Knowledge Worker

A Knowledge Worker is a professional who generates value for the organisation with their expertise, critical thinking and interpersonal skills.

Thinking Skills

Thinking Skills – the ability to work with information effectively to solve problems, perform tasks, and design solutions. Thinking skills include:

1. Critical thinking – drawing appropriate conclusions based on data
2. Systems thinking – seeing the big picture, including how parts of a system affect and influence one another
3. Analysis skills – breaking down information and technologies into pieces to understand and categorize individual parts; identifying the root cause of a problem
4. Problem solving – identifying solutions to complex issues
5. Creativity – using imagination to combine existing knowledge into new knowledge to fulfill a need
6. Design – planning out the implementation of solutions to learning and performance problems

Communication

Communication – the ability to understand and share ideas effectively. This includes the following:

1. Understanding and interpreting complex information from multiple sources through diverse media
2. Communicating effectively and appropriately in a variety of formats, including visual, verbal, and written, both face-to-face and in digital formats 

Teamwork and Leadership

Teamwork and Leadership – the ability to work with others to achieve a common goal. This includes the following:

1. Collaborating and working effectively with others to achieve goals
2. Motivating others through appropriate strategies
3. Working effectively with team and individual strengths to maximize the effectiveness of the whole
4. Leading people to positive outcomes through persuasion, empathy, and effective management

Lifelong Learning and Self-Direction

Lifelong Learning and Self-Direction – continual self-improvement through the constant gathering of knowledge. Setting one’s own direction in learning and growth. This includes the following:

1. Developing general skills like those in this list 
2. Developing field-specific skills  
3. Gaining formal education to increase ability to sustain success in the knowledge society 

Technology Use

Technology Use – use of technology to accomplish goals or tasks. This includes the following:

1. Selecting the right tools and technologies for tasks and problem solving 
2. Using tools and technologies to appropriately complete tasks and solve problems.
3. Learning quickly how to use a new technology and be willing to adapt new technologies continuously

Ethics and Professionalism

Ethics and Professionalism – An ethical person makes him or herself personally accountable for their own actions and work. This includes the following:

1. Having good work habits and perform assigned work consistently
2. Interacting with others in a professional manner 
3. Working effectively and professionally with people of diverse backgrounds 

Personal Management

manage habits to maintain health (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual). This management should seek to maintain proper balance in all areas of life (family, work, personal, community). It includes the effective management and use of time to accomplish work and achieve goals.