How to Paddle Your Own Canoe
"Approaching the future is like paddling a canoe down a river. There's whitewater ahead, uncertainty around the next bend and no turning back. Rather than clinging to the shore or backpaddling, furiously, the canoeist must go with the flow, reading the water ahead and responding with a skilled paddle." - Ruben Newlson, Canadian Futurist
How will you ensure you'll be able to stay in the mainstream and avoid going a-ground? If your canoe tips, can you right it and get back on course? Alertness and adaptability are keys to managing transition.
| 1. | Recognize changes going on in the workplace such as the introduction of technologies and the hiring of different kinds of workers. Notice what kinds of work are becoming redundant. Think how these changes might affect you. |
| 2. | Anticipate your employer's needs and ways you can fill them. Become a "value-added" employee - one your employer wouldn't let go. |
| 3. | Think like an entrepreneur - anticipate the needs of business and your community. Are there ways you could fill those needs as a contract employee or by running your own business? |
| 4. | Watch for and seize opportunities for upgrading and diversifying your work and professional skills. |
| 5. | Develop your job hunting skills, keep your resume up to date. Learn to market yourself. |