Fear and change
The world is changing rapidly. New business models are being born that disrupt and replace household names. Institutions that took decades or even centuries to build are being torn apart. The impact of all this change is frightening. Out of fear many treat these changes like a storm, they believe that they can hunker down and wait it out.
Since the financial crisis the rise of insecure temp jobs and a "gig" economy has prompted the younger generation (well everyone) to seek security. They are seeking out "safe spaces" within institutions and business.
"Among those in their 20s, 55 percent agreed with the idea of spending their entire lives at one company, up from 34 percent in 2004"
Can you blame them? Their parents and the education institutions trained them to go into safe, predictable careers, like banking, healthcare, and accounting. We were never prepared to make a living as entrepreneurs. That’s an education that you get from the school of hard knocks. Misfortune is often the catalyst. - Charles Hugh Smith & Kevin Mercadante
What we have learned in the last decade is these jobs with prestigious institutions are not all that safe or predictable. Turns out what doesn't bend does indeed eventually break. Those working for Lehman Brothers in 2008 probably didn't imagine they would be looking for work by year end. "How did Lehman go bankrupt?" If you ask Ernest Hemingway "Two ways, gradually and then suddenly".
From within a large institution it can be difficult to see cracks in the foundation form. The signs can be especially easy to ignore if you are comfortable. The symptoms slowly show up in counter intuitive ways that hide the root causes; mal-investment and market trends. These symptoms present themselves as operational, talent acquisition, growth and sales problems. The larger the company the longer it can coast as its intellectual and cultural capital are spent treading water.
How can you position yourself to make the best of the changing business landscape? Well it takes adjusting your perspective. The skill sets needed to manage a career and to perform well at a job are radically different.
"I realized the two areas I could professionally enhance to increase career security were to become a problem solver and create greatness to get recognized."
To be secure in a job you must simply perform better than your peers and solve difficult problems in your company.
Career security requires that you perform better than those in your field and solve difficult problems within industry.
"To be a problem solver continuous learning is required. You never know when you may be called upon to solve or tackle a new project."
"Change is the only constant in life." - Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher
The ability to adapt to change is a muscle. The more you practice the better you will get.