Knowmads: Workers Of Today And Tomorrow
With globalization, new forms of communication, technological innovations and various forms of work appear, such as knowmads. This is what gives rise to a situation of integration and large-scale change, which influences all facets of life as well as all levels of social organization.
Thus, economic, technological, political and social progress has in a way forced the creation of a new way of connecting with each other through digital communication and, with it, remote working has emerged.
Today it is possible to work thousands of miles from the office or home. A new working reality is present for many professionals. It is a work scenario that has created a new style of workers: the knowmads .
The knowmads are the workers of the present and the future. Because in addition to being on the rise today, their working style is likely to become the working style of the future.
But who are they? What are their characteristics ? What does this term mean and where does it come from? Why is this a revolutionary way of working? Has this phenomenon been researched before? We will answer all of these questions throughout this article!
Who are the knowmads and where does this term come from?
The term knowmad was created and popularized from a TED talk by John Moravec, a professor and researcher at the University of Minnesota. He defined the knowmad as an enterprising person who creatively sells his knowledge.
Moravec was the editor and principal author of the book Knowmad Society. He explores the future learning of work, value networks and the emergence of knowmads as beings of innovation at work in the 21st century.
However, the word knowmad comes from the combination of two words: the first is “know”, which means “to know” and the second is “nomad”, which means “nomad”. Therefore, its meaning is “nomads of knowledge”.
In short, this is a trend that is emerging strongly and becoming more and more popular. In addition, they are classified as a social group among the various types of 21st century nomads.
Characteristics of knowmads
The main characteristic of knowmads could be summed up in their ability to adapt to different contexts. They are tolerant people who have a lot of mental flexibility. Here are some of the most representative characteristics of this type of worker:
- Creativity: the knowmads constantly generate new ideas and seek new opportunities
- Learning: they consider each obstacle as an education and are passionate about continuing education
- See beyond failure: They don’t tend to get frustrated or dwell on frustration. They are resilient people who see failure as a window to explore new avenues to knowledge and success.
- Of any age: being knowmad is not something limited; it can relate to any person, from any background and any age
- Motivation: the knowmads are professionals who wish to put their talents and knowledge to an organization or their own entrepreneurial project
- Dynamism: they are active people, who are constantly on the move. They are constantly learning new techniques and looking for new information
- Collaboration: the knowmads are empathetic people, who work in teams. In fact, they are said to be able to work with almost anyone. Wonderful, isn’t it?
- Intuition: they have a special ability to perceive, know and understand something immediately
- Digital skills: these are people who are at the forefront of the digital age. They know how to get around this world and use it to their advantage
Thanks to the knowmads , we have a broader and more flexible perspective of the worker. They are different from regular workers, mainly because they can be of any age, due to their adaptability, intuition and creativity.
On the other hand, although the phenomenon of “knowmads” is relatively recent, there are already several studies and books on the subject. Here are two important examples to go into more detail:
- Knowmads. Los trabajadores del futuro (Workers of the future), 2015 . This is a book written by Raquel Roca, a Spanish journalist who studied at the Complutense University of Madrid. In her book, she shows us how to manage change and how to approach it from a nomadic perspective, as well as the need for companies to reinvent themselves. She explains what a knowmad is , how to become one and how companies of the future will have to adapt to changing times.
- Structural changes in organizations and the appearance of a new job profile: the knowmads . In this article, Cristina Cruz Contreras shows us how ICT and the new knowmad job profile have influenced changes in business management. In addition, to explain this phenomenon, it gives a complete overview of the evolution of the organization of companies, from the industrial society to the post-industrial society.
The advantages of being a knowmad
To be knowmad is to have a different lifestyle. Some of its advantages are therefore:
- Work from anywhere: the activity is based on online platforms
- Living off his passion: the knowmad dedicates himself to what he loves and looks for a way to make a living from it
- Flexibility: most knowmads set their own schedule and place of work
- Decision-making power: they choose where to work and with whom
He may be a different type of teleworker, but with very marked differences. Not all teleworkers have a lifestyle that allows them to adapt to any environment.
As we can see, the knowmads show us a new way of working. These work chameleons teach us new strategies for getting around a job, as well as how to create a more flexible lifestyle in which we work on what we know and love.
Our thoughts If you learn to be flexible, you will be able to choose the posture that best meets your interests.
