Week 10 - The Changing Concept of Career

Question 1

What are tri-sector leaders?

Answer 1

Tri-‐sector leadership is a holistic leadership approach that calls for businesses to involve all three sectors –business, government and nonprofit-‐ in their work.

Question 2

The need for tri-sector leaders

Answer 2

• Many of the world’s most difficult problems – resource scarcity, training future workforces, making healthcare affordable and accessible – require collaboration between government, business, and not-for-profit sectors
• Tri-sector leaders are individuals who are able to bridge the differences that separate the three sectors and thus develop more holistic and sustainable solutions
• The paths to tri-sector leaderships varies, some begin in government and then move into the private sector (e.g. Sheryl Sandberg) while others start in the not-for-profit sector prior to moving into government (Barack Obama)

Question 3

Characteristics of tri-sector leaders

Answer 3

• Balancing competing motives
• Acquiring transferable skills
• Developing contextual intelligence
• Forging an intellectual thread
• Building integrated networks
• Maintaining a prepared mind

Question 4

Balancing competing motives

(Characteristics of tri-sector leader)

Answer 4

• Have a strong desire to create ‘public value’, however, this is not at the expense of their on motives for wealth creation, power, and strong sense of mission
• Combine idealism (often found in the not-for-profit sector) and pragmatism (found in government and business) to serve a wide array of people

Question 5

Acquiring transferable skills

(Characteristics of tri-sector leader)

Answer 5

• In business one must use scare resource to exploit market opportunities
• Government must bring competing interest together to create regulatory environments that benefits the public
• Not-for-profit organisations have limited resources, focus on the long-term, and look for creative ways to further social good

Question 6

Developing contextual intelligence

(Characteristics of tri-sector leader)

Answer 6

• Not only able to see parallels between sectors but also accurately assess differences in context and translate across them

Question 7

Forging an intellectual thread

(Characteristics of tri-sector leader)

Answer 7

• Concentrate on a particular issue or theme overtime building subject matter expertise in the process
• Developing and applying an intellectual thread across sectors provides the ability to transcend limitations of sector-based thinking
• Over their career tri-sector leaders strengthen their intellectual thread via formal education, professional training, or research at a not-for-profit organisation
• An intellectual thread increases one’s credibility and capacity to cross and seamlessly integrate across sectors

Question 8

Building integrated networks

(Characteristics of tri-sector leader)

Answer 8

• Critical for any career, especially, a cross-sectorial one
• Integrated networks across sectors are used to convene project teams/think tanks to develop solutions for cross sectoral issues

Question 9

Maintaining a prepared mind

(Characteristics of tri-sector leader)

Answer 9

• Preparing financially to be in a position to take up positions that are financial less lucrative, at least in the short-term
• Comfortable deviating from traditional career paths when opportunities arise to extend one’s skills and experience across sectors
• Rather that focusing on a specific job or career, focus on a set of skills, capabilities, values, experiences, and impact one wants to have as a ‘frame of reference’

Question 10

Developing tri-sector leadership skills

Answer 10

Need to overcome systemic barriers across sectors

Necessary to take a life-cycle approach

• At the beginning of career:
  
  • Undertaking joint-degree programs (not purely technical ones)
  • Undergoing training and mentoring programs that incorporate cross-sector concerns
• Mid-career
  
  • Undertaking fellowships
  • Attending conferences where mentors (across sector) could be found
  • Media training and establishing connections with media
• Towards the end of career
  
  • Mentoring budding tri-sector leaders
  • Incorporating tri-sector leadership development and training as part of organisational succession planning

Question 11

Employer-employee compact (white-collar)

(Evolution of the employer-employee compact)

Answer 11

Traditional

• Stable
• Life-time employment and loyalty
• Predictable career trajectories
• Low employee turnover

Contemporary

• Rapid unpredictable change - volatile
• Employees encouraged to think as ‘free agents’ in charge of their own destiny and therefore, employability
• Winner take all mentality
• Lack of job security and performance-driven culture results in more adaptable and entrepreneurial employees
• However, the most adaptable and entrepreneurial talent constantly seek greener pastures elsewhere, making employee retention extremely difficult

Question 12

Strategies to develop an employer-employee compact as allies

Answer 12

Establishing a ‘Tour of Duty’:

• Entering into fixed-term (e.g. 4 years) projects with employer/employee with provision for discussion at mid-point of tour
• Purpose of relationship is stipulated at the forefront and each part is aware of expected benefits and when relationship will be terminated
• Although transactional in design, relationship must be based on trust and investment from both parties
• If done well, can act as an employee retention tool – reaching agreement on another ‘tour’

Important to construct personalised, mutually beneficial tours to truly be effective as a strategy of employment (for the employee) and recruitment (for the employer)

Engaging beyond the employer’s boundaries

• Networking, especially with those those are different to one has been found to significantly increase an individual’s ability to be creative and innovative
• Networks should be established both within the confinements of one’s current employment as well as beyond
• Compact should allow employees time to develop networks on ‘company time’ – in exchange, employee’s must leverage the network established for employer’s benefit
• Networks should include all stakeholders linked to employer and/or employee’s profession

When considering employment investigate whether network intelligence is a top priority of potential employers

Employer’s can attract highly networked individuals if network intelligence is valued and therefore supported

Becoming a part of alumni networks

• The purpose of the new compact is not to deliver lifetime loyalty in reciprocation for lifetime employment
• It is to build ‘lifelong affiliation’ through a network of allies (i.e. employers) – Can lead to future employment opportunities
• Can lead to new business opportunities or collaborators, especially across sectors (i.e. government, not-for-profit)
• Great source to expand one’s network and therefore, access to diverse information
• One should not become part of alumni networks purely for personal gain - need to approach it as a reciprocal relationship where both parties would benefit, even if there is a time lag