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Wayne Pepper
YOU: Version 2.0
I recently presented a two day Getting Things Done seminar to 40 employees who were being asked to upgrade themselves. Their original company had been bought out by a larger parent, and as part of the integration, some middle management was being cut. My students no longer had a manager telling them what was priority; the company was asking them to “think” for themselves in juggling important tasks, all of which needed to be done right away.
As one might imagine, the change had not been greeted with great enthusiasm. No big surprise there, it’s rare that any of us embrace a shift outside our comfort zone, especially if it doesn’t come with a large increase in compensation. Nevertheless, I encouraged this group to do exactly that: seize the opportunity to upgrade their skill set and enhance themselves as a commodity in the employment marketplace, regardless if they were looking for new work or not.
It’s certainly not news to anyone that the workforce of today is more fluid than ever before. Mergers, downscaling, and outsourcing are all becoming a reality of business life. We can discuss the merits of attempting to restrict all this, but it’s doubtful that it’s going away anytime soon. So if we don’t want to play the victim, and would like to focus on a desired outcome, what’s to be done?
For starters, adopting the GTD methodology of “thinking” about work is a huge key. Employers are always looking for staff who can focus on desired outcomes, identify the next steps in getting there, and organize themselves so that they’re in position to execute those next steps when the context presents itself to do so. By taking responsibility for our work, we’re allowing our employers (or partners, or co-workers for that matter) to focus on the work that’s critical for them to execute.
We can also upgrade our skill sets. While speech-recognition technology is ever-increasing, the keyboard is as alive as ever. Our recommendation in seminars and coachings is that if you’re typing fewer than 50 words per minute accurately, you are your own bottleneck if you have even the smallest amount of computer work on your plate. There is no lack of tools out there to help increase typing speed and accuracy. Your favorite search engine will gladly give you all their names.
As software plays a greater and greater role in industry, employers are also placing more and more value upon software fluency. Skills in word-processing, database management, project management, online integration, and of course personal organization save the employer of a new hire both time and money.
The bottom line here is if you’re looking for new work, consider putting some energy into these areas, and if you’re in a position where your employer is asking you to upgrade yourself, consider it on-the-job training that will only return dividends to you in the long run.
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