Reports from the Knowledge Labs about our recent findings, research topics, and interviews with lifestyle leaders who are creating their own futures.
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How to stimulate your own powers of foresight. Consider the following thought provokers. Ask yourself, in these categories what are the brand new trends and forces? Which are the ones growing in importance? Which current forces are loosing their steam? Which have peaked or are reversing themselves? Which are the "wildcards" about to disrupt us in the future? POLITICAL AND TECHNICAL thought for food: Electronics, Materials, Energy, Fossil, Nuclear, Alternative, Other, Manufacturing (techniques), Agriculture, Machinery and Equipment, Distribution, Transportation (Urban, Mass, Personal, Surface, Sea, Subsurface, Space), Communication (Printed, Spoken, Interactive, Media), Computers (Information, Knowledge, Storage & Retrieval, Design, Network Resources), Post-Cold War, Third World, Conflict (Local, Regional, Global), Arms Limitation, Undeclared Wars, Terrorism, Nuclear Proliferation, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Governments (More/Less Power and Larger or Smaller Scale), Taxes, Isms: Nationalism, Regionalism, Protectionism, Populism, Cartels, Multinational Corporations, Balance of Trade, Third Party Payments, Regulations (OSHA, etc.) Environmental Impact, U.S. Prestige Abroad. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC Food for thought:
Labor Movements, Unemployment / Employment Cycles, Recession, Employment Patterns, Work Hours / Schedules, Fringe Benefits, Management Approaches, Accounting Policies, Productivity, Energy Costs, Balance of Payments, Inflation, Taxes, Rates of Real Growth, Distribution of Wealth, Capital Availability and Costs, Reliability of Forecasts, Raw Materials, Availability and Costs, Global versus National Economy, Market versus Planned Economies, Generations: Y, X, Boomers, Elderly, Urban vs. Rural Lifestyles, Affluent vs. Poor, Neighborhoods and Communities, Planned or Organic Growth.
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The Journal of 2020 Foresight
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Sunday, August 13, 2006
16 Ways to Increase Your Career Equity and Marketability
Chapter Four: The Tribal Territories
By Steve Howard, CKO
The Knowledge Labs
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Basecamp
Chapter Two: The Ridge
Chapter Three: The Outpost
Chapter Four: The Tribal Territories
“She was looking at it from her pickup truck, very happy with herself for making a statement. For an 18-year-old to make a statement like that is a great feeling. And she was proud of herself. She decided to go into Greendale and see Jed in jail, see how he was doin’, talk to him, take him something. I’m sorry I wish it had been a happier story up to this point. But we still have youth. Like I said before, I don’t think there can be a better feeling than youth making a difference.”
Neil Young & Crazy Horse “Greendale”
DOUBLE NICKEL RANCH: Four types of organizations with 16 mix-and-match combinations will be emerging over the next five years -- based upon the analysis of current trends and future forces shaping the human capital landscape.
Journal of 2020 Foresight: How does this information help you if you're experiencing mid-life issues and have begun, by choice or by chance, to activate your five-year plan? What if you need to work for an employer or deliver a product, provide a service, or create an experience to a more sophisticated customer or client?
Explorer: It is a matter of finding the best fit. The four quadrants represent four different types of stand-alone organizations -- some that have been around for a while and are familiar to most people.
J2020F: And others?
Explorer: Some that have sprung up because larger organizations have outsourced what used to be an internal function.
J2020F: Give us an example.
Explorer: Let’s start with some basics.
J2020F: Like where do I fall on the main axis?
Explorer: And, where do you feel most at home in the four boxes and on the “diagonals” – of disruptive innovation or sustained innovation and emerging knowledge or embodied knowledge.
J2020F: What about the other fundamental axis – doing what you love or hate and relocating to a better community or staying in your neighborhood?
Explorer: Sure, in the case of Agents – “Breakpoint Inventors,” “Thought Leaders,” “Commercial Innovators” or “R&D Laboratories” -- with an independent identity and a drive to discover a disruptive innovation, the organization may be more virtual in the form of web-enhanced collaborators than face-to-face.
J2020F: Because of the technology trends?
Explorer: Sure. While inventive agents may work for a think-tank with a physical location, they are more likely free to live where they please -- some place that inspires them, but with enough gear to do their tinkering.
J2020F: What if independent, disruptive innovation choices don’t fit you and what if IPO or micro cap commercial companies feel too risky?
