Surviving in the new economy

The nature of employment is changing.  Jobs are disappearing and they won't be replaced, at least not with full time employment.   Most people will become contractors or temporary staff - flexible workforces engaged in "staff augmentation".  Many jobs will disappear entirely.  Economist call this structural job loss.

Individuals and organizations need to acknowledge, understand, and ultimately embrace this fundamental change in our working lives.  This change is so foundational that it will literally be "sink or swim" for many people.

Over the last twenty plus years we have seen the change from long-term employee/employer relationships, to a more transient work life, and now to the rise of the 'contractor'.  The contractor isn't an employee, but they do all the things that a traditional employee would do without the real and perceived benefits of being an employee.

The NY Times had an article on this very topic a few weeks back - In Job Market Shift, Some Workers Are Left behind.

As this change gathers steam, organizations can minimize the negative impact on individuals and the organization by working at leveraging the collective knowledge of their employees, contractors, consultants and customers.  This can be accomplished by providing processes that enhance knowledge flow, technology that facilitates both knowledge capture and reuse, and developing work environments that encourage greater interaction and a sense of belonging.