Tacit interactions are becoming central to economic activity. Making those who undertake them more effective isn't like tweaking a production line.

For improving performance and gaining competitive advantage, offshoring and the latest advances in technology seem to grab all the headlines. Yet building a sustainable advantage requires much more. Employees whose jobs can't be automated-any company's high-value decision makers-hold the key to boosting productivity, so making them more effective can create an edge that competitors won't replicate easily.