W ith all that has changed in how we work, have we really attacked the organization of knowledge? What do we discover when we examine our systems for getting work done -- performance management, implementation of strategies and change, work efficiency, etc. -- for their sources of complexity? How do successful business results hold up to scrutiny of how we got there? What are the hidden Info Age costs behind how we get work done today?

IT UNPLUGGED: Clearly, this study would not exist without the current revolution in information technology (IT). All of our roles, work and businesses are being reshaped by the tools of the Information Age. But awesome tools do not necessarily impart meaning, understanding, intent, clarity or context. We wanted to study the data, knowledge and information being shared. Our focus was primarily on content. Only rarely did we focus on its pipeline.

TRANSFORMING WHAT WE KNOW INTO WORK was the litmus test. How do we get stuff done in the Info Age? We asked how people understood what they were supposed to do, how they decided how to do it, what tools they used, and how they helped others know what to do and how to do it. We wanted to know if -- all hype aside -- companies mean it when they solemnly proclaim "human intelligence and intellectual resources are now most valuable assets."