A national magazine recently asked me to comment on changes we see in today's marketplace.  Specifically, they asked me to define the word 'Reinvention' as it applies to career change.

Interestingly, 'Reinvention' is a word that leads a person to believe that it is possible to create a completely new you.  I do not believe that is possible.  We are to think and act in certain ways.  As we grow and learn, we can temper our natural tendencies and refine our instinctual reaction to the world around but fundamentally, the way we think remains constant.

So want does 'reinvention' really mean when applied to career change?  Reinvention means recognizing the new corporate realities then changing our self-image and belief system to reflect the new reality. 

The single largest change in corporate reality is the destruction of the concept of 'tenure'.  Forty years ago, the average manager or higher level employee survived 28 years before retiring, quitting or moving on - often with a pension.  Today, the average manager or higher level employee survives 3.7 years and is given no long term benefits.  That is a significant change in our reality.  Recognizing that reality requires we change our belief system regarding the corporate/employee relationship and, in essence, reinvent ourselves.

Today, chances are exceptionally high that you will not be an 'employee for life' with a company.  You are going to be many things during your life and will have many 'careers'.  The old way of defining our self no longer works.  We can no longer say, 'I am going to be an IBM employee' and leave it at that.  Today, the first step in reinventing ourselves is to recognize that we are ALL entrepreneurs.  You are an independent contractor who is selling your time, expertise, and efforts to a company.  Once the need for your skills is finished, it will be time to move on.

In many ways this is the same lesson that we learned when we read 'Who Moved My Cheese'.  Keep your running shoes around your neck and get ready to find the next pile of cheese.  To some this is scary.  To others it is liberating.  We are no long trapped by what we have done in the past.  Today, we can reinvent our self and have fun doing it.

John Maxwell said - "Change is inevitable. Growth is optional".  Reinvention is about listening to what nature is showing us and reacting in a way that shows we are learning and growing.   

Do you agree?  Disagree?  Please share your thoughts at  -  Click Here

Respectfully, 

The Franchise Business Index (FBI), an index of the economic health of the franchising industry, increased by 0.2 percent in April, boosted by improvements in employment and sales in franchise-intensive industries, the International Franchise Association announced today. The index rose to 109.6 (Jan 2000=100), up 1.7 percent compared with April 2012. This was the fifth consecutive monthly increase in the index.

"Franchise business continue to create jobs and demonstrate that the franchise business model remains the best and most proven vehicle to quickly grow and scale a small business," said Steve Caldeira, IFA president & CEO. "While we are pleased the index grew for the fifth consecutive month, we remain concerned about the overall rate of growth in both new business formation and job creation. We believe comprehensive tax reform that eases the burden on small business owners by lowering the effective tax rate is essential to strong job and wage growth for all Americans."

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