We know work rules have shifted. The problem is that while rules have changed, they haven’t been fully explained. If many of us don’t ‘get it’, it’s because we haven’t been told what ‘get’ or ‘it’ are now. Quite often, even management is as clueless as we are.
This is especially critical when things are in constant flux. We’re expected to understand and work in a new structure without fully understanding what the new rules are. The gap between the old rules and new culture may have widened to the point where we’re not only confused but feel the employer-employee bond has ruptured so we are forced to look our for #1 as Brand U’s.
Many prominent writers are coining their own equivalents of Brand U’s. Harriet Rubin, the ex publisher of Currency Doubleday, coined the term ‘soloist’ for Brand U. Who’s a soloist? “To do important work, thrilling work, you had to go it alone. Same as an artist.” says Harriet Rubin. [i]
[i] Rubin, Harriet, Soloist, NY: HarperCollins, 1999, p. 8.