JOB SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR A NEW CENTURY, by Expert Dave bowman

JOB SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR A NEW CENTURY

by Dave Bowman, Human Resource Expert

What will it take to survive and prosper in the new millennium? Enormous changes are occurring in the world economy, and thus in the American workplace. Global competition, an ever enlarging US service sector, manufacturing flight to the third world, faster and more user friendly information technology, more outsourcing/reorganizations/downsizings due to continued emphasis on greater productivity, as well as higher stress levels for managers because of flatter corporate structures -- these all mean new and different skills will be needed to keep jobs and/or move into new ones. And, this applies to both association employees and those in their client organizations.

First, let's look at the skills that will be hot.

An ability to improve productivity in an environment of constant change. Major change can cause anxiety and a loss of focus, which negatively effects productivity. Employees and managers must understand that change is happening and why, as well as have the ability to get things done, even when it appears that chaos is everywhere. In short, love change.
Vision and imagination to create new, faster and better ways of doing things. Old methods and old structures are being buried. Organizations are flattening and horizontal management is displacing traditional vertical/hierarchical systems in order to cut processing time. Continuous improvement, particularly in terms of quality and cost reduction, is demanded of everyone. Bureaucracy is being smashed. Stringent rules and regulations are being cut in half each year. Instead of focusing on the boss, customer responsiveness/service is now the center of attention for most businesses. "Listening" instead of "telling" is considered the most effective management style today. Communication must be as fast as possible -- often by e-mail and/or phone -- eliminating the many "information copies" that used to cover one's political rear end.
Maximizing people power. With the size of budgets and staffs constantly under the knife, more must be done with less. Managers no longer have the time to micro-manage subordinates. Instead, self-managed teams must use collaborative/consensus problem-solving and decision-making to get things done quickly, informing managers only of results or acute problems. Performance based appraisals with accountability as the basis of reward are becoming more common. Continuous feedback is increasing productivity at all levels. A sense of the entrepreneurial -- it's my business and I have a lot at stake -- must be instilled into the workforce. Thus, recruiting a workforce with appropriate core competency skills and behaviors is mandatory, as is coaching and continued training, incentivized compensation and a motivational environment.
Computer/information systems savvy. We are fast approaching a paperless economy. Company intranets and e-mail systems are replacing memos and paperwork. The internet is becoming the research and communication tool of choice, as well as an enormous marketing vehicle. Project modeling and tracking is being done by computers at a fraction of the time and cost of former methods. Information systems knowledge is as required today as reading, writing and math skills were as little as ten years ago.
Getting value for time and dollars spent. Computers are important, but they must measure, calculate and communicate only what is important. Too frequently, financial and human resources are spent on systems "just to be on the cutting edge" of technology. And so it is with all other management functions and structures -- focus on and measure only what's important to the task at hand, or costs will be too high and things won't be completed as quickly as customers demand.

Well, if these are the skills that will be hot, what are those that will be not hot in the years ahead?

Working/managing in a regulated environment. Government regulation of business is becoming a thing of the past. Transportation, utilities and telephones are now deregulated. The media, banking and shipping services are much less regulated than previously. These, of course, are only a sampling of much more deregulation to come.
Administrating through systems, procedures and extensive structure. These are old-fashioned methods. Flattened, lean organizations are eliminating them in favor of self-managed teams, horizontal management and personal/team accountability -- clearly faster, more productive ways of getting things done. Today, principles and guidelines are replacing rules and bureaucratic structures.

The economy is changing dramatically and quickly. Employees and managers must understand what changes are occurring and why. They must embrace change with new ideas, or they will not survive as we move into the new century.

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