{"id":32167,"date":"2012-10-13T18:07:04","date_gmt":"2012-10-13T17:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=32167"},"modified":"2012-10-13T18:07:57","modified_gmt":"2012-10-13T17:07:57","slug":"taking-control-of-your-own-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/taking-control-of-your-own-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking Control of Your Own Future"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/\/ <![CDATA[\n                                                    google_ad_client = \"pub-7021221536180758\"; \/* 468x60, created 11\/11\/09 *\/ google_ad_slot = \"1949837292\"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60;\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\/\/ <![CDATA[\n\n\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Corporation of One<strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h1>\n<div id=\"attachment_32168\" style=\"width: 289px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32168\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32168\" title=\"Untitled-1\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Untitled-11.jpg?resize=279%2C187\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32168\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Source \u2013 The Office<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0<strong>Paranoid or Proactive \u2013 <\/strong><em>Some spend their workdays in quiet desperation, hoping they will never be found out, while others have gained confidence in using uncertainty as a challenge to help their company \u2013 and themselves \u2013 to move forward. It\u2019s not always easy, but it does make your days interesting. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>You either know from first-hand experience or heard that companies aren\u2019t hiring like they used to; and, in fact, are slimming down.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not just in your neighborhood, your country, it\u2019s a global shift.<\/p>\n<p>In the five major economies, the hiring outlook is \u201csteady\u201d \u2026 meaning flat!<\/p>\n<p>In 24 offices of the placement firm Manpower and 41 country labor departments, they report that job-seekers are finding a tougher marketplace.<\/p>\n<p>Emerging economies including China, India and Brazil are slowing because exports to other countries are slowing.<\/p>\n<p>Well, slowing is perhaps an overstatement because in every country, there are organizations hungry to find qualified people to fill open positions.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is, people aren\u2019t educated or trained for the jobs that need to be filled.<\/p>\n<p>That isn\u2019t going to change.<\/p>\n<p>We recently read that that following graduation, 70 percent of the youth now entering high school will be working in industries and jobs that don\u2019t even exist yet.<\/p>\n<p>The factory dominated the 19<sup>th<\/sup> Century. Everything evolved around it. People spent their lives working for \u201cthe man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Today, less than 15 percent of U.S. employees work in production or manufacturing. In Europe and Japan, the picture is much the same.<\/p>\n<p>The 20<sup>th<\/sup> Century was dominated by the office.<\/p>\n<p>According to the U.S. Department of Labor, by the end of last year, at least 44 percent of the employees were gathering, processing, retrieving and analyzing information &#8230; in the office.<\/p>\n<p>The first half of 21<sup>st<\/sup> Century was dubbed the Internet and Knowledge Era.<\/p>\n<p>The Internet is about competition, growth and reaching out to customers. Real time access to information is the key business differentiator.<\/p>\n<p>Now we\u2019ve entered the Big Data Era where it\u2019s all about harvesting information from the masses of data companies collect minute by minute, click by click.<\/p>\n<p>A few years ago, Will Hutton, chief executive of Britain\u2019s The Industrial Society, stated that while we don\u2019t yet fully understand the rules and dynamics of the new era we do know it is turning the workplace inside out.<\/p>\n<p>He explained that we are firmly implanted in a network economy that is driven by information and communications technologies.<\/p>\n<p>The network is \u2013 and will increasingly be \u2013 made up of independent workers who will change the employer\/employee relationship.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>The Empowered Worker<\/h2>\n<p>Already more than 40 million U.S. workers are free agent contract workers.<\/p>\n<p>Over the next few years, Charles Handy, author of <em>The Age of Unreason<\/em>, estimates that less than one-half of the industrial world\u2019s workforce will hold conventional full-time jobs in companies.<\/p>\n<p>Every year, more and more people around the globe will be self-employed.<\/p>\n<p>Full-time insiders will be the minority.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_32169\" style=\"width: 283px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32169\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32169\" title=\"Untitled-2\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Untitled-22.jpg?resize=273%2C192\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32169\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Source \u2013 sulheka<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0<strong>Demanding Jobs \u2013 <\/strong><em>No country, no company, no individuals have been left untouched by the economy. Companies have become accustomed to operating lean, leaving many to feel the system has let them down; while others have found new freedom, new challenges in controlling their own destinies, making their own opportunities.