Skills for the New Economy

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…

The race to come up with the next great innovation is always a ticking clock.  It is just a matter of time before one of your competitors strikes something big, so your company need to be cultivating new opportunities every day to stay afloat.  But what if you cannot afford the time because you are too focused on the day to day operations of simply keeping your existing business going?   Here are five simple ways to pump up innovative activities in your organization without taxing your existing resources.

1.  Open Your Eyes and Ears.

There is a good chance that your next ideas is already out there, you have just not tuned in to hear it.  It could be waiting in the form of a recommendation…

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You open your Facebook or Twitter account and begin to scour the recent posts of your friends for interesting news.  As you scroll down the page, you see the following assortment of posts sprinkled amongst a pile of article links:

<p style=”text-align: center;”><em>Sunshine makes me happy!</em></p>

<p style=”text-align: center;”><em>Eating pancakes.  Yummy.</em></p>

<p style=”text-align: center;”><em>So sleepy.</em></p>

<p style=”text-align: center;”><em>Sigh.</em></p>

It’s exciting stuff, that’s for sure.  I mean, the great Pancake Movement certainly appreciates the support.  But what value does this bring to those reading?  With posts like these, it becomes difficult to justify that there is any value.  And if the goal of social networking is to stay connected to those you know, how are you…

Even for the most news conscious of tech enthusiasts out there, the evolution of the mobile phone is increasingly difficult to follow.  What once used to be a device to simply make calls, the phone has become a hub of information essential on both a personal and professional level.  With mobile applications enhancing the experience even further, consumers are less interested in the phone portion of smart phones’ capabilities.

The past two years have ushered in the iPhone, the Droid, the Pre and slew of Blackberries that have changed the way we look at our phone experience.  As rumors of additional phones and revolutionary platforms continue to swirl as if ready to break at any moment, the thought of actually buying one of these devices seems…