Why shouldn't organizations resist the move towards change?
“Organizations will keep reshaping themselves shifting and flexing to fit our rapidly changing world. That is the only way they can hope to survive in this fiercely competitive environment. Look for the organizational model to restructure, outsource, downsize, subcontract and form new alliances.

“You need to know that resistance to change is almost always a dead-end street. The career opportunities come when you align immediately with new organizational needs and realities. When you’re light on your feet. When you show high capacity for adjustment. Organizations want people who adapt – fast – not those who resist or psychologically 'unplug.'

“Granted, change can be painful. When it damages careers, emotions such as grief, anger and depression come naturally, making it hard for people to 'buy in' and be productive. But being a quick-change artist can build your reputation, while resisting change can ruin it. Mobility, not mourning, makes you a valuable member of the group.”

Why is job commitment so important?
“Clients and customers want much better quality than before. They expect top-notch service, too, or they’ll take their business to your competitors. Speed is also essential, because people have gotten used to instant everything. Frankly, the only way your organization can even hope to compete is to employ high performance people.

“In times past, the most common solution to problems was just to hire more employees. Spend more money. But companies can’t afford that approach any more. Instead of simply throwing more people at problems, organizations now throw fewer. They have to do more – faster and better – with less. This calls for highly committed people.

How can company impress upon employees a sense of urgency?
“So many of the changes you see going on these days are designed to help organizations pick up speed. These are not casual moves or random acts dreamed up by bored and heartless top executives. What you’re witnessing are raw survival instincts at work. Organizations must accelerate, or they will die.

Why is continuous improvement so important?
“Nobody can afford to rest on a reputation anymore. Circumstances change too quickly. Competition gets tougher and more global all the time. What we consider 'good' today is seen as 'so-so' by tomorrow.

“Concentrating on outcomes will also keep you from falling in love with a particular methodology. Or, to put it another way, you’re less likely to waste time, energy and other resources on low-payoff work routines if your real passion is for reaching results. Our work processes are always cleanest when we design them to be solely in service of outcomes. So streamline your approach. Eliminate unnecessary steps. Get rid of tasks no one can justify. The more intent you are on achieving the targeted outcomes, the less tolerant you’ll be of clumsy or unnecessary work processes. The main reason business concepts like 're-engineering' and 'process improvement' enjoy such popularity today is because organizations are realizing how approach can interfere with outcomes. So do your part. Drive the organization directly toward the outcomes that count the most.”

How important are problem solvers in today's workforce?
“Problems are the natural offspring of change, so you’ll see plenty of them in the years to come. Build a name for yourself as a problem solver and you’ll be a valuable person to have around. Organizations need people who can take care of problems, not merely point them out.”

What can employees do to prepare for today's work environment?
“As organizations maneuver in an effort to cope with rapid change, some careers always get caught in the cracks. It’s unfortunate, but unavoidable. They accuse top management of 'breaking the psychological contract,' of change the rules. But it’s more accurate to say the organization is merely responding to a rule change called by the world.

“This means you should reframe your relationship with the organization. Put your faith in the future and in yourself. Embrace change and develop the work habits you need for job success in the Information Age.”