There’s a New Breed of Workers Changing the World of Work

By Terri Maxwell

By now you've heard something about the new world of work, and probably have sensed my passion about the topic.

But there is something you don't know...that will either strike fear in your heart, or put joy in your step.

What is powering the new world of work isn't the economy, or the disruptive technologies sending work into the cloud. No...those are just enablers. What is powering the new world of work is a new breed of worker who has turned talent into a marketplace, rather than a workplace.

This new worker is intrinsically motivated, rather than seeking motivation externally. This new worker puts passion for work, above rewards for work. This new worker knows they can command better pay, and won't buy into the old corporate system that used benefits, and regular pay checks as a drug that got workers trapped in doing jobs they didn't enjoy for people they didn't trust or even like.

That's what the new world of work is about: workers who shed the old system, and in their search for freedom and meaning, they changed the game by turning talent into a marketplace. In this new marketplace the best pay goes to the highest quality work, to the workers filled with passion and to skills that the market values. Think about it: in a marketplace, the MARKET sets the price, not the supplier. So, in the new world of work, your compensation is set by the market, not the employer. It's a totally new game!

This article from Inc. Magazine outlines the leadership characteristics of this new worker. 

In the new world of work, leadership is essential, but passion and internal drive are the fuel to success. Those professionals who "take what they are given" will settle for less, while the professionals who "create what they want" will win the game.

Enjoy!

Shark Tank: The Power of Perseverance Over Ideas

by TERRI MAXWELL on APRIL 30, 2013

I was blessed to participate in 2 Shark Tank pitches for business owners who have gone through our programs.

I realized that one of the reasons the sharks want to see that entrepreneurs have sold their product without money, is not just to validate the idea. It's because they want to understand the level of perseverance. Are you willing to do WHAT EVER it takes to be successful?  Including finding ways to get your product sold without money.

Believe it or not, there are zillions of ideas floating around Dallas: from Cajun Turkey bites, to Social media apps, to a device that turns regular shoes into bowling shoes or golfing shoes.

As I watched these budding entrepreneurs I was reminded that the power of entrepreneurship is not the idea. Ideas are a commodity.

What makes a business concept work is the level of perseverance of the entrepreneur. 

You have to be ridiculous passionate about your concept.

You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.

You must dust yourself off when you fail, and find new ways of motivating yourself when the walls seem bigger than your ability to overcome.

Building a business isn't about the entrepreneur's idea. It's about the power of perseverance that beats in the hearts of those who refuse to quit.

As I've always said: Entrepreneurs have great ideas and no money. Business owners work hard and have a little money left over. CEO's do what is necessary to become financially free. Choose wisely.

Thriving in the New World of Work Requires Finding Your Why

The most important question for businesses and professionals attempting to navigate the New World of Work isn't where we are going, but why it matters in the first place. The ever-increasing pace that sets the tone for our life and livelihood puts many in a situation to wonder why they do what they do. From a business standpoint, competition for talent is immense, and that talent wants to know why your business is important. The talent is also looking for why they matter and how all that can align to create a positive solution for everyone involved.

It comes down to searching and learning one thing – why they matter. Truly, it’s a quest to find their purpose.

Purpose Matters for Business

Purpose is a definitive statement about the difference a business makes in the world. If a company has a purpose and can articulate it with clarity and passion, employees are better able to understand WHY the company exists and how they can add value.

Management is aligned, employees know why their business matters and everyone is clear about how to achieve the purpose. When companies find employees aligned with their purpose, these employees are intrinsically passionate about the work.

With the New World of Work, businesses can source talent from virtually anywhere. On one hand, it may seem as if the business has the power. However, the real benefit of the New World of Work is that talent can find work anywhere. There are no boundaries to job searches, and they can literally pick up projects globally. The best talent, both salaried and contract, will be attracted to companies that have a clear sense of purpose—a clear why.

Professionals and Purpose

For professionals, you too must know your purpose – who you are as opposed to what you do. Start by asking yourself these questions:

• Which areas of your work do you truly excel?
• What are your passions?
• How do they serve?

The more clearly you understand your purpose—your why—the easier it will be to evaluate work opportunities as you chart your path in the New World of Work.

