Michael Schrage argues for precisely measuring the activities of employees, so that they can improve. This isn't a question of post-industrial intrusiveness, but a necessity for professional self-preservation and improvement, says Schrage. It's not a matter of 'Big Brother', but coaching based on data.
Competing with computers
Knowledge workers can best smart(er) computers in a competition by embracing technology that makes them smarter and more influential. A typical American knowledge worker handles approximately five gigabytes of information per day. And this trend is on the rise. The failure to transpose these ever-increasing amounts of data in productivity leads to unemployment. Worldwide. Therefore, organisations must increasingly find data on their committed employees in order to improve their productivity.
suggestions
Self tracking and monitoring tools need to take care that employees see themselves in a different light. These technologies should make suggestions as to how employees can improve themselves. These suggestions appear just like advertisements when you, for example, order books online. The suggestions for what other books may interest you is based on personal preferences, circumstances, and on the basis of aggregated data about your browsing habits.
To be successful, employees must have the discipline to obey the opinions of smart machines. According to Schrage, professional success sometimes depends on faith in technology, rather than trust in colleagues.
Reliance on technology
Of course, this has enormous implications for managers and organisations. They must rely on technology. And leaders have to rigorously define and measure what excellent performance is. In the future, management will increasingly depend on technology to understand human colleagues. The difference between trust and dependence is growing less and less visible.