| Pink is not my color. Especially when it comes in the | | | | on more than one project at a time. |
| form of a layoff slip. There's a whole world of hurt | | | | The hybrid choreography offers a sense of fulfillment |
| from the current economic crisis, not least of which is | | | | in addition to an economic safety net. |
| a maelstrom of maladies in our workplace with layoff | | | | Hybrid workers are finding that the dance between skill |
| at the forefront. It seems to be an equal opportunity | | | | set mix and across company lines provides a keener |
| caring not for educational degree, longevity, passion or | | | | sense of fulfillment and expression (not to mention a |
| initiative. Like a deadly airborne pandemic, layoff is a | | | | prudent economic safety net). For example, take the |
| nasty, ugly, wretched thing in which you really aren't | | | | employee who works for a large manufacturing |
| sure where it will land and who it will infect next. Still, | | | | company as their facilities coordinator but also teaches |
| not all is doom and gloom. Just as we saw the hybrid | | | | music part-time to inner city youth on Tuesday and |
| engine result from the convergence of sky rocketing | | | | Thursday afternoons. Or consider the anesthesiologist |
| oil prices, Middle East politics and eco-friendly policies, | | | | who moonlights by playing flamingo guitar at a local |
| current global events are leading to a new type of | | | | Spanish restaurant. Increasingly, people will want their |
| worker - perhaps even more agile and creative than | | | | lives to be filled with memories and rewards that |
| previous workplace generations. | | | | extend beyond the simple affiliation a company offers. |
| According to Gerald Celente, CEO of the Trends | | | | The Great Depression of the 1930's (while sparking an |
| Research Institute "Current events predict future | | | | unbelievable number of black bean recipes) also pulled |
| trends." This brings me to the revolutionary pattern | | | | families back to hearth and home. Who can forget |
| beginning to brew underfoot. Do you think people are | | | | Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life?" Set during |
| likely to risk going through another market (and ensuing | | | | the Depression, Jimmy's character "George Bailey" |
| job) collapse like this again? For that matter, what | | | | struggled to learn that a life invested in others is where |
| about organizations? I doubt employers have enjoyed | | | | joy resides and real treasure is found. Since the film's |
| this miserable fare of terminating the very life blood | | | | debut in 1946, four generations have learned from Mr. |
| that makes their companies tick. Think of the pain as | | | | Bailey. With this recession in place, I believe we'll see |
| akin to having a bad case of shingles. I had them and | | | | more George-like moments - real epiphanies that there |
| can safely say I'd rather cut off my toes, rub sea salt | | | | is more to life than money alone. |
| in the wound and pour alcohol on top rather than | | | | It's a world of one size fits one... not all. |
| endure the pain of those itty bitty blisters. Which is why | | | | From the 1980's through the millennium our |
| I believe there is a trend underway for both workers | | | | management classes have been teaching that the |
| and companies alike (who currently find themselves | | | | leadership ladder requires workers to start off as |
| faced with the rotten prospect of no work) to forge a | | | | specialists and then expand their capabilities mix to the |
| new way of going about work. Get ready for the | | | | point of being a generalist. Today? According to |
| hybrid worker. | | | | Shannon Jordan, a senior career development |
| Hybrid Workers (like busy beehive dwellers) are | | | | facilitator at a prominent telecommunications company |
| already at the community level. | | | | "It's about being both. Our workplaces will require a |
| In the winter of 2007, the Centre for Creative | | | | broad base of capabilities AND expertise in targeted |
| Communities in London wrote about the increasing | | | | areas. For the last several years, we've been stressing |
| visibility around a type of social worker in our | | | | to our workers that they display agility - and this is |
| neighborhoods - one who could approach a traditional | | | | going to be the biggest test to date of being truly |
| struggle with an unexpected remedy. The Centre | | | | adaptable in today's setting." |
| asserted that: | | | | Our hybrid workplace will necessitate adaptation to |
| (There are) a growing number of people who are | | | | people, projects and processes in ways we've not yet |
| using creative processes to confront the complex | | | | experienced. We're likely to witness a new advertising |
| interests, talents and problems of people and | | | | vocabulary "boutique-like service and agility with |
| communities directly. Artists are working with hospital | | | | mammoth sized capabilities". |
| patients, theatre practitioners are working with young | | | | Whether telecommuting or working on site, it's all about |
| offenders, and police are working with designers on | | | | transferring knowledge via mass collaboration at a |
