WORKSHIFTER - Dispatches from the New Executive Frontier

A while back I mentioned that the landscape of the workplace is changing dramatically for everyone. In a more recent virtual conversation I had with Caroline Shannon of The Glass Hammer about the landscape of the workplace for women, I mentioned that the “Glass Ceiling” is changing as well—today it looks more like Plexiglas; it has some pliability in certain organizations.

As the workplace changes and as accomplished executives are finding new ways to work, being able to market the skills garnered over the years will be key to landing the kind of project based work that will be most fulfilling professionally and will allow one to maintain an ideal lifestyle.

But what if the glass ceiling starts to get in the way?

One thing that I think women in particular need to realize is that those valuable skills cannot be marketed effectively if women act ashamed of everything that makes them women. As I mentioned to Caroline, women should stop trying to compensate for being women, stop accepting less and learn to ask for what they truly deserve—men do it, so why shouldn’t we?

So, go out, market those skills, maintain your authenticity as women, punch through that glass and take advantage of the next way to work.

Did you happen to read the May 19th, 2008 op ed piece in The Wall Street Journal on page A15 titled, The Next American Frontier, written by Michael S. Malone (author of the upcoming book, The Protean Corporation)?
The article reflects what we here at EPOCH see as the increasing demand for greater control over work-life choices. Malone writes:
“Each step in the development of American society has been towards an ever-greater level of independence, freedom and personal liberty. And as the rest of the world catches up to where we were, we've already moved on to the next epoch in the national story.”
Malone cites some intriguing stats:

• 50% of all new college graduates now believe that self-employment is more secure than a full-time job
• 80% of the colleges and universities in the U.S. now offer courses on entrepreneurship
• 60% of Gen Y business owners consider themselves to be serial entrepreneurs, according to Inc. magazine.
• 70% of today's high schoolers intend to start their own companies, according to a Gallup poll.

Traditional employment is on the way out, it seems, and that may be a good thing. Think of all the STUFF that comes with a traditional job. Working independently, you can chuck most of it. We love the picture Malone paints:
"Without noticing it, we have once again discovered, and then raced off to settle, a new frontier. Not land, not innovation, but ourselves and a growing control over our own lives and careers... And why not? Each step in the development of American society has been towards an ever-greater level of independence, freedom and personal liberty."
We couldn’t agree more.