The purpose of an organization is to enable ordinary humans beings to do extraordinary things.
Peter DruckerRead
The most valuable assets of a 20th-century company were its production equipment. The most valuable assets of a 21st-century institution, whether business or nonbusiness, will be its knowledge, workers, and their productivity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The value of a modern organization lies in its knowledge and human resources rather than physical assets.
Peter Drucker's quote emphasizes the shift in what constitutes value in organizations from the 20th century to the 21st century. In the past, tangible assets like production equipment were seen as the backbone of a company's worth. However, in today's economy, the emphasis has transitioned towards intangible assets such as the knowledge, skills, and productivity of employees, suggesting that intellectual capital and human resources are now paramount for success.
Themes
KnowledgeProductivityWorkersAssetsBusiness
In practice
Example use cases
In a business seminar, I would use this quote to illustrate the importance of investing in employee development.
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We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.
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The basic economic resource - the means of production -_x000D_ _x000D_ is no longer capital, nor natural resources, nor labor._x000D_ _x000D_ It is and will be knowledge.
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Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes... but no plans.
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The strength of the computer lies in its being a logic machine. It does precisely what it is programed to do. This makes it fast and precise. It also makes it a total moron; for logic is essentially stupid.
Peter DruckerRead
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