The first three generations of management were concerned with quality and reengineering. The asset focus of each generation was technology, the project and the enterprise respectively. As innovation becomes important, new generations of management have a different focus;
4th - Customer as the Asset
- as exemplified in Innovating
with the Customer
5th - Knowledge as the Asset
- as portrayed in The Momentum
of Knowledge Management
6th - Future as the Asset
Even while most organisations are grapling with the challenges of 5th Generation Management, through application of the tools of Knowledge Innovation®, we have to prepare for and create the future, which will be a knowledge economy where the greatest value is in intangibles, such as knowledge, intellectual capital and collaborative relationships.
The Economics of Intangible Value
An analysis by ENTOVATION® Colleague, Trend Monitor International has identified 38 trends that are shaping the knowledge economy. These include:
Valuing (what is valued)
- intangibles, content, time, success through generosity, seeking opportunities
Counting (how value is measured)
- qualitatively, combination, chaos/complexity, sustainability, economies of scope
(vs. scale)
Trading (how value is created)
- trading bits (not atoms), local economies (vs. nation state), shared ownership,
interlocal perspectives.
These are further categorized according to whether the trends are established, emerging or over-the-horizon. The trends are explained more fully in the briefing The Economics of Intangible Value, along with their strategic implications.
Why not see how prepared for the future you are, by reviewing a summary of all 38 trends and determining the business implications. Among best practices that the knowledge leaders apply are:
- Communities of Knowledge Practice - effective ways of sharing best knowledge practice
- 5th Generation Management
- Customer Intimacy - Innovating with the Customer
- An innovation management architecture - such as the ENTOVATION Knowledge Innovation® Architecture
