Competitive Advantages and Networked Employees

     Balancing DOD use of the internet can be a challenge. Often it provides access to the various subject matter experts, enables logistical support to operational events, and allows global communications instantaneously. However, online interactions by DOD also provides nefarious actors a chance to conduct theft of intellectual property, provides a forum for disinformation, and allows a platform for cybercrimes. Davies emphasizes ten future worker skills. Adaptive thinking and cognitive load management are two skills that could be of benefit to government workers in an era of big data and the need to analyze it as quickly as possible. Davies’ thoughts on social intelligence and virtual collaboration are items that are already in some form of implementation across many government and corporate organizations. The skill of transdisciplinary mindset is one that I believe can pay the most benefit for the government. Too often government organizations focus on specialization in one field which limits thinking.  A transdisciplinary mindset would prepare organizations to be adaptive. However, the move to hiring a transdisciplinary mindset worker would go against current hiring processes that focuses on specialization.

     Automation seems to be pushing the limits of what is acceptable to relegate as back-office work in many organizations.  As highlighted by Smith in his automation article in Pew, trust is essential for future work environments to allow the flow of knowledge. In contrast to most bureaucracies, the idea of trust and free flow of knowledge is counterculture to bureaucratic environments where ‘hoarders of knowledge’ control resources and limit growth. This is emphasized by Smith and Anderson’s Pew Report concern  the future wave on innovation threatens not only blue-collar, but also white-collar workers. A deeper concern is our current education system in the U.S. since it is not setup to develop students to succeed in the future work environments. Perhaps a renewed interest in critical thinking and liberal arts education by offset the current common core educational approaches.

     These approaches to develop the future skills and educational programs for tomorrow’s networked employees will create both opportunities and challenges. The opportunities for networked workers will center on lower costs to develop in house expertise and the ability to virtually project presence in the global commons. The challenges will involve being the first organization to bring a new product or concept online while combatting future cyber security threats. With initiative being the competitive edge in the future, the protection of intellectual property and organizational operational concepts will differentiate networked organizations. This is in alignment with Kevin Kelly’s concept of questioning in Inevitable. By consistently questioning and reframing the problems it will provide organizations the ability to outpace stagnant competitors.