| public spaces. On the fringes of all sectors new, often | | | | virtual level. |
| creative hybrid workers are emerging who deal | | | | When not sitting in their home offices the hybrid |
| directly with the interdependent realities of | | | | worker will be driving their hybrid cars to the local |
| contemporary problems. It is not surprising that sectors | | | | Starbucks where hybrid coffee and intranet access |
| struggle to keep up. | | | | are served. |
| A current example of this hybrid approach can be | | | | Obviously, with the price of gas all over the map (and |
| found in Southern California as reported in the Los | | | | the push for eco-friendliness so hot) there will be |
| Angeles Times, January 2009: | | | | added momentum to the already coveted flexibility of |
| Fire chiefs in tinder-dry Southern California, faced with | | | | working from home (or the coffee shop). Besides, |
| lean budgets while more people squeeze into the | | | | according to Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams, |
| region, are starting to rethink long-standing policies on | | | | authors of the best-selling business book Wikinomics: |
| ordering mass evacuations in a wildfire, debating | | | | Millions of media buffs now use blogs, wikis, chat |
| whether it may be wiser in some situations to let | | | | rooms, and personal broadcasting to add their voices |
| residents stay and defend their homes. | | | | to a vociferous stream of dialogue and debate called |
| We don't have enough resources to put an engine at | | | | the "blogosphere." Employers drive performance by |
| every house in harm's way," said Ventura County Fire | | | | collaborating with peers across organizational |
| Chief Bob Roper. "We figure, if people are going to | | | | boundaries, creating what we call a "wiki workplace" |
| stay, maybe they can become part of the solution." | | | | customers become "prosumers" by co-creating goods |
| Local fire departments are beginning to employ training | | | | and services rather than simply consuming the end |
| and development skills launching new programs called | | | | product. So-called supply chains work more effectively |
| "Evacuate or Stay and Defend." Who would have | | | | when the risk, reward, and capability to complete |
| thought that our neighborhood firefighters would also | | | | major projects - including massively complex projects |
| become community trainers? | | | | like cars, motorcycles, and airplanes - are distributed |
| In essence, the innovative marriage of skill set | | | | across planetary networks of partners who work as |
| know-how to an existing dilemma has been in the | | | | peers.... Indeed as a growing number of firms see the |
| works for some time. However, with the current | | | | benefits of mass collaboration, this new way of |
| economic recession in full swing, we're more likely to | | | | organizing will eventually displace the traditional |
| see this creative choreography take on a blunt | | | | corporate structures as the economy's primary engine |
| workplace interpretation. | | | | of wealth creation. |
| Would you like a red couch with that Excel | | | | Frank Lynch, Ph.D. and organizational learning expert, |
| spreadsheet? | | | | underscores what our research in knowledge transfer |
| Disaster breeds imagination. Post war ruin and natural | | | | over the past few years has found: |
| catastrophes have historically ignited resourcefulness | | | | When looking for interpretation of key topics, |
| and creativity with entire cities, industries and individuals | | | | collaboration, problem solving or morale boosting, |
| seeking to rebuild or re-invent themselves. It's amazing | | | | people go to people- not heavy data systems. The |
| how clever people can become when faced with | | | | trick for companies today is in finding a way for people |
| adversity. | | | | to be able to tap into their co-workers who happen to |
| Likewise, this economic calamity is giving birth to savvy | | | | be sitting across the ocean in Melaka, Malaysia the |
| approaches for surviving (and even succeeding) in a | | | | same as they might defer to their team mates 20 feet |
| shriveling marketplace. Workers are beginning to think | | | | down the hall. Finding a system that is easy to use and |
| about unusual ways to peddle their skills apart from | | | | affords workers a positive experience of reaching out |
| traditional career paths and normal disciplines. For | | | | to interact with their teammates (irrespective of |
| example, I just met with a professional who for the | | | | geography) will be a central activity. |
| past 18 years has been up to her eyebrows in | | | | Seeing an end to the recession will not imply resuming |
| corporate management. How is she approaching | | | | business as usual. Mass collaboration and knowledge |
| current events? She's becoming certified in interior | | | | transfer (on a virtual level) will be the norm. There are |
| design. The goal? To invent a new workspace where | | | | scores of laid off workers who know this, which is |
| knowledge is more readily shared among co-located | | | | why they (within days of being laid off) have created |
