In a dusty ancient road in the desert west of the Nile, soldiers, couriers, and traders congregated to swap stories and to write them down in limestone rock. These are now thought to be the earliest known examples of alphabetic writing. These early writings support the idea of the alphabet as an invention by workaday …
But, what about people? Who’ll look out for us in the ‘just in time’ work model? Tom Peters, always ahead of the curve, has the answer in his ‘reinventing work’ products. The following from the jacket of his Brand You 50 explains much: “The fundamental unit in today’s economy is the individual, a.k.a. YOU! Jobs …
What’s going on when the economy is booming and total employment is growing? Let’s call it ‘just in time’ work. This popular human resource management philosophy says treat employees like inventory – when times are good, hire project workers and when times are bad, downsize surgically. This philosophy promotes organizational flexibility, facilitates rapid change, and …
There are lots of new questions about work and few answers. What is work? Is it a job, career, vocation, or avocation? What’s the best organization in which to work? How is work done in what type of organization? How are virtual teams managed or led? How are telecommuters integrated into an organization? How are …
Ladders, Web, Streams – Name Your Career Metaphor Read More »
Metaphors offer insights and lessons. Metaphors provide us a vision of what to expect from work. The career ladder is a great visual metaphor. A person started at the bottom and with the right effort climbed each rung. The career ladder told us what the organization, its work, and expectations were for each of us. …
Fast Company Magazine, today’s Brand U business magazine, identified six core personal business concerns: 1) leading, 2) changing, 3) learning, 4) pursuing personal success, 5) creating, and 6) finding new ways of working.[i] Working It offers a structure for understanding and a framework for adapting to these core business and work concerns. Working It is …
Michael Jordan is the quintessential Brand U. He was probably the best player in basketball. He propelled the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. The 7Ps – Paradigms, People, Principles, Practices, Products, Processes, Projects – can be used to understand Jordan Brand U. His paradigm is the rules of basketball. People are the players, …
“If you think the young upstart at the next cubicle who spends half his days fielding calls from job recruiters is making more money than you are, guess what? You’re probably right. In today’s hot job market, where talent, energy and mobility count a lot more than seniority, new hires often earn more than …
Working on your self improvement Loving what you do and for whom you work ‘Owning what you do’ and ‘wanting to do what you do better’ Doing what lasts Not knowing what you’ll do or where you’ll live tomorrow Making good connections Creating synergies, not simply doing good Using the right tool for the job …
The fundamental dynamics and rules of the New Economy employment marketplace have: Shifted balance of power from employer to Brand U employee Created a Brand U trinity work culture of ‘me-myself-I’ Created a Brand U mentality among many professionals Created an online bazaar of Brand U’s and employers Allowed Brand U’s to offer themselves …