Every 200 or 300 years, there is a very short period when the world suddenly changes - the way it does in a kaleidoscope. This is one of those periods when the old solutions no longer work. One can clearly see new priorities.
Knowledge has become the central resource. [But] the productivity of knowledge workers is incredibly low. Does anybody here believe that the teacher of 1991 is more productive than the teacher of 1900? The productivity of service workers is even lower.... Over three-fourths of our workforce are service and knowledge workers. By the end of the century, 90 per cent of total workers will be knowledge and service workers. Productivity of knowledge work and dignity of service work are the two great priorities.
from New Priorities, by Peter Drucker, featured in In Context a publication of the Whole Context Institute
Peter Drucker, who died at age 95 last month, taught us that work and business are human endeavors demanding the utmost of us as human beings. His deep and original thinking (here too) will be deeply missed.
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