From Jobs to Skills: The Importance of "Agility, Agency and Equity"

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Greetings -  

I hope you, your family and friends are all well!

"For much of human history and across multiple cultures, ethical behavior has been guided by the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. When we act with empathy and compassion, we draw on this cherished principle. But the rule is imperfect. People vary greatly in their values, lived experiences and sense of what is acceptable. What you would want in a given situation may not be what another person desires at all."

So simple, and yet so powerful.

While this edition's featured article examines the "Platinum Rule" in the context of modern medicine, the applicability of this principle is no less important or necessary if we aspire to leadership excellence. It necessitates a keen focus on treating others as they would want to be treated. This requires a depth of humility, curiosity and willingness to shape our work environments in ways that benefit all, and not just some. Defining meaningful, holistic career experiences based on each individual's values, strengths and aspirations is a precursor to unleashing our greatest gifts in the best service to ourselves, teams and organizations.

I am also including an array of other reading and listening. Diverse in content and sourcing, these pieces offer a variety of perspectives that piqued my curiosity and desire to learn more. Of note, I am highlighting three thought-provoking and trend analyzing pieces here. Accenture's Life Trends 2023 report is a visually stunning (all of the art work is AI-generated) analysis of 5 key trends that "...will alter the power dynamic between brands and people in the coming 12 months and beyond... The outcomes will look different from what we’ve seen before, thanks to changes in attitudes and maturing technology. Marketing relationships will be altered as the power dynamic shifts between brands and customers —the latter will have casting votes on brands’ permission spaces, and they’ll be able to ringfence their data as they please. Leaders will need to be prepared to reshape the power dynamic with hybrid workers, for the good of innovation and working relationships. In their roles as leaders, workers, customers, consumers, creators, and human beings with rights, people will be seeking ways to claw back some control. When the aftershocks finally settle into a calmer pattern, people will open their eyes to see a new picture of progress."

The 21st century workforce is predicated on agility, agency and equity; the culture you cultivate, the people you attract and retain and the values you espouse. Organizations have an opportunity to create environments for us to flourish, to understand and care deeply about our whole person and to see us, not just for who we are, but for who we might become. In Deloitte's Insights article, the authors argue that "...by moving to a skills-based approach, leading organizations can pivot from a traditional model aimed at scalable efficiency that grew out of our industrial past to one that is far more suited to a world in which speed, agility, and innovation rule the day, and in which people expect more meaning, choice, growth, and autonomy at work..."

Finally, my great colleague, Joyce Heckman, discusses the importance of continuous learning and development, including the need for both upskilling and re-skilling to meet the ever-evolving current and future demands of our work. 

As always, happy reading and listening!

Be well, take good care of your families and community.
-kj

Articles 

Harvard Business Review: Despite Layoffs, It’s Still a Workers’ Labor Market. "Despite a wave of headlines covering layoffs, primarily at tech companies, the U.S. labor market remains tight and hiring remains difficult. Layoffs are actually at a relatively low rate by historical standards, largely because of Covid deaths and the effects of long Covid. As long as workers remain scarce, it will remain a workers’ market and recruitment will be a challenge."

LinkedIn 2023 Most In-Demand Skills: Learn the skills companies need most. "...Topping the list is management, indicating that companies are looking for talent to step up and manage teams no matter their environment...Communication, leadership, and teamwork are also high on the list. These skills help professionals succeed in an ongoing hybrid work environment...Skills that help a business not only run efficiently but also reach and retain customers are the ones companies need most right now. Learning and demonstrating the most up-to-date skills in customer service, sales, project management, research, or marketing can help you stand out as in demand talent and grow your career and help businesses thrive no matter the macro-environment."

The New Yorker: Annals of Psychology: Why Everyone Feels Like They’re Faking It. "The concept of Impostor Syndrome has become ubiquitous. Critics, and even the idea’s originators, question its value." [KJ note - this is a fascinating look at the historical (and unanticipated) metamorphosis from "impostor phenomenon" - a phrase coined in the 1970s by Drs. Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes - to impostor syndrome, including the limitations of and subsequent backlash against the latter.)

PwC Strategy + Business: Determining 'nonnegotiables' in the new hybrid era of work. "By breaking down must-haves for individuals, teams, customers, and communities, organizations can help ensure success."

Blog Posts & Opinions

HRD Connect: Josh Bersin: Implementing people sustainability to reduce human capital risk. "People sustainability unites concepts such as equity, well-being, and fairness under one umbrella...it encourages a forward-thinking approach to engaging with your workforce. Uniting these concepts and tying them to business goals not only improves the employee experience but also helps meet customer needs and mitigate human capital risks."

Emily Kingsley on medium.com: You Are Not Okay and Tomorrow Will Come. "And you should eat a banana." [KJ note - a concise, bittersweet point of view on the limits of control and the power of perspective, with a focus on the use of the word "and."]

Seth's Blog: 'Home is wherever my cello is.' "At the heart of possibility is change. The passion for change is available to everyone...Possibility is wherever we look for it."

Podcasts 

Brené Brown: Unlocking Us: Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, and Unlearning Certainty, Episodes 1 and 2 with Father Richard Rohr. Father Rohr is a "Franciscan friar and ecumenical teacher, who bears witness to the deep wisdom of Christian mysticism and traditions of action and contemplation. [He is] the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico." [KJ note - this is an excellent, topic-spanning set of interviews with the insightful, humble and good-humored Father Rohr.]

Arts, Music, Culture, Literature & Humor Corner

Punch: The Vineyard Falcon Does Not Suffer Fools. "Master falconer Alina Blankenship and her mélange of raptors have become the protectors of some of Oregon's top vineyards."

Paste: It's 2023 and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Are as Powerful as Ever. "...We’re all here for a relatively short period of time, no matter how many decades we collect, so let’s make the most of it while we can. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band certainly are."

ESPN: Joe Montana Was Here. "He won four Super Bowls and retired as the undisputed greatest. What came next was turning a legacy into a life."

The New Yorker: Shouts & Murmurs: We Come to This Place . . . for Toner Cartridges. "The Oscar-winning actor [Nicole Kidman] and pandemic-era AMC spokesperson is pressed into further service."

The New Yorker: Fiction. "Trash."

Reflections

"I challenge that if we know how to serve personally, we are obligated to bring others along with us." - Dorothy Pitman Hughes

"The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you." - BB King