Four careers over 50+ years. USMC, engineering, consulting, education. Past twenty years have focused on helping leaders become and remain relevant during times of change.
Looking Back
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Reader, I’ve been in the “the world of work” for long time and I recently spent a few minutes pondering the metaphorical road I’ve traveled. Let’s take a tour and you can tell me what I’ve forgotten. I once worked for a printing company. I remember when typesetting, film preparation, past-up, and traditional print production were good paying middle class jobs. I remember when Business Process Engineering was going to help us redesign our operations. Unfortunately, the “reengineering” work became associated with downsizing. A good idea was misused. I’m a leading-edge Boomer. I remember when I was expected to have a long career with one employer. I remember when seeing a PC on a manger’s desk was unusual. Now it’s unusual because newer managers are using tablets and smartphones. I remember when Kodak was admired and dominant. Too bad that they defended film when all customers wanted were pictures. I remember when managers built careers partly on knowing where information was located or how to do routine analyses. I remember when we were told to focus on our “core competencies” and outsource everything else. I think we gave China a very big gift. I remember the 1980s and 1990s globalization era. Falling trade barriers, containerization, China’s integration into the world economy, and the push for global supply chains transformed “purchasing, trucking, and warehousing” into the glory of “supply chain.” However, I also remember U.S.-China tensions, tariffs, export controls, sanctions, Covid-19, and reshoring and the impact on fragile supply chains. They were built for efficiency, not effectiveness. I’ve flown a couple of million miles on commercial airlines. Their sophisticated route planning models were radically altered after the 9/11 attacks. So, what would you add to my memory road trip? Learn from the pastWhat looks permanent while you are living through it often turns out to have been temporary. And so ....I wrote Navigating the Wicked World because I know that today’s environment is a lot different than the one I used to know so well. Get a copy for your favorite manager. They are living in the wicked world. Cheers, Bill |
Bill @ MindPrep
Four careers over 50+ years. USMC, engineering, consulting, education. Past twenty years have focused on helping leaders become and remain relevant during times of change.
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Reader, Here’s a minor headline I saw Friday morning in the South China Morning Post. China Offers 15-Year Research Grants to the World’s Brightest Young Scientists. It was a rather short article, but this line caught my attention: “China is offering the world’s brightest young scientists generous 15-year research grants for free exploration, as the country accelerates its drive to become a global science powerhouse.” (emphasis mine) Here are a couple of key points: This is for scientists...