I was made aware of how flat the world really is while cruising in a 727 jetliner over Baltimore. My daughter's graduation ceremonies completed, I was headed back home and pulled out the book I had rather mindlessly selected from the best-sellers rack in my hometown library: The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas L. Friedman.
The book was riveting; statistics and illustrative stories juxtaposed kept the pace of my reading at a jetliner clip. The 469 pages whizzed by (well, I actually finished the book when I got back, but you get the idea). I had had an inkling that flattening was happening - after all, my clients are now international and my speaking engagements via webinar and teleconferences reach worldwide audiences. But this book was indeed a revelation.
So, if you're in the mood for some "light" summer vacation reading (or not), I urge you to give Mr. Friedman's "Flat World" premise a thorough once over. It could even have a profound impact on your career - and your career future.
In an interesting chapter titled "The Untouchables", he proposes that in a flat world everyone should be untouchable. He says, "Untouchables, in my lexicon, are people whose jobs cannot be outsourced." He goes on to claim that "untouchables come in four broad categories: workers who are 'special', workers who are 'specialized', workers who are 'anchored', and workers who are 'really adaptable'."
If you are part of the 65 per cent of workers planning to hunt for a new job in 2006 (that's nearly 2 out of 3 workers) according to a survey by Salary.com, you may be more than mildly interested in how you can become untouchable. Read the chapter, or even the entire book, for future career-management strategies that will benefit you and perhaps even your children.
Then actually DO something about it. Engage your mind and body in formulating a decisive career-management action plan that makes sense for the 21st century. If you need help creating and implementing a career-enhancing plan, consult with professionals in the careers industry like career counselors / coaches. That's OUR area of specialization that makes us untouchable!
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