Be ready for the New Reality - Overview

Be Ready for the New Reality

 

Overview

Factoid #1: The global mobile workforce is set to increase from 1.32 billion in 2014, accounting for 37.4% of the global workforce, to 1.75 billion in 2020, accounting for 42.0% of the global workforce.  Globalization will continue to drive the growth of mobile office workers in all regions as executives, consultants, sales & field professionals, and other mobile professionals of multinational corporations proliferate. (source: https://www.strategyanalytics.com/access-services/enterprise/mobile-workforce/market-data/report-detail/global-mobile-workforce-forecast-2015-2020#.V9MOcigrKCg)

Factoid #2: Outsourcing will be part of the global / mobile workforce.  Between 2001 and 2013, the expanded trade deficit with China cost the U.S. 3.2 million jobs, and three quarters of those jobs were in manufacturing, according to a reportreleased Thursday from the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning Washington think tank. Those manufacturing jobs lost accounted for about two-thirds of all jobs lost within the industry over the 2001 to 2013 period. (source: http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2014/12/11/outsourcing-to-china-cost-us-32-million-jobs-since-2001)

The tendency among many U.S., Japanese and Western European firms to send both knowledge-based and manufacturing work to third-party firms in other nations. Often, the intent is to take advantage of lower wages and operating costs. (Source: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/07/09/11898/5-facts-about-overseas-outsourcing/)

Factoid #3:  Technologies will continue to change how we do things. 

(1)Big data coupled with faster and better algorithms will make sense of huge amounts of data.

(2) Personal information will be even more readily available for analysis

(3) Such data will become even more important in health for analysis and solutions

(4) Super Computers like IBM’s Watson will make such data analysis easier

(5) IoT – Internet of Things will continue to grow with more and more connectivity

(6) Disruptive Technologies will continue to occur – and ‘change everything’.  Just as records changed to cassette tapes to compact disks (CD’s) to MP3 and digital music; other things will change as well.  Autonomous (self-driving) vehicles are here and will change everything from package deliveries to long distance trucking as well as personal cars.  Elon Musk (Tesla Motors / SolarCity / SpaceX) is researching for an end to big oil (with solar energy, solar electricity and electric self-driving cars).  Artificial Intelligence, robotics, and other technologies also will add to disruption.

Making Sense of the Data

Globalization will continue.  Instant (and cheap) telecommunication means that knowledge based jobs can be done anywhere – providing there is a qualified work force.

With faster and more robust telecommunications (like IoT), larger and smarter cloud computing, and faster processors, data analytics will be enabled.

That basically means change will continue at a fast pace.

What does that mean to you?  A lot, frankly.

Are many of these global people as bright and smart as you?  Definitely! (Millions might be brighter and smarter than you)

Are many of these students with great experiences and highly qualified  in the same field as you? Definitely!

Do many or most of them speak English?  Definitely!

Will many of them be qualified for the jobs that you might look for? Definitely!

Will many of them take jobs that you want at a much lower salary? Definitely!

Will global outsourcing to bright and smart people from around the world affect you? Definitely!

Economics talks of three resources to exploit in making money:  land, labor and capital.  You may not have land and capital, so your major only resource you have is yourself – as labor.   But, with millions of talented people worldwide, how can you sell yourself?  Can they hire somebody as talented (or more talented) at less money?  Definitely!

In this little book, the author will present insights to make you unique and help you obtain your ideal position.

Audience:  This book is written for those that might be considering changing positions, changing fields, going back to college for new careers and for a general audience  The author feels this is a vital preparation for today’s world and urges all people to read and consider the implications – AND TO DO THE ASSIGNMENTS to become remarkable!

Approach:  This book is laid out as a workbook – with daily lessons and assignments that will cause the student to think, react and change. The author suggests that the reader DO the assignments and actually write answers.  Learning theorists have studied that when more than one sense is active, the learning is higher.  So – reading the material, thinking on the material; writing answers (kinesthetic – eyes, hands, brain all working together).  There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers.

Concepts:  The concepts are not new, but in this work, packaged differently and aimed at a very specific audience.

Some of the concepts:

Goals – thinking about your goals, setting them, planting your goals in your mind, writing achievable goals; writing personal goals. 

Attitude – developing positive attitudes and putting the negative attitudes away

Being great – following the concepts of Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great” – realizing that ‘good’ just isn’t good enough and that we have to go for great.

Being remarkable – following the concepts of Seth Godin in his book “Purple Cow” – in the midst of millions of other people, being the one that sticks out.

Mission, vision and values – defining who you are and where you and going

Avoiding pitfalls – there will be the temptations – both innocent and not so innocent – time wasting, addictions (alcohol, drugs, sex); and short-cuts.

Networking – how to network, hot to find your place in the world.

Mentors and mentoring – finding and working the mentoring relationship

Critical Thinking – applying higher order thinking skills and Bloom’s Taxonomy of learning at higher levels.

And putting it all together – how can YOU be remarkable, great, and significant in light of the millions of others. 

The Author:  The author has been a college professor for 38 years.  He has worked with thousands of students and has had a special mentoring relationship with hundreds of former students who contact him for advice and references. 

Quote: “The greatness of art is not to find what is common but what is unique.” Isaac Bashevis Singer

You ARE UNIQUE!!!!  Live up to that knowledge!!!