“Knowledge is Power” – not any more!

Once a revered expression rattling the corridors of learning institutions across the world, “Knowledge is Power” is now nothing more than an outdated cliché - yesterday’s news, and like the newsprint it once adorned, today’s recyclable trash!

A bit melodramatic you might say, but sadly it’s true! As we progress ever deeper into this exciting Information Age, even a pre-schooler with internet access now has access to an indexed, encyclopaedic, pool of knowledge. Even before we suffer the intrusion of artificial intelligence, it is becoming obvious that mere access to knowledge is not enough.

Clearly, to be an effective communicator, having the wherewithal to use that knowledge – prudently and accommodatingly – is now the challenge. Our interpersonal communication skills can no longer rely on just the “know” factor … they will become totally dependent on the wisdom (knowledge plus understanding) component - the “knowhow”.

Perhaps the new expression should be “Knowhow is Power”.

Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the need to learn, to work, to shop, to entertain, even to socialise remotely, our already-waning face-to-face communication skills are facing a still greater threat.

We must learn how to transform those skills; to empathetically connect with others without the help of half of our God-given senses; to do so via a sheet of glass, or a sheet of paper; to interrelate with our friends, our colleagues, our customers … all without the luxury of live, transparent, and collective interaction. It adds new meaning to the word “screen”!

Yes, one of the greatest challenges now facing us is the need to conserve our precious interpersonal skills before they totally dissolve – to bring them back to a standard from which they can at least be transformed.

What must we do to preserve not only our information delivery skills, but the all-important observation acumen - our asking, watching, and listening competencies? How do we sustain the intuitive detection/reaction understanding afforded by these skills? How do we save these more complex intrinsic human values before they become de-humanised:

·        Manners?

·        Morals?

·        Politeness?

·        Respect?

·        Character?

·        Common sense?

·        Trust?

·        Patience?

·        Courtesy?

·        Integrity?

·        Tolerance?

·        Understanding?

·        Honesty?

At least for now, we still have children congregating in classrooms, we still have businesspeople mingling in meeting rooms. Surely, it’s not too late yet to seize an opportunity to raise the bar on interpersonal skills education. The future of this world of ours is surely calling for it … are we hearing it?

About the writer: 

Keith Rowe is the author of a series of books, focussed on the preservation of our threatened interpersonal skills - particularly in the era of Digital Disruption, and certainly in expectation of the changes which will survive the current Coronavirus upheaval.

His latest - a “beyond 2020” revision of his original KNACK of Selling publication is available on Amazon. For the investment of only a couple of dollars, the eBook version of this comprehensive interpersonal skills manual could be in the hands of every member of your team:

www.amazon.com/author/keithrowe