Remember - this is not the old America; it is not even the America it will become. America is in the process of becoming. What it will become for you in 2012 will depend upon what you do next!
Many business leaders have lost confidence in the American economy and will remain cautious in terms of hiring. So, whether you believe the worst is behind us or ahead of us, I have two simple questions of you: What will it take to face the simple truth about your road ahead? What will you do now to determine your future?
Now is the time to seriously explore your options. This is the time to build a strategy; a strategy similar to a business strategy. Why? Because your career is your business not your job! My prediction is that people who learn to do what it takes to work in the 21st century will outlast the serious challenges we face today in order to emerge better-off tomorrow.
Throughout the years, I have presented the strategic planning model. If you have not read it and would like a copy, it is found on the following link to Plan “B” for Boomers:
AS PROMISED - OUR READERS PREDICT 2012!
1. From Colorado
Age discrimination will NOT be as hot a topic as it should be.
Chances of economic collapse are 50/50.
2. From Kentucky
As the economy struggles to recover there will be a further increase in opportunities for Boomers in the franchise industry.
3. From Massachusetts
More of the same in terms of the so-called return of “jobs” – meaning that many, many people will remain unemployed, at least in a traditional sense, and most of these folks will run out of unemployment benefits.
4. From Illinois
Following a tough couple of years, we are regaining (and will continue to regain) jobs in Illinois.
5. From Northern California
(1) Many more people will pull back on expenses and learn to live with less as the economic condition continues to be bleak and the Transitions movement will grow. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transition_Towns)
(2) There will be bottom-up solutions suggested such as the State panel (which is being led by a multi-millionaire) that is floating an initiative for changing the tax formula in California since our legislatures are holding their “no solutions” stances rather than listening to the public.
6. From Arizona
Our economy is tied to Europe; if they fail to recover, we will fail to rebound in 2012. On the plus side, U.S. companies will continue to build strength in the Asia-Pacific region.
7. From Silicon Valley
Expect good news from the technology industry. Outside of several anticipated innovations in the technology arena, I suspect recovery will be erratic at best.
8. From New York
Private-sector jobs will grow and government jobs will shrink fast in 2012 as people scramble to ensure their pension payouts.
9. From Texas
For your readers, who lead or coach multiple-generations in the workplace, I recommend Ira Wolfe’s new book – Geeks, Geezers and Googlization. The insight will benefit those of us who want to minimize generational misunderstandings in the 2012 workplace.
Thanks to all for your glimpses into the near future. The overall theme is obvious; a little good news is anticipated, a practical suggestion or two has been offered and more tough news is predicted. We even received a “Mayan” prediction for 2012 from one reader. We suggest you look this up
A generation set out to change the world - and they did - for better and for worse. The future will be defined, in significant part, by this same Boomer generation. As you move into a new year, ask yourself:
Are you willing to see life and work as played forward no matter your age or circumstances today? The past is gone; the future will be what you make of it.
If you need to continue to earn, will you invest in yourself in order to continue to work in some capacity? This may mean a return to a formal course of study or purposefully seeking out some qualified help to help you pursue new options.
No matter the struggle, will you – each and every day – think beyond yourself on behalf of future generations and actively do what it takes to leave the world a better place for them?
And, will you be thankful for this holiday and the people you love and who love you? Love is, as all good Wizards know, the real reason for the season!
January 2012 Volume 8, No. 1
2012 Workplace and Workforce Predictions
Happy New Year to our 3100 readers in the U.S. and Canada!
This is the year the oldest of the Boomers turn 66!
Begin the 2012 work year by asking yourself the following questions:
Are you committed to living both your life and your work forward no matter your age today?
Do you have plans to invest in yourself in order to continue to work for a fee, for fun, for others or for
any mix of these reasons? Will you do what it takes?
Have you thought about the benefits a late-stage qualified career coach has to offer you?
Are you prepared to think beyond yourself on behalf of future generations and do what it takes to
continue to take care of your own life, including work, in order to leave the world a better place for
them?
Exploring the Changed World of Work, First in a series of 6 articles
Before we take you on a journey to explore other work options available to you, let’s look at the world of jobs one last time. After all, JOBS are one way to work.
