For strategic knowledge management to work, it will require self-directed and self-motivated k- professionals. Organizations can no longer achieve sustainable performance by continuously providing external motivation to enhance performance. Leading organizations must provide a strategic platform for their human capital to excel and compete by developing them to be k-professionals.

K-professionals are open-minded performance-oriented professionals that have passion to develop 8 most innovative skills to progress to next level of excellence in K-economy. The 8 most innovative skills of a k-professional are strategic thinking, knowledge responsibility, performance-directed learning, contributing in innovative teams, professional discipline, self-driven innovation habits, solution focus mindset and personal knowledge creation.

Creating competitive advantage today requires strategic knowledge management and k- professionals. Leading-edge enterprises consider their knowledge and human capital to be strategic assets and actively and explicitly manage it as such to increase business value.

So what does all that mean? It means that they will live in retirement for almost as long as they have worked and what do you think they will want to do? Not mow lawn any more. They will (and do) want to travel and go to restaurants. No longer will they want to live in outer suburbs with a big plot of land. They will want to sell their big house with its large maintenance requirements and that s on and daughter will have to find somewhere else to live. (That’s another story).

In most cases, they’re going to sell their large section with house in suburbs. They’ll trade spa, pool, open spaces and everything that opens and shuts for a 50 to 100 year old house in inner suburbs for more money! And they will absolutely love it. They might even describe it as best thing they ever did.

So what else do we know about them? Well, in last 15 years of their lives, 80% of money they spend will probably be on their health.

What’s Going To Be HOT?

Home Services, pre cooked meals delivered to door, cleaning and ironing, home care (too expensive to do it yourself and who wants to anyway) and home maintenance, gardening, car detailing and car wash outlets and travel agencies. Phew! Let me take a breath as I continue...Tour operators, financial services, optometrists, high quality reasonably priced ethnic food, club memberships, golf clubs, medical and dental, life insurance....... home computers and software, fast food. (remember 14 year old children of 40 plus group), banking and mortgage lending and list goes on.

It is an exciting, fast-paced, ever-changing world. You certainly don’t have to agree with everything I said here, but hopefully I have got you thinking!

*Statistics and trends may vary from country to country.