How should executives who manage corporate technology services
guide their careers? The past two decades have seen a vast
increase in the pace of technological innovation in corporate
settings, with disruptive effects on markets and individual
careers.
Consider the pace of technological change in software
development and telecommunications the past 15 years vs. the 40
years before. Mid-century professionals in each of these
industries would find the past decades' pace of change dizzying:
IT - Infant to Young Adult: In 1964, IBM
released the System 360, the first computer product line with a
consistent, scalable architecture, and launched the "golden age"
of mainframe computing. Many innovations followed, including
online processing and relational databases.
Still, a mainframe computer programmer who entered the workforce
in the mid-1960s could have made a tidy living from his original
skill set, retiring in 2000 after a final burst of Y2K project
work. An MIS executive could have stayed mainframe-centric into
the 1990s.
In today's world, technology professionals and executives are
confronted by technologies that change every 18 months, as well
as by outsourcers and offshore competitors. IT will continue to
be at the foundation of the global economy, but the future path
of IT careers is unclear.
Telecommunications -- Ma Bell to Wild West: The
automated switchboard replaced the need for an infinite number
of telephone operators in the first third of the 20th century.
AT&T Corp., also known as Ma Bell, had a utility-like monopoly
on phone service until its court-ordered breakup in the 1980s.
AT&T brimmed with technological advances. (Bell Labs was one of
the top five research-and-development centers in the country for
nearly 50 years.) But the corporation introduced new innovations
at its own (slow) pace.
Today, the telecommunications industry is recovering from the
aftermath of the dot-com era, and most major vendors are shadows
of their former selves. Additionally, the dawning of the Voice
over Internet Protocol (VOIP) era signifies a paradigm shift in
technology, service delivery and even business models. Suddenly,
Internet players such as eBay, Yahoo and Google are potential
competitors for telecommunications providers and even corporate
telecom departments.
A Kayak, not a Rowboat
If executives and professionals in these industries cannot rely
on long-term stability, the metaphor for navigating down the
"career river" must change from that of a rowboat to a kayak.
Rowboat - In the summer (think of a balanced
economy) it is convenient to navigate the river in a rowboat,
which provides comfort and stability. But a rowboat is unstable
in the floods of spring (a rapidly changing economy), and
inefficient in the low waters of fall.
Raft - Rafts require the least effort, and they
can be used in any season. But rafts offer little control over
navigation and speed. Relying on an employer or industry to
carry you along to future success is a gamble not worth taking
-- the odds of being dashed on the rocks are too high.
Kayak - A kayak provides the most control,
speed and stability in any season, It also requires the most
effort and skill.
A kayak is a narrow vessel that rides on top of and through the
water. It could flip over easily, but it rarely does because of
the body control of the paddler. And if it does flip over, the
watertight "skirt" over the opening and the kayak's lean profile
allow the user to pop back up unharmed.
Navigating the career river in a kayak is an intense and
initially unpleasant experience for most people, compared with
the stability of a rowboat or the passivity of a raft. But it is
ultimately the safer choice, and often a more fulfilling one.
In the past, I have written of using a "Career Venn Diagram" to
make career moves (
www.opentechnologies.com/writings/CC101104.htm).
Here is another model for those wishing to build on their
current successes in the face of rapid industry change - the USC
Skill Acquisition Model (this is unrelated to USC's football
program, which clearly doesn't need any help in skills
acquisition).
USC Skill Acquisition Model
Useful - Focus on developing skills that have
high return on investment in solving complexity in your
industry. You don't have to be a pioneer to impress hiring
managers -- just a little ahead of your peers.
Synergistic - When possible, find roles that
leverage several of your core skills, rather than just one.
Competitively Sustainable - Don't rely too much
on skills that the market values now, but that will become
obsolete or commodities in several years.
Carry out your core role well, but also attempt to be a thought
leader (even if in a small way) in advancing your discipline as
a process-engineering discipline, at the intersection of
technology, project management and finance. How to do this will
be the subject of a future column.