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In the 19<sup>th<\/sup> Century and the first half of the 20<sup>th<\/sup> Century, there was a real or implied promise that the corporation would provide employees with job security and career progression in return for loyalty and commitment.<\/p>\n<p>But in today\u2019s competitive environment, firms have to constantly restructure, outsource, downsize, subcontract and form new alliances to survive and take advantage of opportunities they can\u2019t foresee, can\u2019t plan for.<\/p>\n<p>To maintain their competitive edge, companies are travelling lighter, changing course rapidly, covering ground\/ reinventing themselves more quickly.<\/p>\n<p>The managers that survive have found that the organization has to constantly accelerate or die.<\/p>\n<p>The company that is lean, agile and quick to respond has the edge.<\/p>\n<p>Those who can kill\/replace even their own pet products\/projects and move on without hesitation succeed.<\/p>\n<p>Those who hesitate or look back with remorse get passed or worse, trampled.<\/p>\n<p>Competition, technology, recession and increased stakeholder value are driving firms to the point where corporate commitment and employee loyalty are rapidly disappearing.<\/p>\n<p>Given this environment, it is little wonder that the new free agent worker is becoming the mainstay of the workforce and is doing what is important for his or her career.<\/p>\n<p>Far from being \u201cme\u201d oriented, this growing workforce understands that the best way to enhance their intellectual, social and professional capital is to network, educate\/reeducate themselves and constantly move forward.<\/p>\n<p>Just as the changing world deals ruthlessly with organizations that don\u2019t change, the new breed of self-sustaining employee is quickly learning that the blur of ambiguity, uncertainty is good for their career.<\/p>\n<h2>Dealing with the Legacy<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_32170\" style=\"width: 517px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32170\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32170\" title=\"Untitled-3\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Untitled-31.jpg?resize=507%2C368\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Untitled-31.jpg 507w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Untitled-31-300x217.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 507px) 100vw, 507px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32170\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Source \u2013 U.S. Dept. of Labor<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0<strong>New View \u2013 <\/strong><em>Industrial and emerging countries have experienced employment pressure as demand shifts from physical to knowledge labor. Rather than expecting others to make positions available to them, a growing number of people are expanding their expertise and capabilities in new areas of knowledge that didn\u2019t exist even a few years ago. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>They are exploiting the flexibility, capacity and capability of the Internet to enable them to work in totally different ways with the \u201clegacy\u201d parts of the economy.<\/p>\n<p>They watch others with their personal ideas and personal goals compete on reality shows like <strong><em>Shark Tank<\/em><\/strong> and <strong><em>Dragon\u2019s Den<\/em><\/strong> and realize that there are tens of thousands of others out there with the same \u201cfire in the gut,\u201d the willingness, need and desire to pursue their goals despite the obstacles.<\/p>\n<p>Because of this, firms are going to great lengths to recruit, pay and keep employees happy.<\/p>\n<p>A new class of job brokers and talent scouts has emerged with employee search firms growing twice as fast as the economy.<\/p>\n<p>Check any print, online publication you receive.<\/p>\n<p>There will always be two to three articles on recruiting and job enhancement; and it isn\u2019t just because firms are trying to figure out, hire and use millennials profitably.<\/p>\n<p>These companies are trying to win and retain the best freethinkers who want to be constantly challenged and aren\u2019t looking for jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Look at the on-line and print classifieds.<\/p>\n<p>Listen to what companies and search firms are offering.<\/p>\n<p>The attention is on a stimulating work environment, relaxed dress codes, attention to work\/life issues and a fun place to work.<\/p>\n<p>Firms that fall short in these areas know they will lose the best people \u2026 the people they need to survive and grow.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_32171\" style=\"width: 197px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32171\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32171\" title=\"Untitled-4\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Untitled-41.jpg?resize=187%2C279\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32171\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Source \u2013 123rf<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0<strong>Short Ladder \u2013 <em>T<\/em><\/strong><em>he corporate ladder has become extremely short as people put more of their trust in developing themselves rather than expecting companies to make room for them to climb the corporate ladder. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The self-empowered independent worker knows the ground rules have changed in the employer\/employee relationship.<\/p>\n<p>They have learned how easy it is to network in much the same fashion as the trade guilds of the 18<sup>th<\/sup> Century.<\/p>\n<p>Forget unions.<\/p>\n<p>The new contract worker has a better infrastructure \u2013 the web.