Purpose isn’t something you do when you retire. Purpose is who you are.

Your purpose was the same when you were a six-year-old, and was what probably attracted you to a particular field of study in college. If most of us had been left alone to follow our passions, our careers would have looked dramatically different. Your purpose will be the same when you die. The question is whether or not we will live our purpose in-between our life and our death.

Purpose is your personal and professional why. It’s who you are, and it’s what you’re meant to bring the world. It’s your unique gift, and it can be the best compass for charting a path in this New World of Work.

For more tips on making the most of the new world of work, visit www.newworldofwork.com. Learn more about our new book, The New World of Work: From Cube to the Cloud.

What Can Duck Dynasty Can Teach Us About the New World of Work?

You've probably heard of the reality show Duck Dynasty. For the last year, several Succeed on Purpose team members have talked about the show as if it were the best replacement for The Cosby Show.  Wait? Is the Cosby show still on, or am I dating myself?  :-)

At any rate, I finally watched Duck Dynasty.  The show is quite reminiscent of my Central Florida days. Many of the folks in my hometown of Crystal River, FL loved fishing and hunting more than anything else, especially in and around the island of Ozello, where "fish fry Fridays" were the place to be, and air boats replaced yachts.

As with any cultural phenomenon, Duck Dynasty can teach us a LOT about the New World of Work, particularly the importance of following passion.  Yep, I am officially promoting Duck Dynasty as a role model for the New World of Work!  In the old world, we chose professions parents recommended, or careers teachers told us were financially viable.  Clearly, that old system doesn't work anymore.  Hint: in the New World of Work…do one thing: Follow Passion.

And believe it or not, one of the role models for following passion is Phil Robertson (66 years young), the millionaire star of Duck Dynasty, and inventor of the Duck Commander Duck Call. Phil Robertson was a star quarterback for Louisiana Tech for two seasons, and his back-up quarterback was none other than NFL star Terry Bradshaw (Terry Bradshaw is a hall of fame quarterback and former Pittsburgh Steelers QB who took the Steelers to multiple Super Bowls, and yes beat the Cowboys once or twice).

Phil, who was considered more talented as a quarterback than the now-famous Terry Bradshaw, used his scholarship to earn a Masters degree in Education. When faced with the choice of joining the NFL, which pro-scouts and coaches were urging him to do, Phil contemplated passion.  He liked football, but he LOVED fishing and hunting.  

His teammates and coaches recall a talented outdoors-obsessed character who walked away from a wealthy NFL career to spend time hunting and fishing!  By all accounts, he had the talent to play in the NFL, but despite his strengths (throwing a football), Phil believed then, as he does now, that life is about pursuing passion!

Phil told ESPN: "The choice came down to me in the woods hunting ducks, or getting in a situation, a lifestyle, whereby large, violent men are paid huge sums of money to do one thing, stomp me in the dirt. I said, you know, I think it would be less stressful to go after ducks." 

Phil lived the fundamental truth about success in the NewWorld of Work. Phil is proof that money follows passion.  He decided to not play football his final year of college, instead making room for Terry Bradshaw to start. Finishing his education, he spent the next few years doing what he loved.  At the time, there were no professional career paths for a Duck Call product inventor, much less a duck-hunting reality show star.  

Despite that, Phil did two things that are critical in the New World of Work:

1. He followed his passion, no matter how scary the path.
2. He EXPECTED to be happy and fulfilled, which led to success.

You see, it's our passion (or purpose as we like to say), that fuels the desire to work harder and learn more about your craft so you can excel at it.  But, it's also our expectations that determine success.  It takes both. Expectations are critical because "we get what we EXPECT, not what we want." (Pat Mussiex said that)

So, the next time you're channel surfing and come across Duck Dynasty…remember, if this guy can become a millionaire doing what he loves, surely we can make a career change and follow passion!

Here's to the Duck Dynasty way!

Oh yeah, and if you haven't heard...I just wrote a book about the New World of Work with my good friend and comrade, Tim Houlne.  It's getting tons of media attention and well...it's pretty darn good!

