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Changing Nature of Work
by Barbara Pate Glacel
A man lamented to his rabbi: "I'm frustrated that my work leaves me no time for study or prayer." The rabbi replied: "Perhaps your work is more pleasing to God than study or prayer." --Hassidic tale
When I was in college, I had a summer job working as a secretary for a government agency. I typed quickly and accurately, and I knew about proper business correspondence. What I didn't know was that the government had its own unique format, spelled certain words differently from Webster, and always made enough copies of every piece of correspondence to send to every person in the world. And this was in the days of carbon paper and erasers!
Early in the summer, I was asked to type an important letter which had a deadline of one week hence for its receipt in Philadelphia, about seventy miles away. By the time I had typed and retyped that letter so that it was in the proper format (with its multiple copies and frequent erasures), I had decimated at least one 100-year old tree, and the letter had to be driven to Philadelphia to make the deadline! Thank goodness our work setting now includes copy machines and computers, or at the very least correctable typewriters, not to mention fax machines and e-mail!
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Barbara Pate Glacel is CEO of VIMA International, The Leadership Group, in Burke, VA, and co-author with Emile A. Robert, Jr. of Light Bulbs for Leaders: A Guide Book for Team Learning (John Wiley & Sons, 1996).
VIMA International focuses on increasing learning and performance by individuals, teams and organizations.
For more information, contact: VIMA International, Inc., 5290 Lyngate Court, Burke, VA 22015, 888-764-0780 or visit the company web site.
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Light Bulbs for Leaders: A Guide Book for Team Learning (John Wiley & Sons, 1996)
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Oh, yes, the changing nature of work has made our lives easier in many respects. Yet, the rapid advancement of technology may also tax our learning curves. No longer can we be successful as functional experts in our own fields; we must also be proficient enough to use the technology of communication and productivity. This technology is one reason that the "virtual office" has become a reality.
In fact, a recent front page of the Washington Post showed just such a virtual office: a broker who worked out of his car with both phone and fax at arm's length. I have a colleague in California who even uses his car as his filing cabinet. The only drawback so far is that he can't carry passengers in his back seat. But, I shudder to think of the impact if his vehicle were stolen!
The literature tells us that not only is the workplace changing, but the very nature of the work itself is in evolution. As a society, we are less mechanistic and more process-oriented. Our organizations are flatter, we contribute value as individuals or teams of individuals, rather than through assembly lines. We may be able to accomplish tasks without ever interfacing personally with others, but by using the wonders of modern technology to move information quickly and impersonally.
In our experience, however, the changing nature of work will never replace the need for personal connections. The passion with which we embrace meaningful work is built on the ability to influence others with our work. Passion is not communicated through technology, it is communicated through people. The words "high tech, high touch" have never been more meaningful than as we approach the year 2000 with all our technological wizardry.
TIPS FOR SURVIVING THE CHANGING NATURE OF WORK
-Be a servant first. Consider your customers, internal and external, and strive to meet their needs.
-Articulate the goals of your work group and yourself so that your motives and actions are aligned and visible.
-Inspire trust by acting out your values, competence, and judgment.
-Listen and observe what is going on around you. Respond to the needs and actions of others.
-Provide positive feedback to others in order to continuously improve performance.
-Emphasize personal development, focusing on oneself as the cause for one's own success or problem.
-Be flexible in responding to the needs around you. See change as opportunity for growth rather than an impediment.
-Accept uncertainty as a given. Know that the best road map provides only a guideline from which to deviate while you respond to changes around you.
-Operate as if you are self-employed and assume your own personal responsibility for career development.
-Add value to everything you do. Consider your contribution as your best investment for future security.
Courtesy of Article Resource Association
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