Work

Yan Simard has been hosting an interesting conversation on the future of the corporate model, the knowledge society, and what will happen to those left behind. These are all themes that I’ve covered before, and Yan provides his own unique perspective, especially on The end of corporations. We are of different generations as well, so it’s good to get his point of view on this impending(?) change in the world of work.

I’m fairly certain that networks of micro-organisations are on the rise, and will challenge the corporate model. I’m not sure if the corporation will become suddenly extinct though, as most of our laws and business practises favour the corporation over the individual. Witness who legally owns the intellectual property (IP) produced by the employee [answer: the corporation]. It’s only in some universities that the knowledge worker maintains these rights. While workers may not own the IP, they will always own the "know-how". This intangible know-how is the real value of knowledge – being able to do something with it.

Some day, lawyers and corporations may realise that IP itself has minimal value – as most IP isn’t worth the effort to protect it. The command and control corporate model may be forced to change when shareholders really understand the fact that the valuation of their average corporation is getting to be upwards of 85% intangible assets. These intangibles are worthless without the know-how of knowledge workers. Therefore the actual value of the average corporation, without its people, is getting close to zero. So where would you put your money?

June sixth is my first anniversary of being a free agent – Jarche Consulting is one year old today.
Of course, a far more important anniversary is the 60th anniversary of D-Day. Given my own military background, I would be remiss in also remembering those brave soldiers in the 1st Canadian Infantry Division who continued to fight in Italy through 1944; sometimes known as the D-Day Dodgers. Here are two verses from the song "The D-Day Dodgers", sung to the tune of Lili Marlene:

We are the D-Day dodgers out here in Italy
Drinking all the vino, always on the spree,
We didn’t land with Eisenhower
So they think we’re just a shower.
For we’re the D-Day dodgers out here in Italy.

If you look around the mountains, in the wind and rain
You’ll find the scattered crosses, some which bear no name.
Heartbreak and toil and suffering gone,
The boys beneath them slumber on.
They are the D-Day dodgers who’ll stay in Italy.

God bless you all.

Rob Paterson talks about a new energy strategy, and our dependence on oil. His post specifically addresses the idea of energy self-sufficiency on Prince Edward Island. Rob cites Stephen Roach, on our oil economy:

In my view, the ?¢‚Ǩ?ìtrue?¢‚Ǩ¬ù shock probably comes with $50 oil. A sustained increase to that level for 3?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú6 months would represent a surge of more than 70% above the post-2000 average ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù on a par with fullblown oil shocks of the past. The recession call probably wouldn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t be too far behind in that instance.

Will increasing energy costs drive a boom in virtual work, virtual learning and virtual communities? Will it be the next oil crisis that finally proves John Chambers (CEO Cisco) correct with his often quoted statement that e-learning will make e-mail look like a rounding error? The Chinese demand for oil will ensure that we will continue to live in interesting times.

Rob Paterson, a very interesting person who writes some of the best articles in the blogosphere, talks about the end of work as we know it. This is a recurring theme for me, as I’ve worked in very large bureaucracies, dot coms, and a university. Basically, it’s getting easier to be a free agent. Rob sums up the advantage of hiring a free agent versus a corporate consultant:

This then raises the larger issue of the erosion of the corporate ownership of tools and processes. Even lowly me has an office equipped way beyond most corporate counterparts. We have not only 2 PCs but 2 iBooks, a La Cie backup and all the peripherals. I can produce documents and do research that only a few years ago would have taken several people. Now I can do it all at home or on the road. Talking about on the road: I am even spared Hotel costs. I have family houses where I can stay for free in all the major cities in Canada and in London and Amsterdam. If pushed, I could stay with friends in many other places. My clients get my full attention and they do not hire the big guy and then have all the work done by a kid. They get all of me.

The free agents that I work with all give real value for their fees. We all know that we are only as good as our last project, and that one bad referral could be the end of our business. We are all focused, but constantly exploring the peripheries, without office politics to distract us. Personally, I’m working twice as hard, for half as much, but when it’s my work for a valued client it’s really satisfying. However, I have more time to read and explore because my boss lets me.

When you engage a free agent there is no hype, no marketing mumbo jumbo about "leading edge technologies, providing enhanced human capital return on investment". We just solve problems, or do work that you don’t have the time or staff to do. You get our full attention, and we do ALL of the work. Not a bad deal.