6. • As a result of globalization, technology, work-
life balance, and outsourcing, virtual teams
are becoming more common. Leaders of
virtual teams rarely have the chance to
connect with their direct-reports face-to-face.
Therefore, in addition to the typical challenges
a leader faces when his/her team is all in one
location, virtual leaders must communicate,
build trust, and instill accountability via
technological means.
7. • So in principle, whether you live in Uzbekistan,
Uruguay or Uganda, the state of your national
economy will not necessarily affect your
ability to find work, as the virtual market
transcends national economies.
8. • Hungry employers universally acknowledge that
they’re looking for workers able to take on
nonroutine complex tasks, who can perform
critical thinking at a high level, and who can
communicate effectively and work collaboratively
with teams located in their office or globally. In
this hyperconnected world of computers and
things, average is over because companies can
get excellent software, cheap automation, and
cheap skills from countries with very low labor
cost.
9. Surviving Advancing Information
Technology and Globalization
• Global competition with the earth’s best and
brightest is a reality that is not going away
soon, if at all. They are working at the difficult
task of adaptation to change also so our only
resolve is to face the challenge joyfully.
Reading, writing, and arithmetic are important
but so is multilingual literacy. Without it we
cannot collaborate globally.
10. • Creativity cannot really be taught but it can be
absorbed through exposure and by example.
At minimum we must acknowledge the value
of creativity and change and not be fearful of
it.
11. • Each of us needs to have or develop a backup
set of skills or expertise because it’s unlikely
that any knowledge or skill will last one’s
entire life. Besides, a backup skill can serve as
a wonderful complement to our primary skill.
12. • As an additional corollary to adaptability, we
need to remain flexible. Making hasty and bad
major decisions takes away flexibility.
13. • Self learning will remain a critical skill in this
age of rapid change. We may not be able to
count on school systems to impart this
knowledge so the family may need to fill this
need. At worst, we can develop the ability to
learn how to learn by ourselves through
studied research and ardent application.
14. • Be prepared to read then read some more.
Adding the ability to read and speak another
language is more useful still. If we can
communicate, we can collaborate. Reading
allows us all to stay on top of an ever changing
world. Those who remain unaware of these
changes will be running blind.
• Good luck! Judson Singer