Work in an Office? Not Virtualpreneurs™

Unless you have been under a rock, you are quite familiar with Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer’s recent ban on working from home. And you are quite familiar with the various opinions on the subject. So it really begs the question – is there a good answer?

We say yes, and it starts with understanding the changing landscape brought on by the New World of Work.

Foundation of this Revolution

We have said this before, but in light of Yahoo’s move, it bears repeating:

1. Work is Fractionalized – we are not going back. Finding jobs means maximizing your skills in the new marketplace through the fractionalization of work.
2. Careers are Virtualized – the new marketplace means using global talent through virtual technology to create the best team. It’s how companies will find a competitive edge going forward.
3. Talent is Globalized – why recruit from your backyard when it limits your access to great talent? Most companies have realized that finding talent requires recruiting outside the company borders (something Marissa Mayer will soon discover).

The reality is that all the smart, motivated self-starters that companies dream of hiring are looking for something different. Freedom is the new currency, so these people are primed and ready to work on their own.

Inside the Office is No Guarantee

There are still folks who believe that you cannot have real productivity and creativity if people are not inside an office. Since Mayer’s ban was leaked, several Yahoo employees came forward to talk about how the telecommuting within that company was not managed well and is probably a contributing factor to the decision. However, managing people inside a large, or even small, corporation by using the “we can see you so you must be working” thought process is no guarantee that companies are getting the best from their employees and contractors.

Case in point – recently a programmer with Verizon was discovered to have outsourced his own job to China. Let that sink in. This full-time employee outsourced his own programming work to a Chinese subcontractor and spent his time at work playing on the internet. Here is what “Bob’s” normal workday looked like:

9:00 a.m. – Arrive and surf Reddit for a couple of hours. Watch cat videos

11:30 a.m. – Take lunch

1:00 p.m. – Ebay time

2:00-ish p.m – Facebook updates, LinkedIn

4:30 p.m. – End-of-day update e-mail to management

5:00 p.m. – Go home

An interesting fact was Bob was receiving accolades for his great work and was up for promotion. 

It’s About Who – Not Where

The takeaway here is that it’s about who you hire – not where they work. In Bob’s case, he felt it was OK to work as an employee and still outsource his job. He really needed to have his own firm providing programming work to organizations (a perfectly acceptable solution). 

Finding the right people is key to ensuring that work is done effectively and ethically. This level of professional maturity is the hallmark of a Virtualpreneur. Understanding what motivates these people and developing an environment that supports the freedom and flexibility they desire is what it takes to attract top-tier talent. Who they are – not where they physically work – will determine the level of professionalism, creativity and productivity companies receive.

Top-tier talent wants freedom. They desire to work for a progressive, forward-thinking organization that hires managers to oversee processes and work product, not micro-manage people. Truthfully, top-tier talent can find these jobs easily, leaving the rest behind to fill up more traditional roles. This will most likely be a painful realization for Yahoo.

Check out our new book, The New World of Work: From Cube to the Cloud, to learn more about Virtualpreneurs and the benefits of a virtual workforce. Visit www.newworldofwork.com.

Looking for Career Growth? Align Personal Branding with a Career Strategy

We know that jobs are moving from the cube to the cloud, and that anyone capitalizing on these virtual work opportunities will be well-positioned for career growth. And yet most are fearful of making this transition. 

The truth is that you must rethink your career strategy to move beyond working for a large organization. The majority of jobs recently lost came out of these large organizations. The available positions lie in small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures (or Virtualpreneurs™) and are contract or outsourced. It’s time to accept that the days of having a long-term career and gold watch retirement are gone.

The New World of Work is here to stay. As a refresher, this revolution is based on three trends – work is fractionalized, careers are virtualized, and talent is globalized. You no longer compete with talent in your zip code. Now the competition is global and access to talent is made simple through technology and virtualized business models.

So how do you maximize the opportunities now available?

First, understand that you are a brand. The ability to market your talents is a must, even if you do not have your own business. Why? Because a huge percentage of companies will look to hire talent on a contract basis by hiring Virtualpreneurs. Furthermore, the biggest growth is happening in the small business sector (under $100 million in revenue). These businesses move fast and change quickly. 

