linchpin. the new world of work.

introduction.

I have just started to read seth godin’s latest book ‘LINCHPIN Are you indispensable? How to drive your career and create a remarkable future’ and within a few paragraphs I am nodding, I am inspired and basically, hooked and I’m only on page one.  Godin is the international bestselling author of the popular Purple Cow, The Dip, All Marketers are Liars and Tribes (to name a few) which have changed the way business people (and people) think and act. He’s known as the most influential business blogger in the world… so yeah, he’s pretty up there.  So far I’ve found his latest book to be an inspiring, powerful, imperative read for everyone.

To start, here is a quick summary of the book (directly from the back cover):

There used to be two teams in every workplace: management and labour. Now there’s a third team: the linchpins. These people invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos. They figure out what to do when there’s no rule book. They love their work and pour their best selves into it. Linchpins are the essential building blocks of great organisations. And in today’s world, they get the best jobs and the most freedom.

Have you ever found a shortcut that others missed? Seen a new way to resolve a conflict? Made a connection with someone others couldn’t reach? Even once? Then you have what it takes to become indispensable. It’s time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map. Only you can do it – and you must.

Sound good? Were you thinking “yep that’s me” as you read that? Well baby, this book might just be your cup of tea.

the new world of work. thinking about your choice.

The book begins on how the world has changed and that we’re facing a revolution. Similar to the ideas of vaynerchuk in crush it, godin states there is an opportunity for you, for anyone, to choose to start making an indispensable contribution to something you care about.

Godin says this new world of work is due to the death of the factory. We have all become cogs in a well oiled manufactured, industrialised machine and it is to be no longer. This is creating the opportunity for people to bring their best self into the marketplace and be rewarded for it. There is also a chapter on Thinking about your choice – to face the fear and be different and carve out a path of your own. To be remarkable.
To understand all of this a bit better you will need to read the book, as godin explains everything clearly, provides excellent examples and goes into detail on the role of the factory, the opportunity of this revolution and why we need to become remarkable, more human and start thinking for ourselves.

a couple of thoughts…

These first two chapters really got me thinking. No wonder there are so many people feeling so undervalued, under appreciated and unsatisfied in the working world and just want out. I can totally relate – I’ve so been there. People work their butts off to perform and to please, but “management” is never happy or they just don’t seem to appreciate the fact you don’t fit the square hole they’re trying to squeeze you into. And they say it’s you who’s being difficult when really you are… a linchpin!

No surprise really that more and more people are deciding to build a new future for themselves by getting out and starting their own business in something they care about, with the hope to make enough money to pay the bills and eventually walk away from the daily grind of working in “the factory” completely. Unfortunately I found out the hard way that you can end up creating another “job” for yourself, in your own factory. Yet instead of having your own little labour force and machinery, it’s just you and you gotta do it all… and by hand! No wonder there is such a high failure rate for small business, especially during the first two to three years of the start up phase. I’m not saying not to do it, by all means, go for it, but really make sure you are not walking away from the money, for the money, and your new start up is something you want to be indispensable and remarkable at. You could be doing it for awhile…

next section. Indoctrination: how we got here.