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Incorporate Yourself

One Strategy for Success in the New World of Work

What have you done to adapt to the changes in the work place today? Most of us have to answer honestly, "Not much..."

We believe the first step is to start thinking differently about work. But this is much easier said than done. And one of the biggest challenges is that is very difficult to think differently about such an ingrained subject as work.

The first step is acceptance. Accept that dramatic change has occurred and that you must also change to be successful. Then, take positive action, creative action, to meet head on the challenges that change brings. Think positive thoughts and proactively. Arm yourself with a philosophy and tools to ensure success. Do positive things.

And all of this thinking, doing, and feeling — behaviors to help you initiate a process to create a successful future — can best be described as "Incorporate Yourself." Thinking of yourself as a "service entity with help you take positive action to meet the changes in today’s world of work.

This article provides a roadmap for the new world of work, including 5 recommended steps.

Accept the New World of Work
If much or even some of this information about the new world of work is new to you personally, and you believe it, then you will probably be feeling at least a sense of unease, or maybe even anger. These emotions are natural resulting from a loss of confidence in the underlying beliefs and assumptions you have had about work. Discuss them with your leadership advisor.

Break Your Dependence on the "Old" Way
One of the greatest challenges facing the workplace (and society) is institutional dependency, where people have transferred responsibility for their lives to large bureaucracies such as government or corporations.

We all do it, to varying degrees. It is going to be very disillusioning to people who are dependent on institutions, because these institutions are no longer able to provide what they have in the past. It is becoming much more of a "free market" for jobs within companies. A new relationship is needed where everyone takes responsibility for themselves to deliver relevant value every day. If this occurs, then both the organization and the individual will more likely both achieve "success".

But how do you do this? How do you break a dependency?
Consider the following points:

People Have Internal Control
Humans are not completely controlled by external events. We are motivated by forces within ourselves. If we believe that what we do is caused by forces outside of us, we are acting like machines, not living people. You can choose to answer the phone, but an answering machine cannot. You can choose to pursue a new project, assignment or plan, if you wish.

Acquiring a Core Attitude of Self-Direction
Ultimately, realizing that you have control over your own future has a big impact on your day-to-day activities. You do not see your job as simply serving the needs of the company that you work for, but also of building your own capabilities and value. Some key ideas and beliefs of a more independent (self-directed) "employee" include:

• My value is a function of what I can contribute.
• I assess the value of any given assignment with a view to its potential to deepen and broaden my existing skills to increase my ability to get the next assignment.
• I will be loyal to my company as long as I receive challenge and satisfaction, whatever I define that as.
• I accept responsibility for constantly upgrading, improving upon and adding new skills to my base of expertise.

Create a New "Business" That is You
What’s required today is an approach to work and a way of managing your own career that is more like that of a vendor or consultant than that of a traditional employee. Successful leaders think that they are the leader of a business and that their tasks have been outsourced to them by the organization.

One of the best ways we have found to do this is to create a new service business that is "you." Give it a name. Whatever you call it really does not matter. The point is to make it come alive. And to commit to its (your!) success. Also remember any successful business must meet and exceed its customers’ requirements.

Continually Look for New Change
Adapting to the new world of work means continuous adapting. Things will not stay the same. Your plan and actions this year and next may be inappropriate in two or three years. How do you ensure you stay abreast of change? Our recommendations for keeping up include:

• Read contemporary business magazines such as FORTUNE, BUSINESS WEEK, FAST COMPANY or even NEWSWEEK and TIME.
• Go to professional and industry association meetings regularly to listen to programs.
• Volunteer.
• Read new books on leadership, careering, employment, and personal success.
• Form a "Board of Directors" as leader of your "new company" and talk with them about contemporary leadership and career issues.
• Put together a good business plan for your business, and review it at least annually.
• Look at life as a networking experience to help you grow and change.

Take Action to Ensure Your Success
You now may believe that you must change to meet the demands of the new world of work, and you have formed your own business (My Business, Inc.). What’s next?

Begin thinking about the following questions:

• What key changes have occurred at your company in the past five years?
• What do you think of these changes?
• How do they affect your daily work life?
• What will you do about it?
• How can you effectively "manage" yourself in and out of new
  and changing situations to achieve your goals?

Its time to develop a plan. Review the material in the rest of this section and the remainder of the site to begin thinking about your plan.

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