The hiring practices of a small business are very different from a large corporation. They typically do not have formalized job descriptions and look for people who are comfortable with change. They will look for talent by asking for referrals. Opportunities in the New World of Work require candidates to understand their strengths, how they differ from others wanting the position, and how to present themselves in a consistent manner. Therefore, having a solid understanding of personal branding will net you opportunities for both contract work and potential full-time work with a small business.

To fully develop both personal branding and career strategy, you will need to make some decisions:

• Decision 1 – What is your persona? Determine what your role is and how it best aligns with the position you seek. Are you a Doer, Solver or Builder? 
• Decision 2 – What are your work options? Should you work for yourself or someone else? If for yourself, then what does that look like? If you working for someone else, then what is the best role?
• Decision 3 – What types of careers are available? Are you better suited for a start-up company, start your own business or become a Virtualpreneur? If you are working for someone else, what size company should you consider?

By determining your career strategy and then aligning with personal branding, you are well-positioned to take advantage of virtual work opportunities available. Even if you decide to work for someone else, the combination of developing solid personal branding with a good understanding of your career focus will ensure you are happier and in the best place.

This post was inspired from content in our new book The New World of Work: From Cube to the Cloud. Find out why this is happening, what the new opportunities are, and what this whole shift means for you. Get more information and order the book at www.newworldofwork.com.

Personal Branding, the Next Step – Reputation Management

By Terri Maxwell

You’ve created your personal brand and you’ve gone out and marketed yourself, so what’s next?  If you want to continue to build your brand, there is always work to be done.

Creating and then building your personal brand are the first steps in an ongoing process of maintaining how people perceive you.  While you can’t control how others think about you, you can influence those thoughts by creating and maintaining a positive reputation.

Owning your reputation

Your personal brand is you, so make sure that you own it.  If you haven’t already, create profiles on the major social media platforms; Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.  But don’t just create an empty account, fill out your profile for each service using the terms and phrases you developed in creating your brand.  Once you’ve got your profile looking the way you want it, use the platform to create the reputation you want. 

You don’t need to tweet a hundred times a day, or post everything you had for lunch, unless of course you are building a reputation as a food critic.  For most people three to six tweets per day of quality information, like tips or insider news for your industry, are all it takes.  Similarly, post links to articles you think your peers or your potential employers and customers will find interesting or important.  Doing that shows you are keeping up with your particular industry while also positioning yourself as an expert in your field.

Repairing your reputation

It is said that into each life, a little rain must fall and the same is true of reputations.  No matter how great a person you truly are, eventually someone will take some of your words or actions in a negative way.  In the old days when this happened, the damage was usually small because the offended person had a limited reach.  Now everyone has a global stage and some people are more than happy to use it in a negative way. 

To provide you peace of mind, it is important to monitor your reputation. The easiest way to perform basic monitoring is to create Google alerts.  It may sound arrogant to have Google send you an email you every time you name is mentioned, but it’s just good business.  You can’t address issues until you know about them, and alerts are the fastest way. 

The platform that houses the negative information will determine your next course of action. If it is something that hosts conversation, such as social media, respond quickly and politely, ensuring you address the core of the issue, and if you were in error, apologize.   Also remember that with social media the conversations move quickly and if you continue to post positive material the negative comments will fall off the page. Either way, do not engage in a continued conversation that could minimize your reputation in the long run. Simply respond appropriately and move on to posting other pertinent and positive information.

In some cases, you may be able to ask to have the comment removed, but usually only when the comment breaks the terms of the hosting site, such as by publishing personal data.  And much as you might be tempted, avoid blocking or kicking the person from your social networks.  Doing so won’t stop them from being negative, but it does restrict your ability to respond.

In the case of the media, there is little to do but to understand the crux of the information posted. Choosing to continue to create excellent content will keep your personal brand fresh online and ensure that people see the positive in you and what you are doing. At the end of the day, simply stay focused on the positive aspects of your personal brand and do not engage in argumentative dialog.

Check out our upcoming book The New World of Work: From Cube to the Cloud. Find out why this is happening, what the new opportunities are, and what this whole shift means for you. Get more information at www.newworldofwork.com.