This has been a short work week for many brought on by two different events. The first was Labor Day. While not celebrated in exactly the same way it was originally intended for, it gave us time off from work to enjoy the end of summer and understand the role of the worker within our organizations. The second event for the Jewish population was the beginning of a new year according to their calendar. This contrast gave me a pause for thought and I would like to share those thoughts with you. I am open to your commnets back if you disagree with them.
Since 1882 Labor Day was created to emphasize "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" within this country. But it was created at another time and place within our economic workplace. Many of the presenters I talked with at the recent HR Florida conference, expect an increase in the amount of unionization withinthis country similar to other developed countries around the world. While this might be true, we also have recognize that the requirements of the workplace have changed since 1882. The talent needs of our organizations have changed as the demands on our organizations has changed.
On Thursday and Friday, we celebrated the advent of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah). With that is an opportunity to begin once again our lives for the next year. Part of that entrance into a new year is the realization that we are NEVER going to go back to the normal before 2007-2008. To those who decry the high unemployment rate, many still operate from the belief that we are going to return to that day of yesterday. Outsourcing was not necessarily the only reason we saw rising numbers of individuals losing their jobs. We have moved on and some have been left by the wayside. Not on purpose but because the need they filled was gone. We are not in an age of industrial growth any longer. We have moved on to a world where the employee contributes not what they can produce on a machine but rather what is in their minds. Critical thinking replaces manipulative skills. The employee has moved to a position of leasing out their services to a particular organization based on the technical or creative skils the individual brings to the table. If you want to get a further understanding of this dilemma, I suggest you get a copy of Charles Handy's "Age of UnReason" and the "Age of Paradox." Charles Handy suggests that there will be no more unemployment but rather we will ALL become self-employed working for organizations in a project basis.
Russ Moen of the Employment Pros recruiting firm makes the analogy that as we moved from the industrial to the knowledge age, employees became non-owned corporate assets. Our ability to compete in this global marketplace is based on the level of innovation and collaboration that our organizations can create for their clients. What is required of our organizations is to find strategies that will more fully engage our creative assets. It will help the employee. It will help the organization. It will help the global workplace.
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