Explorer: You'll want focus on cities and their suburbs that have and will continue to support mid-size regional divisions of national and global organizations aspiring to grow and to sustain their growth to the next level.
J2020F: What’s your role there?
Explorer: If your discomfort isn’t with the pace of doing business, or with the use of technology to a high degree, but it has more to do with loss of affiliation needs then your first choice may be an Athlete organization.
J2020F: So, I might fit best with “Marketing Athletes” or “Resilient Project Teams” if I feel the need for speed?
Explorer: Or those Athletic talent clusters that support them, but operate at a moderately fast pace.
J2020F: Like?
Explorer: Like those “Operational Excellents” or “Core Business Groups.” The second craves organizational affiliation more than the first.
J2020F: What if it is the fast-pace that triggers the discomfort?
Explorer: First of all that sends up a red flag for extended Boomer familiesin this “World is Flat,” Unraveling-to-Crisisand Third Wave transformational era. So, my advice is to target the “vertical column” just to the right of the independent identity and organizational affiliation arrows.
J2020F: Starting at the top with “University Research Centers,” “Professional Practice”, “Internal Change Agents” and “Agile Tiger Teams?”
Explorer: Exactly. They all share the same degree of mastery needs and aren’t the slowest movers -- who risk becoming obsolete and only to fall into the category of “Trapped and Permanently Temporary.”
J2020F: Those would be the ones in the Academic and Associate column to the far right?
Explorer: Yes, the “Brand-as-Experts,” “Traditional Institutions,” and “Analytical Specialists” or “Loyal Survivalists.”
J2020F: Since job security is out forever, which of the 16 total talent clusters in the four kinds of standalone organizations provide better career moves, if you want to continuously increase your career equity and marketability?
Explorer: First, I’d eliminate the last four from my list. In an Academic organization, I’d also eliminate “University Research Centers’” but keep “Professional Practice” on it.
J2020F: Why?
Explorer: Because, except for job security as a function of tenure, the others don’t keep you in touch with the marketplace as well as the “Professional Practice” talent cluster. In that column of moderate speed, but with increasing degrees of affiliation I’d risk targeting “Internal Change Agents” and “Agile Tiger Teams” in Associate organizations.
J2020F: So you wouldn’t eliminate all the Associate talent clusters?
Explorer: With your experience you may add value by re-organizing, restructuring, re-vitalizing or renewing their operations.
J2020F: In a change agent role, or by finding newer markets for their portfolio of niche businesses, or by right-sizing the talent pool to optimize the combination of long-time contributors with outside specialists to support the growth?
Explorer: Yup.
J2020F: What about the “columns” to the left of the mid point – the two that begin with Agent and independent identity at the top and end in Athlete with organizational affiliation at the bottom?
Explorer: As a rule of thumb, the newer standalone and higher-valued business talent clusters are the “Marketing Athletes,” “Resilient Project Teams,” the “Operation Excellents” and the ”Core Business Group.” So, they stay on my list.
J2020F: Any in the “red zone?”
Explorer: Unless you fit the higher risk profile of paradigm shifters, the “Breakpoint Inventors” or the think tank “Thought Leaders,” more practical roles to target in the Agent organization would be “Commercial Innovators” and “R&D Laboratories.”
J2020F: If I’ve followed you, you’ve basically eliminated the whole top row from “Breakpoint Inventors” to “Brand-as-Experts” and the whole right column from “Brand-as-Experts” to “Loyal Survivalists.” That leaves 9 talent clusters in the four types of standalone organizations, right?
Explorer: For me personally, based on your criteria to increase my career value and marketability, I’d explore six and probably focus on four.
J2020F: The six?
Explorer: They form the center of the chart after you eliminate “Thought Leaders” and “University Research Centers”
J2020F: You’d keep “R&D Laboratory” Agents, “Operational Excellent” and “Core Business Group” Athletes, “Professional Practice” Academics and both “Internal Change Agent” and “Agile Tiger Team” Associates.
Explorer: And, in priority order I’d target “R&D Laboratories”, “Operational Excellents”, “Internal Change Agents” and “Professional Practice” talent clusters.
J2020F: Is there a way I can take advantage of this model after I land my dream position?
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Copyright ©2002 - 2006 Aarnaes Howard Associates. All rights reserved worldwide.
8:22 AM
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