The Key to Surviving Tomorrow’s Brave New World of Work

Readiness refers to the combination of training and preparedness that provides military personnel with the expertise they need to successfully carry out their defined mission.

Because today’s conflicts — especially terrorist attacks — are increasingly asymmetrical, a state of readiness must address the high degree of uncertainty inherent in most wars.

Although we can identify potential combatants and weaponry, we can never be certain as to when or where they will strike, or the exact manner in which the attack will come. Which means that readiness is no longer confined to a single skill or discipline but needs to be as broad as the spectrum of conflict it must continually confront.

A World of Continuous Change

Today, we live in a world of change. One in which the verities of the past have given way to uncertainty. A world in which time-honored concepts such as loyalty, seniority, and experience are fast becoming meaningless, replaced by the mathematics of cost and efficiency.

The skills that once promised us success continue to lose assurance as new technologies, processes, and business models supplant those of the past. Not the distant past but what, for far too many of us, seems like yesterday.

Like military planners confronted by invisible forces beyond our control, we can no longer assume that our current skills will serve us in the future. Instead, we need to embrace new strategies that enable us to successfully adapt to change and uncertainty.

And the only way to do that is to place ourselves in a Constant State of Readiness.

Embrace Uncertainty

The first step in establishing a State of Readiness is to accept that in the future, nothing is certain. If something can happen, it most likely will.

Outsourcing, automation, economic downturns, someone younger and less expensive … all are threats to our job security.

The mistake we make is believing that we can’t be replaced. Or if we feel threatened, to double-down by either working longer and harder, or by trying to deepen a specific skill set. But rather than double-down, what we need to do is expand: not simply our skills and knowledge but our connections and networks.

The harder we work, the more insular we become. We focus exclusively on the task at hand and wall ourselves off from the surrounding world of friends and family, as well as social and business connections.

Yet it is these connections that will prove invaluable if and when we find ourselves in search of a new job.

That’s why we not only need to continually nurture our connections, creating interlocking circles of association so that when the time comes, we’re able to reach out and leverage them.

Move Outside Your Comfort Zone

A State of Readiness also requires an acceptance that the skills demanded by our next job may not be the same skills required by our current position.

Let’s say you’re an engineer:

One with deep expertise in your industry. On the surface, this may seem like a surefire formula for job security. But what if there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands of other engineers with the same level of expertise?

Or even more insidiously, a new set of algorithms that go far deeper into a problem than your mind could ever hope to probe? What if expertise no longer has any meaning because your company decides to outsource its operations?

Readiness means preparing for any and all of these contingencies by moving outside your comfort zone and embracing continuous learning. Not by diving deeper into your current job but by exploring a broad range of disciplines, many of which go beyond a specific industry or technology.

If the future means more candidates for fewer jobs, then the way to stand out is to have a body of knowledge that is adaptable to more than one opportunity or challenge.

Hiring managers seem to agree. When surveyed, rather than focus on degrees and certifications, they invariably turn to less tangible attributes such as leadership, problem solving, team building, innovation and creativity as well as the ability to write and speak well.

None of these skills are developed in a silo. All require exposure to a continuum of ideas that only come from a commitment to continuous learning.

Become Comfortable with the Process

Finally, Readiness means practice.

When was the last time you spoke to a recruiter? When was the last time you went out on an interview? Do you understand the needs of today’s job market? Do you know the questions you will be asked? How will you position yourself against the other candidates, many of whom have the same education, experience and skills as you?

A job interview is like a sales call, one in which the product you’re selling is you. Like any good salesperson, you need to be prepared. And the only way to be prepared is to go through the process repeatedly.

Even if you’re not currently in danger of losing your job, meet with recruiters. Ask them about your skills and experience and how you measure up against the competition. Have them critique your resume as well as your communication skills and how you present yourself.

Learn how to research a company and industry. Then go out on interviews. Become comfortable within the process. Learn when to listen and when to ask questions. The most important question to ask is for feedback. Do this repeatedly.

The future is like the weather: everyone talks about it but when a storm hits we all act surprised. It’s time to eliminate the surprises. And the only way we can do that is by preparing for the storm.

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