Complex meta-competencies, in which cognitive and emotional factors are inextricably entangled (concerning personal change, interpretation of unplanned events, interaction with others, etc..), are at present required in organizations as well as in all instances of social and productive life. The paper will explore such entanglements through an analysis of different theoretical approaches and some references to recent empirical research. In the theoretical overview important authors in organisation science will be taken into account who recognised the relationships between knowledge and emotions. Weick (1993), for instance, underlined the crucial function of emotional ties in situations where disruptive events must be kept under control through shared knowledge and understanding. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) theorised "tacit knowledge" as intrinsically rooted in both individuals' action and experience and in embraced ideals, values and emotions. Gherardi (2000) emphasised the function of emotionality and aesthetics in learning-in- organising. Wenger (2002) defined the glue that keeps together new forms of communities of practice in terms of passion for knowledge and problem-solving. Outside organisation science the contribution of Goleman (1995, 1997) must be also critically examined insofar as he tried to apply his concept of "emotional intelligence" to daily life in work situations (developing some degrees of parenthood with the well-known Senge's vision of the "learning organisation)". However the theoretical overview will be mostly focused on the identification of conceptual links between knowledge and emotions starting from seminal ideas, underpinning different organisational approaches, put forward by Michael Polany (1962, 1965) about "personal knowledge" and "intellectual passion". The emotional involvement in scientific activities, and - by extension of Polany's thought - in different kinds of organisational activities at medium-high skill levels, cannot be assumed as a mere psychological by-product. It is something having a logical function in the activity development and the search for continuous (meta)-competencies (self)-development. Some aspects related to such a connection have been empirically verified in recent research studies. In particular, the paper will report about life-histories collected in sectors like software design and audiovisual production where work dynamics are intense and different forms of cognitive/emotional involvement in knowing and learning are continuously reproduced, giving rise to significant - although often unaware - self-development of different kinds of competencies. In a final section the consequences of the entanglement of cognitive and emotional factors will be dealt with in terms of policy issues. The above phenomena seem in fact to represent significant challenges for current approaches within both HRD and VET policies. In particular the need for reinforcing autonomous capabilities for reflection "in" and "on" action (Schoen, 1987, 1996) should be taken into account and appropriate tools for developing "reflective practices" should be designed. Such emphasis on reflectivity could be the basis for new kinds of counselling services for employees (and for the ever growing number of self-employed professionals in dynamic sectors) more and more confronted with new challenges at work that are at the same time cognitive and emotional and that require specific engagement in (meta)-competencies (self)-development.