| employees and their virtual team mates. | | | | their own websites or posted responses to net based |
| One company or two? | | | | free lance marketing sites. |
| Putting all proverbial eggs into one basket is a risk | | | | To manage or not to manage, that is the question. |
| many workers will become increasingly averse to | | | | Let's face it. With a lay-off comes down sizing which |
| adopting. This isn't only a result of the current | | | | means that flat reporting structures are in and |
| recession, but also the emerging role Gen Y'ers will | | | | hierarchy is out. Add to that the recent economical |
| play in our workplaces. Richelle Rivera, a former | | | | debacle in which Wall Street firms (as well as our own |
| Human Resources Director for a large medical device | | | | Treasury Department) have been unable or unwilling to |
| company (and now a hybrid worker herself) says: | | | | account for billions of bail out tax dollars and you'll find |
| Gen Y saw what the recession of the 80's did to their | | | | that the loose strings on the financial front will trickle |
| parents and vowed never to be owned by a | | | | down and eventually be construed as short leash |
| company. That's why turnover rates in the 20 | | | | accountability in the workplace. The new hybrid |
| something year olds is hugely disparate to other | | | | workers will be the ones who can manage people or |
| generational groups. They're thinking about their own | | | | be managed by someone, but most importantly they |
| stability - not the organization's ability to withstand | | | | will be doing a whole lot of self- managing. |
| change. Many think that two years with one company | | | | We'll see individual accountability right up there with |
| is more than enough. They're big believers in not | | | | organizational ethic mantras and poetic vision prose. |
| becoming overly invested in one place. | | | | As more and more organizations advocate quarterly |
| Now book end the already wary to commit Gen Y'er | | | | business reviews, an increasing number of workers will |
| with the Baby Boomer who finds themselves (after | | | | find themselves frequently initiating individual action |
| decades of 60%2B work hour weeks and forfeited | | | | plans that align with department or organizational goals |
| weekends) standing behind their children in the | | | | while making a conscious effort to tie to tangible |
| unemployment line. What you find is what one recently | | | | business results. |
| laid off baby boomer colleague summed up "I'm | | | | Additionally, it won't be enough to just create and |
| nauseous at the thought of going to work for one | | | | submit a plan's progress. Each hybrid worker will follow |
| more company where I work countless hours pouring | | | | in the footsteps of the late vaudeville entertainer W.C. |
| my heart and soul into it, just to have them spit me out | | | | Fields (adding public relations expert to their growing list |
| when finances turn sour. I'm in my 50's... I can't afford to | | | | of capabilities): |
| be starting a career all over again!" | | | | Tell people what you're going to tell them... tell them and |
| As a result of the resounding cubicle call of fed up | | | | then tell them what you've told them! |
| workers, you're likely to see more and more adopt a | | | | We live in a world changing at warp speed which |
| quasi-consultant and contractor role of working for | | | | requires a workforce who can do the same. Barack |
| more than one company at a time. By doing so, risk is | | | | Obama was inaugurated today. How amazing to bear |
| spread. So if that egg basket does get dropped, all | | | | witness to this historical event. In his speech, our 44th |
| income hope is not lost. | | | | President reminded us of the great challenges we |
| The company's reaction? Many will advocate a part | | | | face. |
| time role to cut their own operating costs. With | | | | They are serious and they are many. They will not be |
| profitability streams narrowing and costs of health care | | | | met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, |
| and worker's compensation insurance premiums | | | | America - they will be met... We must pick ourselves |
| soaring out of sync with reality, companies will court | | | | up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of |
| the brilliant talent at a reduced work schedule, but also | | | | remaking America. |
| at a fraction of previous talent management costs. | | | | Indeed. Though faced with lay off and business |
| Are we simply going to see a resurgence of the | | | | restructuring, we may yet re-discover the better parts |
| contractor movement? After all, the recession of the | | | | of our American work ethic and heritage - the DNA |
| 1980's is believed to have prompted use of this worker | | | | handed down from our business forefathers - the |
| role in the first place. The difference is that in this | | | | ability to imagine and persevere in our pursuit of |
| recession there's a twist - hybrid workers will labor in | | | | purpose, contribution and contentment. |
| more than one company concurrently... not just work | | | | Get ready. There's a new type of worker in our midst. |