
Essential Themes
Three essential themes arise from our study of artful making:
1. Successfully getting reliable innovation from knowl-
edge workers requires a diligent faith in an impeccable
process, knowing that it will produce something of
value before a firm deadline.
2. Managing knowledge workers calls for collaboration
without detailed or coercive direction, keeping in
mind that you can’t supervise talented employees in
any conventional sense; you must lead them with pas-
sionate support and faith in their work.
3. Innovation in knowledge work requires de-stigmatiz-
ing “mistakes” and “failures,” celebrating them as
steps on the path to innovation. ...