Yes.  We do have to be careful what we ask for.

In the 1970s, people began asking for it their way.  It’s hard to image that time.  There were only 4 television channels (pre-cable TV) and it was a novelty to ask to hold the pickles and lettuce from your Whopper (see commercial).  Forty years later, you can order almost anything from your couch and have it tailored almost any way you want it.

With over 85% of our workforce in the service industry, it means most of us have to sell, build, deliver or manage complex solutions tailored – their way.  We must find the enablement intersection within the many competing interests:

Mission (Organization) – processes (policy, employee evaluations) vs. mission (profitability, brand)

Beneficiary (Customer) – mass production (uniform, low cost) vs. tailored solution (choice, satisfaction, high cost)

Aspirer (You) – extrinsic needs (income, regular paycheck, lifestyle) and intrinsic needs (family time, purpose)

Since most of us do not want to go back to removing pickles and lettuce, our jobs will continue to become more complex.  We have adapted our lifestyles to the “Result” of the ongoing evolution of work.  In addition to low cost, we are now demanding choice, convenience, comfort as well as a desired outcome.

The good news is that most of us have adapted quite well (with a little help from Advil) to these new “Roles”.  Unfortunately, most people have yet to realize how brilliant they have become at finding the enablement intersection and becoming enablement providers.

In 1900, when 90% of the workforce was in farming or factories, effort and process compliance was enough to earn a good paycheck. Today, most of our workforce is required to enable desired outcomes by discovering the enablement intersection and then make it happen.  In 1900, only a few select people mastered these abilities.  Today, a 15 year old boy is able to discover the most advanced pancreatic cancer detection test before the billion dollar life science corporations.

The success of organizations is becoming even more dependent on us to provide a tailored solutions that provide a win-win-win (Organization, Customer, You) based on the companies’ mission and the customer’s desired outcome.  As our roles evolve toward enablement providers, the realization will follow that we have the ability to make almost anything happen.

These abilities will help you achieve your dreams, big ideas and breakthrough innovation, enabling you to have it your way.

 

Posted: Tuesday, December 11th, 2012 @ 8:21 pm
Categories: Enablement.
Tags: Big Ideas, Breakthrough Innovation, Dreams, Intersection, old.