I've been thinking a lot lately about how fast things are changing, and the natural inclination to think that we're on the edge of something big happening soon. Generally speaking, I maintain a pretty optimistic outlook, I consciously chose several years ago to focus on the positive things in life, and can say my life made a dramatic change for the better when I did. With this in mind, and looking toward the future in these times of economic challenges, I'm left wondering what the "new economy" will look like. Where are the opportunities for a business owner, what will our local community look like? Will we have a whole new way of doing things around here? The questions go on.
Technology has given the average person with access to it the ability to obtain huge amounts of information in a short amount of time. A person from a younger generation viewed this as 2 demensional instead of 3 dimensional learning. The canvas of knowledge is very wide compared to what we had, but with the speed at which the information comes in, and the constant interruption of thought, the ability to naturally learn to a greater depth is compromised. I found this really fascinating, as the thought itself was rather enlightening.
All of this causes one to wonder, are we on the edge of something big. I have to admit, it seemed that this could be the case. All of this newfound ability to share knowledge and thought could lead to better, more inclusive decision making. Already I've had the opportunity to see some of this in action. There is definitely a large number of people using more collaborative energy to bring about positive change for our community. The ability to share information between entities can reduce the need for redundancy, and help people move forward with a better focus on a shared vision.
In business, if your going to survive, you've got to be paying close attention to the changes taking place in the world. The landscape is changing, if your not learning to adapt and change with it you
will be left behind to wither on the vine. However, jumping to conclusions, and over reacting to a perceived change can be just as devastating. While I've always believed that to be fact, I couldn't really place my finger on an example until recently. There are no shortage of consultants eager to help a business owner "take it to the next level" or "fine tune your business plan" or any other help that results in a new expense item to pay for. A new management style is another example. I have seen a new push to completely change the management style to one that is more inclusive, and removes the typical age old hierarchy model. "It is time" they say, the information and communication age is upon us, sieze the opportunity or be left behind! Really....
The latest "story telling, management change" is one such example. It works for Steve Jobs, why can't it work for me?
This article articulates in a far better way what I was thinking, but couldn't put into words. The hierarchal management style has stood the test of time. Our own model of democracy includes this form of governing. While there are pieces of the storytelling management style that I think can be a useful tool in leadership, to base leadership on this model is to ignore that history repeats itself.
We will look different coming out of this recession than what we were going in. It is very likely going to be an economic revolution rather than an economic recovery. I believe one thing is certain, the opportunities for the average entrepreneur have never been better. Interested in seeing which industies might be the best to consider for starting your own venture in?
This link is a good place to start!
I hope you've enjoyed the reading. Happy Mothers day to all of the Mom's out there!
