner with resources, events, and making connections for its members. The EEC continues to expand its programs by leveraging the NCC Chamber of Commerce resources, facilities, and initiatives. One of the initiatives the EEC does is to create business growth workshops and seminars that are designed to focus on critical skills needed to develop value propositions, product and business marketing, and sales. Each workshop has a networking portion and hands on experiences so that each type of business can walk away with skills that they can apply to their business right away.

The beauty of these workshops, like in running your business, is that there is no set beginning, and no end. Based on the situation or opportunity, you jump right in and work towards a solution. And, nothing happens in a vacuum. Everything you do, every decision you make is connected to something else in the business. It’s all about consistency: consistency in your brand, in your message, in your execution. The key is the process you take. Each topic offers a strategic and hands-on context that allows business owners and their appropriate employees a chance to learn from business professionals, on how to work smarter, not harder, to grow the business.

There are two types of Business Growth Workshops/Seminars. Our interactive Growth Wheel Workshops use a variety of worksheets and tools that focus on making decisions and taking action. The Growth Wheel® is a toolbox built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs and is available to Growth Wheel Certified Business Advisors and Educators. It was designed around the observation that all businesses, regardless of industry, size or life stage, have four common and consistent challenges: they must create and maintain an attractive Business Concept, build a strong Organization behind it, develop lasting Client Relations, and do so while maintaining profitable Operations. The Growth Wheel’s systematic approach helps entrepreneurs build their businesses through an action-oriented process that stays true to the way most entrepreneurs think and work.

Each Growth Wheel workshop is complemented by our “Learn with the Experts” Seminars led by industry and subject matter experts. Our Learn with the Experts Seminars are designed to bring together Growth Wheel® learning with real world practice. The EEC hosts experts that illustrate how lessons, strategies, decisions, and tactics discussed during Growth Wheel workshops are or can be applied in the entrepreneurial, business and corporate world. These experts range in backgrounds and expertise, including business, academic and professional.

Both workshop types are not accredited business education workshops. These workshops are business growth training workshops for business owners, managers, and all employees of small and mid-size businesses. Anyone can attend these workshops, however EEC and Chamber members receive discounted rates.

You can find information on these workshops on the NCC Chamber of Commerce calendar or on the EEC website under Business Growth Workshops.

Drone Workforce Solutions Begins Training Local Residents in Drone Technology

Drone Workforce Solutions (DWS) began its inaugural class training aspiring drone pilots on September 30, 2017 with the help of a grant from the Delaware Department of Labor.

Twelve Delaware students have been selected and enrolled in the 70-hour, 10-week drone training course that covers everything from the mechanics of flying, to aviation safety, to the aeronautical information they need to become a certified and FAA licensed commercial drone pilot .

“Our students will receive a top-notch education in drone technology that will help them seize job opportunities in this $100 billion dollar industry,” said Drone Workforce Solutions CEO and General Counsel Theophilus R. Nix Jr.

Earlier this year, the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment & Training awarded its second drone-related grant, ever awarded, to Drone Workforce Solutions to start a pipeline of talented commercial drone operators to expand the state’s technology sector and increase sustainable employment for men and women from diverse backgrounds of today’s working families.

This particular grant paid the tuition for the students taking the Drone Workforce Solutions course. As part of their training, the aspiring drone pilots master the FAA’s regulations for drone operators, learn how to build a drone from scratch, learn business and entrepreneurial skills, and experience hands-on, in-field flight coaching by our highly qualified, experienced and FAA certified drone pilots in the industry.

Upon completion of the program, DWS alumni receive a certificate backed by Drone Workforce Solutions; the only drone training company that is approved by the Delaware Department of Education, the New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.  DWS was recently selected to be a finalist in the Emerging Enterprise Center’s Swim with the Sharks video pitch competition.

Graduating students will also become members with one of DWS’s partners, the digital Drone Pilot Ground School, where they will have access to online tools and resources for five years. DWS offers its alumni opportunities for subsequent training, networking, and potential employment through its drone employment company.

From construction companies, to agriculture, law enforcement, media, utilities, infrastructure, entertainment, construction and real estate many industries have smartly identified drones as a key investment to make their operations more efficient and effective. Few have the staff with expertise to implement the technology. According to one study, the expansion of commercial drones could add $82 billion in economic value over the next ten years and by 2025 employ an additional 100,000 Americans.

DWS is currently seeking interested aspiring drone pilots for their next class scheduled for the Spring of 2018. Through its website, www.droneworkforcesolutions.com, candidates should send their full name, email, and phone number to receive upcoming dates to attend DWS’s FREE Open House Informational classes.

About DWS

Drone Workforce Solutions is dedicated to helping small unmanned aircraft(sUAS) pilots and everyday businesses work together to find innovative solutions for a rapidly-changing marketplace. DWS offers customized workshops to all kinds of businesses; from utility companies to real estate companies. Backed by over 25 years of legal, business, and aviation experience Drone Workforce Solutions is not only committed to producing top-quality work, but using its network to transform industries. Drone Workforce Solutions corporate office and drone training school is located on the Wilmington riverfront at 920 Justison Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.