We’ve been calling ourselves knowledge workers for decades.
It sounds impressive.
Professional.
Essential.
But many of us would say our days don’t feel like deep, intellectual work.
They feel like endless meetings.
Inboxes overflowing.
Constant notifications.
And reacting to the latest urgent request.
That’s not knowledge work. That’s being busy.
Knowledge Work vs. Work With Knowledge
I’ve been playing with the idea of flipping the phrase.
Instead of knowledge work, what if we called it work with knowledge?
Here’s the difference I see:
- Knowledge work (the myth): A category of jobs where knowledge is the supposed asset.
- Work with knowledge (the practice): The intentional act of applying, analyzing, and creating something meaningful.
One is a label.
The other takes discipline.
Why This Matters
Somewhere along the way, knowledge work got watered down.
Instead of space for problem-solving, connecting dots, and creativity, we’re drowning in shallow activity.
We’re “working,” but not necessarily with knowledge.
The danger is that we start mistaking activity for progress.
Reclaiming work with knowledge means deliberately carving space for the hard stuff.
The thinking, the connecting, the creating.
Your Turn
How much of your time last week was spent working with knowledge?
When you look at the upcoming week, how much time is set aside for work with knowledge?
What can you do to flip the knowledge work script?