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Week 10 - The Changing Concept of Career (Characteristics of Tri-Sector…
Week 10 - The Changing Concept of Career
Who are tri-sector leaders?
Many of the worlds most difficult problems - resource scarcity, training future workforces, making healthcare affordable and accessible - require collaboration between government, business and not-for-profit sectors
Tri-sector leaders are individuals who are able to bridge the differences that separate the three sectors and thus develop more holistic and sustainable solutions
The path varies for tri-sector leaders, some begin in government then move to private sector while others start not-for-profit then move into government sector
Characteristics of Tri-Sector Leaders
Acquiring Transferable Skills
Government must bring competing interest together to create regulatory environments that benefits the public
Not-for-profit organisations have limited resources, focus on the long-term, and look for creative ways to further social good
In business one must use scare resource to exploit market opportunities
Balancing Competetive Motives
Have a strong desire to create ‘public value’, however this is not at the expense of their own motives for wealth creation, power, and strong sense of mission
Combine idealism (often found in the not-for-profit sector) and pragmatism (found in government and business) to serve a wide array of people
Maintaining a Prepared Mind
Comfortable deviating from traditional career paths when opportunities arise to extend one’s skills and experience across sectors
Rather than focusing on a specific job or career, focus on a set of skills, capabilities, values, experiences, and impact one wants to have as a ‘frame of reference
Preparing financially to be in a position to take up positions that are financial less lucrative, at least in the short-term
Building Integrated Networks
Integrated networks across sectors are used to convene project teams/think tanks to develop solutions for cross-sectoral issues
Critical for any career, especially, a cross-sectorial one
Forging an Intellectual Thread
Developing and applying an intellectual thread across sectors provides the ability to transcend limitations of sector-based thinking
Over their career tri-sector leaders strengthen their intellectual thread via formal education, professional training, or research at a not-for-profit organisation
Concentrate on a particular issue or theme overtime building subject matter expertise in the process
An intellectual thread increases one’s credibility and capacity to cross and seamlessly integrate across sectors
Developing Contextual Intelligence
Not only able to see parallels between sectors but also accurately assess differences in context and translate across them
Evolution of the employer-employee compact
Contemporary
Rapid unpredictable change - volatile
Employees encouraged to think as 'free agents' in charge of their own destiny and therefore, employability
Winner takes all mentality
Lack of job security and performance-driven culture results in more adaptable and entrepreneurial employees
However, the most adaptabale and entrepreneurial talent constantly seek greener pastures elsewhere, making employee retention extremely difficult
The need for a new compact
Need to acknowledge that life-time employment nor loyalty are realistic in the 21st century
From an employee point of view, the focus should be on improving adaptability and entrepreneurial thinking
From an employer point of view, the focus should be on how to develop a win-win relationship (i.e. an alliance) with employees, even if it means that they will inevitably leave for opportunities elsewhere
Both employers and employees should seek to be ‘allies’ – An employee invests in the employer’s adaptability, the employer invest in the employee’s employability
Traditional
Life-time employment and loyalty
Predictable career trajectories - Low employee turnover
Stable
Strategies to develop an employee/employer compact as allies
Establishing a "
Tour of Duty
"
Entering into fixed-term (eg. 4 years) projects with employer/employee with provision for discussion at mid-point of tour
Purpose of relationship is stipulated at the forefront and each part is aware of expected benefits and when relationship will be terminated
Although transactional in design, relationship must be based on trust and investment from both parties
If done well, can act as an employee retention tool - reaching agreement on another tour
Important to construct personalised, mutually beneficial tours to be truly effective as a strategy of employment (for the employee) and recruitment (for the employer)
Engaging beyond the employer's boundaries
Networking, especially with those that are different to one has been found to significantly increase an individual's ability to be creative and innovative
Networks should be established withing the confinement's of ones current employment as well as beyond
Compact should allow employees time to develop networks on 'company time' - in exchange, employee's must leverage the network established for employer's benefit.
Networks should include all stakeholders linked to employer and/or employee's profession
When considering employment investigate whether network intelligence is a top priority of potential employers
Employer's can attract highly networked individuals if network intelligence is valued and therefore supported
Becoming a part of alumni networks
The purpose of the new compact is not to deliver lifetime loyalty in reciprocation for lifetime employment
It is to build 'lifelong affiliation' through a network of allies (i.e. employers)
Can lead to future employment opportunities
Can lead to new business opportunities or collaborators, especially across sectors (i.e. government, not-for-profit)
Great source to expand one's network, and therefore, access to diverse information
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUNgqPjTORE
Example: Jeff Seabright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=6mw9YRNj0I4
how to develop tri-sector leadership skills
At the beginning of career:
-Undertaking joint-degree programs (not purely technical ones)
-Undergoing training and mentoring programs that incorporate cross-sector concerns
mid-career:
undertaking fellowships
attending conferences where mentors could be found
media training and establishing connections with media
Towards the end of career:
-mentoring tri-sector leaders
incorporating tri-sector leadership development and training as part of organisational succession planning