Skills for the New Economy

Monday, 05. 3. 2010  –  Category: T2 Communications

There is no doubt that the business world is changing as fast as it ever has.  Companies are getting more global in their reach, using workers from around the world to run even the smallest of companies.  Economic challenges are also forcing businesses to review their direction and focus, sometimes forcing them to make unsatisfying decisions.  But despite all of the obstacles out there, a growing portion of the work force is succeeding tremendously.

How are they doing it?  They have left behind the notion of what it used to mean to be a worker and have adjusted toward becoming the worker of the future.  They understand that the notion of working in your job for decades is likely over, that medical benefits are not a guarantee and that the 8 to 5 work schedule no longer works.  It is a difficult transition that those with more experienced resumes are having a hard time letting go.  Even those new to the work force are finding it difficult to adapt, as the educational system they were developed in largely teaches the old world rules.

So what are those skills that workers need to embrace and our educational system should promote?  Here are five:

Flexibility: Good or bad, the days of big plans, big preparation and long term dedication are becoming rare.  Businesses want things done faster and cheaper, and that means that holding the course is just not in the plans.  Therefore, workers need to be open and ready to contribute when things change course in the blink of an eye—without complaining about it.

Project Management: It used to be that there were managers who did the planning, and subordinates that helped execute the plan.  But as staffing gets leaner, businesses are moving to more of a project by project management system, meaning even the most junior staffers may be ask to head up a major project.

Collaboration: With many companies downsizing, one would think that this would lead to an office culture where everyone is an island focusing on an increasingly large workload.  Quite the opposite is true.  Workers are instead being asked to band together under the motto “just get it done.”  This means regularly interacting with co-workers and effectively communicating so that the entire staff is on the same page as changes constantly happen.

Creativity: When workers are asked to do more with less, it is time to start getting creative.  It may come in the form of unique ways to cut costs, or completing projects MacGyver style using only those items already in inventory.  This means that workers need to be thinking on their feet and always looking for new solutions.

Writing: One might think that the trending of activities like text messaging would be leading us towards a culture where writing is no longer valued.  Quite the opposite is true.  With lean staffing, companies cannot rely on a select few to do the writing for their business.  And there are many avenues where writing is invaluable to a business: marketing, public relations, legal and human resources.  Plus, when it even comes to social marketing, no company wants their image to be shaped by poor grammar.

Tags: collaboration, creativity, David Fleming, flexibility, project management, Social Networking, strategy, writing