21 Century Worklife

Help co-create 21st century worklife security. 

Begin by challenging your own notion of security. Realize that it doesn’t really exist in the current workplace and it didn’t really exist in the old Career Caretaker paradigm where you traded precious resources like your time, talent, and potential for economic ‘safety’, job advancement, and a ‘suffer now to win later/climb the ladder’ mind-set. Chances are that “win later” hasn’t quite happened as you had imagined… and it likely never will.

• Consider that you have Intrinsic Worth—your value beyond what you do, say, and create, the roles that you play, or even your skills and gifts. No one can take it away from you, not a challenging boss, a dead-end job, or even a lousy long-term job forecast. Meditate, pray, walk in nature and let yourself just be for a few moments every day. It’s difficult to do in our hyper plugged in non-stop world, so keep trying! Sound kooky and New Agey? Maybe, but without Intrinsic Worth, you’re likely to find yourself stuck in the landmines of the imploding workplace, reacting, rather than responsibly taking back your true security.

• Get out of survival mode. We repeat, get out of survival mode. It’s easier said than done, especially when your resources are dwindling day-by-day and your fear is rising, but that won’t change unless you get grounded in your one-of-a-kind talents and connect with allies to share resources. And, don’t forget to keep trying to access your Intrinsic Worth– it’s one of the most powerful antidotes to survival fear out there.

• Know that together, we are a collective-bargaining juggernaut the likes of which the world has never seen. Actively seek out the juggernaut by getting thee to allies, individuals, institutions, and groups that can be true friends in helping you get your deserved piece of the pie.

• Redefine your pie. Ask yourself what your most deeply held values and priorities are? How do you most want to spend your time and energy at work and at home? What is your Compensation Continuum? That is, beyond the monetary compensation you are seeking, what other “payment” adds to your worklife riches and security, interpersonally, energetically, intellectually, spiritually etc?

• Brainstorm with your allies to create a ‘Portable HR Department’ that gives you security, irrespective of employers. Contact organizations like the Freelancers Union to build off all of their current work in this arena.