If You Are Not Reinventing, You May Be Behind Already

Three messages we hear today:

• We have recovered from the Recession
• We may not feel it for a long time
• Time to Reinvent the American Dream

We are in a crisis of confidence. One reason is that the information we receive does not make sense. Politicians who promise to lead us to new frontiers do not know what they are talking about.

I like Donald Trumps message on CNN where he says if we don’t change our relationship with China and OPEC and stop the wars and bring back manufacturing, we are in big trouble.

Creative Destruction is the destruction of the current condition while a new order replaces it.

“Creative destruction can cause temporary economic distress. Layoffs of workers with obsolete working skills can be one price of new innovations valued by consumers… creative destruction can cause severe hardship in the short term, and in the long term for those who cannot acquire the skills and work experience. “ Wikipedia

Global crisis forced by financial melt downs take longer to heal. Unlike in past financial crisis’ the world is smaller.  Newer solutions may not be created locally.  In this age solutions might come from the lowest cost producers; China, India, South East Asia, Africa.

The United States has given away its manufacturing during a time when it was producing too many currently useless products.

Low cost labor countries are booming. The U.S. is stifled. It calls for a new worker.  At a recent time when Japan led the world in manufacturing, it wanted to find a country to relocate its production so that it could use its resources to provide higher order goods.

It is that time for the U.S. We can forget hoping for everything we are complaining about.  There is no white knight.

Colleges are not producing graduates that are job ready. People who have skills developed too long ago often can’t get rehired.

Some industries will be the leaders of the new age.  IBM is going into third world countries and trying to assist in “…linchpin industries including telecommunications, banking, transportation, health care and energy”

Technological capability is increasing geometrically. Countries with affordable technology training like India have 500 million people under the age of 25 getting trained to work in this era.

The employable talents in the new economy may be tending toward minimum wage as machinery and software replace humans.

But there is always a need for problem solvers and innovators. There is a need for entrepreneurs whether working for themselves or employers to seek solutions needed by an economy under stress.

Leading companies are becoming creative in reducing staff, increasing production, speeding delivery, and improving customer satisfaction.

Seth Godin in his blog The Forever Recession says what we have lost is the  “…millions of brain-dead, corner office, follow-the-manual middle class jobs.”

Economies under crisis move fast. Stress creates time pressure. Everything has to be better and faster. Technology is the answer to real speed. Technology, consulting, innovation, and problem solving is where new opportunities are booming.

Left brained and right brained people have limitless possibilities.

Purchase The Mesh: Why the Future of Business is Sharing    by Lisa Gansky   

As Seth Godin says:

Lisa Gansky has written a groundbreaking book about a fundamental building block of modern business.

In Lisa’s words, “The Mesh is the new way of doing business. Mesh businesses leverage data and social networks to enable people to share goods and services efficiently and conveniently-to gain superior access to what they need without the burdens or expense of ownership. There are already thousands of these businesses-in transportation, fashion, food, real estate, travel, finance, entertainment and many other categories-with more starting every day.The Mesh has emerged as the best new creative engine for getting more of what we want, exactly when we want it, at less cost to ourselves and the planet.”