Have you ever wondered what the job marketplace will look like a few years from now? It is intriguing to think about because we have arrived at a huge inflection point in the marketplace for businesses, entrepreneurs, careers, and jobs.
I like to think of inflection points as points in time when everything changes. Things that used to work great, simply just don’t work anymore, or are not as effective as they used to be.
Individual power
When you think of it like this, it’s pretty clear we have arrived at another inflection point in our world.
The collision of social media, blogging, and personal branding has sapped power from the big boys and placed it in the hands of individuals. People like me and you. Now, we all have a voice; a voice that can be very powerful and to some companies, quite scary.
From the beginning of time, control has been the way to harness the masses, herd them, and make them do what you want. In our world, that bird no longer flies.
Many dinosaur companies have started to institute and create guidelines that are rooted in fear and designed to control their employees with powerful personal brands. They want you quiet and servant to the almighty corporate brand.
When your culture stinks why tell anyone?
Then there are the visionary companies that encourage you to build your personal brand, believe in personal branding, and understand that when you build your platform, you will in many ways be an ambassador of the corporate brand in your travels. When you win they win.
The dinosaurs don’t want you spreading much of anything because they know their culture stinks. It is boring. Mundane. Uninspiring. When you win they lose.
The funny thing is that all of these boring, mundane, and uninspiring dinosaurs will all eventually lose. The leaders will become laggards as they push their Gen Y and Gen X all-stars out the door into the talent pools of the companies that get it.
The brain power behind a company is one of it’s most important assets. Ideas drive innovation and market opportunities. Ideas come from people.
The cream will always rise
To win in the years ahead companies need to encourage their employees to build their personal brands. They need to make coming to work enjoyable, and provide their employees with freedom and flexibility.
The cream will always rise to the top.
The only question is whether it will rise to the top at your company or your competitors?