What is the truth about jobs? Look first at the hard facts of job loss according to McKinsey Global Institute’s research: “The “jobs” picture in 2011 showed that there was a decline of 7 million U.S. jobs since December 2007 and that there was a 23% drop in rate of new business creation in the same time frame, resulting in as many as 1.8 million fewer jobs.”
Now, ask yourself! Why is it that there are thousands of unfilled “job” openings and thousands of companies that can’t find qualified applicants?
And, one more question: Is jobless recovery a part of the new normal for many people?
Answers to the first question – why is it there are thousands of unfilled “job” openings
and thousands of employers that can’t find qualified applicants?
1.Might one reason be that we are simply under-prepared as a nation – old and young alike - to meet the
changing demands of education and skills that employers require? YES.
2.Might another reason be that moderate job creation in our Mainland is the most likely scenario for a
global future in which new businesses are opening everywhere and nowhere? YES.
3.And, are we a nation of people that believe more in the mythical land of “hope” than the land of reality in
which we must race to prepare for the “jobs” that demand new skills and competencies? Let’s HOPE
NOT.
Answers to the second question – is jobless recovery a part of the new normal for many people?
1.Might it be that increased productivity is not dependent upon hiring more people but about getting more
output from fewer people? YES.
2.Might it also be that neurally intelligent business will take even more jobs but, likewise, create more
opportunities? YES.
3.Must those of us who wish to remain in “jobs” understand that this new, interconnected world will
continue to shift the emphasis as to which jobs will be available and where? YES.
Who are the new “job” workers? They are people whose qualifications are in demand and whose skills and competencies meet current needs. They are the young college students who dream dreams but link their pursuit of degrees specifically to the demands of marketplace change. They are the people found in the educated class of workers and the highly skilled class of workers who have the basics that today’s “jobs” demand and who have continuously upgraded their skills or competencies in order to meet new market-driven demands.
They are the people who are willing to do what it takes, at any age, in order to gain admission to the new world of “jobs.” They are the people who, while still employed, are continuing to learn and develop their competencies no matter how safe they feel in their current job. They are the people who regularly “check-up” the status of their skills and talent in advance of being booted out of the regular, full-time workforce because they have fallen behind.
But, remember: The age of monolithic corporate structures is, most likely, over for all but smaller core teams, and many people who are working in “jobs” today will work anytime, anywhere and in many ways tomorrow. In fact, it is important to remember that going to work, in a job, for a company, is the equivalent of putting all of your eggs in their basket.
Let reality tell you that this is a time of major shift; just as the industrial revolution was a time of major shift in the 20th century.
What must you remember? Every year, surveys are conducted about how companies are unable to fill “mission critical” positions. The harsh realities of the 21st century are that the “jobs” go to mission critical people – not to the people beating endlessly, sometimes hopelessly, on the doors of the future.
If your talent is needed full-time some-of-the-time, you will be hired full-time some-of-the-time. If your talent is needed full-time, you will be hired full-time. If you are hired full-time, it is likely that the job will be relatively short-lived (in the private sector anyway). If your talent is not needed full-time, you will not be hired full-time! If your talent is not needed in the “job” world at all; you will need to find another way.
Check out other sources to verify information about structural change in the world of work: The McKinsey Global Institute and The Aberdeen Group are leading providers of fact-based research that support our claims.
ASK THE S-AGE!
Q. Do you believe retirement ages in the public sector will be raised? I work in the public sector and have less than 5 years before retirement (with pension) at age 55. Am I likely to be at risk?
A. The question is not IF retirement ages will be raised but when and for whom? We are living well into our 80’s and paying lifetime pensions is “unsustainable.” An Associated Press survey in 2011 found that 50 states have a combined $690 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and $418 billion in retiree health care liabilities. Initiatives to raise retirement ages are in the works. In California, for example, a 2012 state ballot proposes to increase minimum retirement to 65 for public employees, except for safety officers. Will this ballot pass? Will these proposed changes affect you? Who is to say? But if you ask me to place a bet, I’d say it is likely that proposed changes, when they are passed, will affect those with have longer than 5 years left to work.
