I recently attended a national conference in New Orleans, along with two other colleagues from Career Services at the University of Utah.  Each year, in a different location, NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) holds a mega-event to bring together employers and college career professionals to discuss best practices, new theories, and issues surrounding the profession. The keynote speaker this year was Daniel H. Pink, noted author, futurist guru, and writer for Wired magazine. He was also a chief speechwriter for former Vice President Al Gore.

Pink has a trio of books that define his expertise. His first book, Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself, became an instantly sought-after resource of employee-management relations. His second publication, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, was translated into 16 languages and became a New York Times and Business Week bestseller. His most recent book, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need, was the first business book for a Western audience in the Japanese comic format known as manga*.

Pink is a provocative speaker, and judging from his Web site engagement, is in high demand globally to speculate about future business trends and the economic transformation of the new workplace.

Over the next 18 years, millions of baby boomers will turn 60. This, Pink says, is a seismic demographic shift that will force organizations and individuals  to rethink their approach to human resources. Further, the future belongs to a very different sort of individual with a different kind of mindset.  The skill-set of the future depends on emotional intelligence, inventiveness, and empathy. In other words, the era of “left brain” or left hemisphere dominance and the Information Age is collapsing, while “right brain” qualities are coming to prominence. He advocates “R-directed thinking.

According to Pink, while we have all had our noses to the grindstone—or heads in the sand—the world has been changing around us.  The “free agent” is replacing the “organization man” in this brave new world. This could lead to “dis-organization,” which could be both profound and exhilarating for many workers in this new arena. Free agents, says Pink, are shaking up the business community. Remember the Peter Principle, which articulated that in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence?  Well, Pink has ushered in the “Peter-out” Principle, which decrees that when the fun peters out, the talented walk out. It’s important that work be as enjoyable as it is productive.

Pink elaborates other changes in the workplace including in the way people retire—or “E-tirement,” as he calls it. At age 65, the age at which previous generations have retired, these free agents will find exciting full-time or part-time work over the Internet.

Pink has adopted clever and glib notions applied to the future that are meant to shift our thinking.  He suggests that “Just-in-time Politics” is “just around” the corner—that is, the political version of the business concept of just-in-time manufacturing will challenge our current two-party system. Moreoever, Pink believes that women are often early adopters of these shifts and that the 21st century will be “the Feminine Century.”

A couple of other of Pink’s key points: the force of Abundance, Asia, and Automation are altering the competitive position of organizations and putting a premium on previously overlooked and undervalued qualities; and smart companies utilize artistic expression, including storytelling, play, and smart design, in order to surge ahead of the competition.   

Pink provided thought-provoking ideas interspersed with hilarious moments. He was provocative, interesting, and “dead-on” in many of his assessments regarding the future and careers. His contributions to Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, and Fast Company are testament to his creative thinking. Plus, he’s a brilliant speaker. You can catch snippets of him on YouTube.

Want to understand more about free agents and your career future? Contact Julie Swaner, Program Manager, Alumni Career Services, 585-5036.

* Manga is the Japanese word for comics and is usually used to refer to magazine-size comic books, which are now popular in Japan on subjects from business to sports to romance.

By contacting Julie Swaner and mentioning that you saw this article in the July issue of U-News & Views, you will qualify for one FREE session of career coaching this month—last chance ($50 value) !

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