The World Has been Flattened

Inspired after read a book by L. Friedman (The World Is Flat) in "It's your Future " class.

This book raised issues about how current living conditions in the world feel flat. Something is happening in New York. It is like what happened in other cities. An event on the other side of the world, will be seen instantly from another side. Incredible. The sophistication of technology, communications, make this world smaller. It feels flat.

Supply Chaining, Reinforce the disappearance of barriers between countries. Insourcing. Informing. All can find their own information. I think Googling will be the subject at school. Steroids. Digital, mobile, personal and virtual. Equipment that accompany us in everyday life, termed by Friedman as a steroid. They are the things that make this world flat.

Knowledge, skills, ideas and motivation, will become the dominant personal power. Individual, will play dominant role in this era of flat world. If the globalization of 1.0, the country must become global, then in globalization 2.0, companies must become global, so in globalization 3.0, own self should be in globalization. Individuals are required to think globally in order to thrive, or at least survive. So not only are the technical skills required, but a mental flexibility, self motivation, and psychological mobility must be controlled.

We never enough became a mediocre. We must be inaccessible. This means people who cannot be outsourced, digitized, or automated. What or who are they? Friedman divides into three categories. First are those special. JK Rowling one example. Second, those are who settled. They are needed at that location. Barber, one such example. It is not possible to virtual shaving hair. The third, people are in the middle class. This is the hardest, because we are at this level. Sorry, not us, but me. The middle class must have a competitive advantage to compete with other middle-class fellow. We must have added value. So even if taken literally, middle-class jobs that can be outsourced, digitized, or automated. Be special.

How to be special?

Conductor of an orchestra is one example of job who cannot be outsourced

Some capabilities must be possessed. Collaborators, Orchestrator. Be able to be a conductor of an orchestra, which consists of many components of musicians, but bring beautiful music. We can be a dot of people, or big picture people. Can see the large thinking, capable of detecting image details. Great explanatory. Can explain something complicated, in simple language, so we could be understood by the others. Leave specialization, navigate to the "versatile" and "adaptive". Environmentalists. Giving a personal touch. This is interesting. Everything with a personal touch, will form some more Valuable. Remember, humans are social creatures who enjoy personal contacts. Human contacts.

To be able to achieve that capability, we must have the ability to learn how to learn, continuously absorb, teach yourself. To be able to learn how to learn, the first requirement is to love learning! Or at least, enjoyed it.

CQ + PQ > IQ. When the world becomes flat, curiosity and enthusiasm for a job, success, the principal problem, or a hobby will become more important. CQ = curious quotient. PQ = passion quotient. Curiosity and passion are high, it is more important than high IQ. We need to touch back with enthusiasm, passion innocent, regardless of salary, working hours, or preparation required.

We need to like people. We must be able to interact with others well. Relation skill, are an asset in the world of work, and also in the flat world. Remember, in-depth and personal interaction, never to be outsourced, digitized, or automated.

Improve the ability of right brain, comparable with the left brain. In the flat world which flooded by data, information, strangled by alternative choices, an ability that is important is to approach the soul of the right hemisphere, it’s artistic ability, empathy, seeing the large picture, and the ability to track the things that transcendent, beyond self. Prefer to build relationships than transactions. Leave one-hit action.

So when we hear someone speak, do with our love. It is a strategy for survival, in this flat world.