Of course the odd twist is that even Clooney's role as a face to face bearer of bad news is confronted by the threat of extinction, thanks to a whimsical idea of decimating peoples careers instead via the Internet and web cams. Ultimately he has to struggle with the looming threat of obsoletion, replaced by technology until finally at the end, human decency thankfully prevails and they re-establish the respectable practice of laying off unfortunate workers face to face.
The method of using a computer monitor and empty room to snuff out someones career with a company was nothing less than frigid, cruel and disrespectful. The act and insensitivity it brought with it was something that struck a chord with viewers and really helped audiences connect with the theme of human decency that ran underneath the films plot. And despite making for moving, empathetic cinema, I never quite connected the dots that this sort of practice was actually finding a place in corporate HR policies and severance practices.
Recently a very close friend of mine, someone who committed several years of his life to the same organization, who provided consistency, stability and leadership in a firm that around him was re-shaped, torn down, and built back numerous times was recently let go in a very similar manner. Decades of devotion to a company, for all intensive purposes an entire career committed, and in return an oddly scheduled morning meeting, a conference room with a computer monitor and HR packet, with a cold, purely financially focused face on the other end.
This is the way of the new business world.
The story used to go as follows. Work hard to earn a good education, graduate, and lend your services to an established, respected, company that in return offered success, security and a promise of a healthy retirement. If you did your job, met or exceeded expectations, and practiced a good level of business ethics the chances were the company would honor such acts by providing you a stable, organic income which to build a life around.
Yet today we face a new paradigm for our careers. Recession and economic hardship has rocked employers and employees alike in many more ways than only our pocket books. Bankruptcies are viral, reorganization is expected, and the slogan "Do more with less." is quickly becoming the mantra to which commerce must adopt, or face the cruel hand of the now global markets. Any past held ideals of loyalty and trust between a business and it's workers is now replaced. The latter left resembling a jilted lover, forever wary and hesitant to trust again.
Our skills are now strictly contracted, and in very measurable, often brief segments. The average professional in Silicon Valley remains at her or his company an average of three years today. That equates to roughly 10+ career changes for the successful professional throughout their business odyssey. The street has become two way, and we are learning to always be aware should we find a quicker route to our goals.
The book by Thomas Freidman "The World Is Flat" described this new idea with the term employability. Where employer loyalty once was the expected model, each of us, as employees must now work constantly to expand and evolve our skill sets to mandate higher values of compensation from our employers. Where our replacement alternatives once were limited to the town, then the city, then the county, today we see job threats from intercontinental locales. We have all heard the stories of doctors in Beijing reading our x-ray exams overnight, and call centers in Mumbai handling your computer support problems. This should hardly surprise anyone.
The trade off in this newer schema is that we as employees, now can equally eliminate any sense of loyalty in return to those who sign our checks. Our efforts are now strictly of the contractual variety. We enter time stamped agreements to provide 'x' amount of service for 'y' amount of work and lest we be naive to think that 'y' will stop growing anytime soon. The slogan "What have you done for me lately?" is boldly emblazoned across the face of global business and even scarier is the fact that even if your reply is "A lot!" the people up top can always respond with "Well, they can do it for less." Such is the way business is going, and we should not stand patiently waiting to see it turn course anytime soon.
A formal education will make you a living; Self-education will make you a fortune.
- Jim Rohn
This quote embodies what each of us must force ourselves to acknowledge and constantly expand upon. We are but assets, sets of skill trained and designed to bring value to a bottom line or business goal set forth by the free markets and minds behind the curtain. In order to justify a renewed contract with a place of employment we must make it habit to work effortlessly to always increase the value which we can bring to our employer. New skill sets, extended education, and measurable forward flowing results all are and will continue to be extremely important to the professional with ideals of progression and advancement.
But fret not, there is a trade off for our tireless efforts of self-value improvement. This being that such acts of self investment will in themselves provide severe leverage with which we may go forth confidently in demanding increased compensation and reward for these new tools and capabilities we now possess.
The sugar coat of stability and security has long melted off the face of global business. With the rapid infusion of so many global markets, and competing bodies for work once restricted to domestic candidates, one would be severely ignorant to believe that they can never be replaced. As our coaches used to preach in youth sports "If you aren't practicing, there is someone else who is." But as professionals we must embrace such adversity, welcome it as a challenge to which there can never be an end. Use it as something to inspire action and relentless self education and improvement. Give those whose names appear on your pay stubs no choice but to grant your increased compensation demands. As all too often we see athletes in their career twilight's slowly fade from view, the same business model is making it's way more and more prevalent in all professions. As for the bright side? Look at it this way, no one needs five percent body fat and freakish genetics to read a book or learn a new business process, just discipline, determination and a little bit of a grudge to make the employer EARN your efforts. If you do this and they refuse, don't worry, their biggest competitor is across the street with open arms.
Iron Rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity, and in cold weather becomes frozen, even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.
- Leonardo Da Vinci
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