Asset or Liability - Which one are You?

Have you even stopped to analyze if you're an asset or liability to your own future?

When thinking about your role, job or career, do you know if you're an asset or liability to your company or organization?

I recently read an article that stated US companies and federal government will need to spend billions of dollars by 2030 to retrain the American workforce for the future marketplace. Have you been in your position so long that you no longer need to think through your daily work activities? Are you the only one at your company who can do your job? If you take off work, even for a day, do things bottleneck at your desk or inbox? ...'They need me here...I can't get fired because no one else knows how to do this or that'. Over the years I have heard people speak those words as a badge of honor. IF that's you, please know that in today's job market, it's antiquated thinking, like year 2000, turn of the century.

Now, it's 2020! Companies and their leadership are looking for agility, cross functional teams and technology to move business forward. No longer can businesses afford be limited to processes that are too labor intensive. No longer can roles or job responsibilities be limited to only one person without support. Yes we still need expertise and specialized knowledge in specific domains but now you maybe deployed to various teams or departments to support them with your knowledge.

Start to think differently about your career. Start to think differently about your company and what you can offer. Start to build upon what you know and add new skills or training in associated areas to enhance your assets.

As an example, I think of the movie 'Hidden Figures' from 2016. In the movie, the IBM machine was being installed to do the work, within seconds, that took dozens of human computers to do within hours or days. Dorothy Vaughn had the fortitude and good sense to see the need to shift her skills to stay relevant and learn FORTRAN. As I reflect over the past decade, the job market and instability of once 'stable' industries (healthcare, banking, federal government), I now ponder the idea that a good job or career in a stable or growing market is only a temporary concept. One can not be idle but active in learning and growing to be able to manage and maneuver through shifts in market changes within any given industry.

By nature, we are multifaceted complex individuals. Build up your skills and abilities to remain marketable. In doing so, you will be an asset to both yourself and your organization.