<\/p>\n<p>A growing number of portals are available for them to share job and company work experience information, buy goods and services and control their own growth and destiny.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sites like Kickstarter offers a place where people can post their business ideas and offer the opportunity for people to crowdsource &#8211; back the project.<\/p>\n<p>Another location, Quirky, takes innovation and collaboration to an even higher plane. People submit their ideas to Quirky and a community of members picks the best ideas and helps take it to market and financially share in the results.<\/p>\n<p>It may be one person\u2019s idea, but it is a collaborative success.<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s global communication technology is radically changing the speed, direction and amount of information flow, even as it alters people\u2019s roles\/work across all organizations.<\/p>\n<p>The new free agent worker is creating role clarity for himself\/herself. They figure out the top priorities and point themselves in that direction.<\/p>\n<p>They don\u2019t pull back.<\/p>\n<p>They don\u2019t wait for someone to give them details or marching orders.<\/p>\n<p>They give themselves permission to attach to the job that needs to be done.<\/p>\n<p>They feel their way to the future.<\/p>\n<p>They have reduced improvising to an art form.<\/p>\n<p>They accept the fact that work life is fuzzy around the edges.<\/p>\n<p>They are comfortable with the fact that organizations can\u2019t and aren\u2019t going to look out for people\u2019s careers as they did in the past.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why it is important to behave like you\u2019re in business for yourself \u2026 you are.<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s \u201cemployees\u201d have to build emotional muscle.<\/p>\n<p>As Lily Tomlin once said, <em>\u201cwe\u2019re all in this alone.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Practice Kaizen<\/h2>\n<p>Given the working world shift, people have to continuously practice Kaizen \u2013 the relentless quest for a better way, higher-quality craftsmanship, the daily pursuit of perfection.<\/p>\n<p>Kaizen keeps you reaching, stretching to outdo yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>The incremental changes yield a valuable competitive advantage.<\/p>\n<p>You need to assume personal responsibility for upgrading your performance.<\/p>\n<p>Your productivity, response time, quality, cost control and customer service should show steady gains.<\/p>\n<p>The era of entitlement is past.<\/p>\n<p>People aren\u2019t automatically entitled to pay increases, promotions or their job \u2026 even if they perform well.<\/p>\n<p>The empowered free agent worker is taking responsibility for his\/her own career \u2026 and future.<\/p>\n<p>These guild workers are forcing companies to personalize contracts as firms bid for their knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>With employment viewed as uncertain at best and flexible\/flattened, organizations a key to corporate agility, the free agent workforce isn\u2019t an anomaly.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_32172\" style=\"width: 332px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32172\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32172\" title=\"Untitled-5\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Untitled-51.jpg?resize=322%2C217\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Untitled-51.jpg 322w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Untitled-51-300x202.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 322px) 100vw, 322px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32172\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Source \u2013 The Office<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0<strong>Practice, Practice \u2013 <\/strong><em>While people still like to beat their own drum, many have found it more productive, more satisfying to practice Kaizen and constantly improve and perfect themselves so they can perform at their best, even in uncertain situations. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s the environment organizations and companies will work in tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>There have to be good reasons to hire, and this is reflective of the global markets each of us must become comfortable with in the years ahead.<\/p>\n<p>In case you didn\u2019t notice, it\u2019s here today.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>By\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 G.A. \u201cAndy\u201d Marken<\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 President<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marken Communications, Inc.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><a href=\"mailto:Andy@markencom.com\">Andy@markencom.com<\/a><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p>Please join us in our <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/abt\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\">Forums<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Become a Fan on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142', 'Facebook']);\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow us on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech', 'Twitter']);\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For the latest updates from ABT, please <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?feed=rss2\" target=\"_blank\">join our RSS News Feed<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Join our Distributed Computing teams<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Folding@Home &#8211; 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