What do the coming years hold for the workforce?
The workforce will accelerate its progression into two broad groups: (a) those who are skilled and agile to navigate the whitewater rapids of swiftly changing conditions in diverse marketplaces and (b) those who get left behind in eddies outside the rapidly moving economy.
We’re seeing examples of this already with the hot market for software engineers in Silicon Valley contrasted with unemployed and underemployed persons waiting for someone to offer them a job.
Pointers for businesses:
* Create environments that attract employees who have agility and seek opportunities to run the rapids rather than float in a pond.
* View organizational structure as a flexible support for dynamic change rather than a fixed framework.
* Develop work situations with employees that invite adventure and thoughtful risk taking.
Pointers for employees:
* Take charge of your talent — no one else can or will. Be clear about your hopes and your plans to realize them.
* Nurture a network of people and resources. You don’t know when you’ll need them for your next run.
* Keep strong cash reserves to enable yourself to take risks and recover from tumbles in markets, businesses, and jobs.
For both businesses and employees:
*Enjoy the whitewater rapids and don’t be afraid to get wet.
Photo by: Kansas Sebastian
