Even Harvard Business Review, the bible of corporate business, had an article that said:
“The fundamental unit of such an economy is not the corporation but the individual. Tasks aren’t assigned and controlled through a stable chain of management but rather are carried out autonomously by independent contractors. These electronically connected freelancers – e-lancers – join together into fluid and temporary networks to produce and sell goods and services. When a job is done – after a day, a month, and a year – the network dissolves, and its members become independent agents again, circulating through the economy, seeking the next assignment.”
Whether you are employee or contractor, you have to understand how senior executives think and act. They think in terms of value. Value can be designing a product or delivering an essential service. They view you as a resource that must be able to add value to their efforts.
Life Lesson Earned: As the fundamental business unit, you are a product. You are a Brand – also called the Brand You. This is one of the toughest things for people to understand and to accept.