The Workplace is Changing; Are You?
I made a beeline for the management career track as soon as I entered the world of the working. I was only 15 years old and still in school, so part of it may have been oldest child syndrome; there were five of us, and I was used to being in charge.
As a result, I was “the boss” through the vast majority of my career. I had a lot of practice at it, and I developed several habits of the as-the-boss variety. However I can assure you without a moment’s hesitation, that there is absolutely no question whatsoever my management style today would be much, much different than it was in even my most recent corporate position held in 2003.
Why? The world of today is different, and thus, it demands it. From my perception of it, there have been fairly radical changes over as little as the last four to six years, and when I consider the environment of most of the workplaces I visit, I have to wonder, Why haven’t they noticed it too?
The biggest answer, and the most common one, is usually tree-hugging. Work has a way of consuming us with its self-proclaimed importance, and with its high concentration of detail, detail, detail —especially when you are a manager. Thus we spend most of our time looking inward versus outward, and even when we do notice world-changing factors at play, we put up this self-protective shield in convincing ourselves that those factors don’t really affect us, and thank goodness, for we already have enough to deal with.
However usually, they most certainly do affect you, and the slower you are in responding to them, the more they will dump into your lap to be dealt with eventually. Frankly, playing offense is much more fun than playing defense. Being pro-active is much more effective than being re-active.
Today’s leaders are the ones who have noticed (that the world of today is different), and who have responded by introducing responsive change into organizational cultures as growth.
Today’s great managers are the ones who have noticed (that the world of today is different), and who have responded by becoming better learning coaches and mentors.
Whoever you may be as you read this, Leader, Manager, or New World Student, LEARNING, and loving to learn, is the best possible way you can equip yourself for all that is different in our New World. Learning is also your prize-winning ticket toward living, working, managing, and leading with aloha.
In Managing with Aloha, return to Chapter 11 and ‘Ike loa, the value of learning. Investing in your own living of this value, seeking knowledge and wisdom, can be your best new habit creator so that “loving to learn” is a joyful experience for you. In today’s new world, you must want to “know well” and hunger for learning.
For more, I have recently written three articles to serve as your “extended reading” on ‘Ike loa and the great value in Learning in our “New World.”
What is the best possible environment for learning that you would create for yourself, one where you get all fired up and excited about learning? How will you fit this charged-up experience into the total form you are creating for your life, so there is no overwhelm, no stress, just a great fit? This article was also inspired by my feeling that Learning definitely needs a “cool factor.”
The New World of Today’s Student
When I think back over a lifetime of learning, I realize that there were certain times I was a great student, and others in which I was just going through the motions, reaping relatively little from the effort. This article asks when your best learning happened, and suggests a self-reflective writing exercise so you can replicate those times.
My Employer, My New World Teacher
I stated above that “Today’s great managers are the ones who have noticed (that the world of today is different), and who have responded by becoming better learning coaches and mentors.” How? This article describes what these New World bosses are like in eight different ways; you can be one of them. To be one of them is definitely, powerfully, and effectively, Managing with Aloha.
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