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Previous Issues
Here Comes the S-AGE!
Q. What do you see as the #1 shift in the U.S. workplace?
A. The growth of the independent – contingent – free agent - flexible workforce. The majority of skilled workers and subject-matter experts, from all generations, appreciate independent work as a viable alternative to the once-upon-a-time world of work that was defined by regular, full-time jobs.
I believe that the mature workforce will lead the way as subject-matter experts and experienced skilled workers in the world of independents.
From my new book – WORK – an excerpt about free agency:
“As one of the fastest growing segments of the workforce, thousands of people are declaring their independence and striking out on their own. This way of working, while not new, is now the venue of multiple generations of workers.
From an organizational perspective, free agents are increasingly viewed as part of a total talent solution in private, public, non-profit and educational sectors. Look for a big shift from engagement by procurement/purchasing departments to direct engagement by hiring managers with (or without) Human Resource involvement. Likewise, free agents will be “real” members of the team, sharing in decision-making and projects side-by-side with core team members.”
I am no longer just one of the few who believe that independents (free agents - all) will become a majority within a few short years. MBO Partners, one of the leaders in the independent consulting sector, recently released MBO Partners Independent Workforce Index in which they predicted that “The US is entering the fast lane on the road to the independent majority. By the year 2020, more than 50% of the private workforce will be independent. This shift toward a new workforce will accelerate in 2012 as both individuals and organizations embrace new models of work.”
A recent Aberdeen study of organizations hiring contract or free agents makes the case that “the top reason companies choose independent talent is not cost – as is often assumed – but rather access to specialists with unique skills and talents that produce breakthrough results.”
Q. We are overwhelmed by inter-generational conflict in our firm. The anger between generations is palpable. Do you have any ideas to help us overcome this problem?
A. The answer is seldom simply “generationally-focused” as different life experiences, cultural nuances, new technologies as well as the effects of a high degree of change have increased their impact on organizations and people everywhere. In other words, I can’t diagnose your situation but I can tell you “what” we typically do in terms of targeting the larger challenge of 21st century workforce readiness.
Educate: People need to understand the impact of structural change and why it will take all of us to work our way back to economic prosperity. This is NOT our father’s workplace nor is it our mother’s workforce. It is a new place and a new time – a shift so deep that it is akin to the shift in the 20th century when we moved from the agricultural to the industrial world. We offer some very interesting presentations on the subject as depicted in the events section of our website.
Align: Find the mutual wants and needs among generations rather than searching for the differences. For instance, we know what most people need at every stage of their working lives: Most need more work-life balance; more flexibility in terms of being measured by results rather than time; ongoing learning and career development and an increasingly flattened organizational structure.
Employers need to manage variable costs, become increasing agile and flexible in order to improve efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. Simply stated; the organization needs to learn and to handle the speed of change just as individuals must.
Careful alignment between both is the key to developing a winning – working business model.
Mix: Teams that are purposefully inter-generational and multi-cultural in design, tend to bond much more quickly than traditional teams separated by age and titles. This promotes communication among the generations, fostering a better understanding and breaking down the myths and barriers that separate them.
Learn: People, like organizations, that don’t learn together - don’t last together. Effective learning is a multiple-methodology effort. One size does not fit all situations nor does it fit all generations. Implement measurable transfer of knowledge programs. We suggest you take a look at Steve Trautman’s work in this area – see www.stevetrautman.com .
Expand the flexible workforce: For example, offering phased retirement to mature workers, is one way of increasing the ratio of a full-time workforce to the flexible workforce.
Q. How late in life should most people work?
A. It depends on the person, their health, their financial situation, and their need to contribute in some tangible way. The answer really is both a matter of choice as well as of recognizing the sheer impact of a global (or national) population that retires too young. Think of the impact on economies and societies when millions of people living longer lives become overly dependent upon younger people and stretched social systems. Did you know that worldwide the number of people over 60 years of age is forecast to be one billion by 2020 and two billion by 2050 which is 22% of the world population? (Source: Harvard School of Public Health)
