QUICK CHANGE ARTIST
Do you ever feel “quick change artist” should be part of your job description as a hiring authority. We are in a new economyand the Age of Information. The economy is shifting more and more toward services and knowledge based work. Computers and technology have created an intense, worldwide competition for business. Soon, competition for your job could come from practically anywhere on earth. Careers just don’t develop the way they did ten years ago, and that is no one’s fault.
The Information age doesn’t care about our opinions, our feelings or our fears. The world rewards only those of us who catch on to what’s happening and who invest energy in finding and seizing the opportunities that will be brought about by change.
In order to take care of your own career and those of the individuals who work for you company you need to manage perpetual motion. Your organization will keep reshaping itself, shifting and flexging to fit the rapidly changing world. This is the only way to flourish in a fiercely competitive economy.
You can expect flexible ways of working. Duties and job descriptions will be constantly realigned. Short-lived assignments will become commomplace. Granted - change can be painful. When it damages careers, emotions such as grief, anger and depression come naturally, making it hard for people to “buy in” and be productive. But being a quick-change artist can build your reputation, while resisting change can ruin it. Mobility, not mourning, makes you a valuable member of the management team that has continually interaction with employees. Your goal should be rapid recovery and instant alignment to changes, regardless of the impact on you personally. Take personal responsibility for adapting to change, just like you would if you were accepting a new job and watch how quickly your responsibilities grow within the organization.
Finding and retaining top talent through a changing environment is one of the greatest challenges corporate America is facing today. You are in the right profession and the right time in history and you will have a seat (if you don’t already do) at the table for all strategic meetings because they will need and welcome your input!
Barb Bruno
