Bye-bye, predefined career track. Hello, modular jobs with inventive titles!

At CTW.inc, we talk a lot about intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. To succeed, you need to have a good balance of both. Intrinsic motivation is the value you derive from what you do. Extrinsic motivation includes the rewards that can be summed up as remuneration and benefits.

One of the things coming out of the pandemic and the Great Resignation — or whatever you like to call it — is that people are putting much higher value on intrinsic motivations than they used to.

When you also consider how quickly the business world is changing, how the most talked-about companies are carefully reconsidering job descriptions, you begin to see the writing on the wall. We’re entering a new chapter of history. This new phase will likely see a lot of job titles and career paths being eliminated, while everyone — from global corporations to small startups — is going to get very creative with their titles and job descriptions.

We’re working on getting there ourselves at CTW.inc. That’s because we know that you can’t take on additional responsibilities without that intrinsic/extrinsic balance.

Japan has long had a work culture where people are silently promoted. They get more and more things to do with no thanks, change in job title, or extrinsic reward. That’s not what’s being discussed here. We’re talking about people being the authors of their job responsibilities. If you have a top performer, encourage them to carve their own path.

You see a need within your company. You’re confident that you have the skills to fill that need. Align with your stakeholders and take charge. Use all your resources to bring new value where previously there was either none or there was a gap. Maybe you can do your old job and this new one at the same time. Maybe you transition into a new role. Who knows. It’s up to you and your supportive company to figure that out.

Usually, people who are just looking to abandon what they were doing are not the kind to drive change. It’s those individuals who’ve shown inventiveness and ingenuity in their current jobs. They’re the ones leaving their companies in droves because they’re feeling unfulfilled and unchallenged.

It’s already happening and has been ongoing in so many of the world’s startups and rising stars. These companies are on the fast track because they’re encouraging their teams to use the full spectrum of their multifaceted abilities.

A good leader sees the problems in their own company first. The best get their top performers to tackle these unique changes and challenges. Then, they reward them with bonuses, continued growth, opportunities, and appropriate, specific praise.

I see a lot of badges being given out by companies on LinkedIn. While those are nice on the face of things, they’re meaningless without a detailed explanation of what that person did and how they accomplished that badge.

People today are on the lookout for virtue signaling and participation awards. Specificity for public accolades shows that the company takes these badges seriously and that they truly recognize and value the recipient and their contribution.

Fast-growing businesses that identify an unexploited niche often put up job descriptions with unconventional titles. They're the ones ahead of the curve. If you’ve got the mental agility to discover a niche and build a company that can profit from it, you’ve probably got what it takes to continue scrutinizing your company for new and original ways to improve.

Nichification has, until now, been focused on exploiting untapped markets. That’s extrinsic. Companies need to begin exploiting the untapped talents of their team members. All industries need to get creative about drawing these abilities out, presenting unique opportunities to keep people fulfilled and growing, and then rewarding them. That’s where the world of business is headed.?

I’m living with a job title that doesn’t begin to encompass my responsibilities. I should be called “Vocal Problem Wrangler” or “Communicative Person-Troubleshooter.”

Let’s lead this exciting wave of change and go wild with our titles!