The whole world has gone green. San Francisco, Portland, Austin, Denver, Berkley are just a few of the cities working hard to pass initiatives and ordinances that reduce their cities carbon footprint. The ball that is the green movement has been rolling for nearly 30 years and has finally gained the momentum it needed to explode over the last few years thanks to some early adopters and one hell of a salesman--yes--Al Gore.
Albeit it took many supporters of this "movement"--but think back a few years ago. Before the hype of Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth", when had you really seen so many commercials for SUV HYBRIDS?! When's the last time NBC had "green month"?! You have to love this green corporate rally that educates the world on green ideas--so that now all of the sudden everyone can apply to their daily lives. You have to appreciate the President's message a couple years back that those environmental impact reports from NASA were all a bunch of lies...but now recently he's publicly stated our need to solve the world's environmental problems? Seeing how politicians and businesses alike go into "reactive mode" really makes you appreciate the gluttonous indulgence in America's latest fad.
Now, I enjoy being an optimist in all situations, however, I like to think of myself as an optimistic realist. If that could even exist! Anyway, I totally agree with taking action to limit our environmental impact--but I also agree with EDUCATION (and proactivity) of our culture so that alternative impacts don't replace the old ones. Educate people to think outside their bubbles and you create efficient thinkers and doers. Neglect to provide this education and you create long-run economic loss, negative cultural impacts, and ultimately you setup people to perpetually take advantage of causes such as the green movement. So really, how can you blame those who try to make money from others going green? You reap what you sow.
Hey, but at least we can expect another book from Malcolm Gladwell in the next few years. I'm sure he's salivating over all this stuff.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
The Demand for Talent: Looking To Generation Y
In the latest issue of the AEC marketing industry publication Marketer, editor Randle Pollock states a shift in demand for talent in the industry. He quotes a few sources / surveys that show the following items:
40% of employers worldwide are having difficulty filling positions due to the lack of suitable talent (Manpower, Inc.)
The shortage of skilled workers will exceed 10 million by 2010 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
The shortage of skilled professionals will become more acute by 2011 at every level of the architecture field (American Institute of Architects)
78% of firms will need to turn away work by 2012 due to major workforce gaps (ACE Mentor Program)
I believe that all of these facts are genuine and should be adequately considered within business operations and structures—however there is a missing piece to this puzzle which I believe is just as important: the youth of the industry.
The facts are electric. Everyone is talking about a talent drought. With a record amount of our population (baby-boomers) on the tail end of their careers and ripe for retirement, who will fill the shoes of these high-level employees?
There’s another fact that is electric. Generation Y marketers in this industry are smart, energetic, driven, independent, and technologically-savvy. We multi-task, we learn quickly, we make mistakes, we learn from these mistakes and we’re tenacious about success. We don’t want money or glory like 80% of baby-booming management thinks—we want responsibility and opportunity to become a part of something greater. We love our work-life balance and we love what we do. As we’ve been taught since birth, anything is possible.
Now, I may just be speaking for a selected few workers (ranging from 22-29) but I sure know I speak for myself. I’ve found what I like to do and I tend to think I do it well. I am a hard-worker and have learned a lot in the past 2 years. I keep myself humble by listening, asking questions, keeping an open mind and always knowing there’s more to learn—more to gain.
So, to those who say the talent pool is running dry—I recommend looking to younger staff to take on new opportunity and responsibilities. Groom and mentor the younger generations in the office—because really that’s all we want. Treat us right and we’ll bend in any direction for you in return.
I believe that this is the future for the rising demand in talent for the AEC industry and that there will be more and more 30-somethings being placed in corporate management and decision making roles in the next 5-10 years.
40% of employers worldwide are having difficulty filling positions due to the lack of suitable talent (Manpower, Inc.)
The shortage of skilled workers will exceed 10 million by 2010 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
The shortage of skilled professionals will become more acute by 2011 at every level of the architecture field (American Institute of Architects)
78% of firms will need to turn away work by 2012 due to major workforce gaps (ACE Mentor Program)
I believe that all of these facts are genuine and should be adequately considered within business operations and structures—however there is a missing piece to this puzzle which I believe is just as important: the youth of the industry.
The facts are electric. Everyone is talking about a talent drought. With a record amount of our population (baby-boomers) on the tail end of their careers and ripe for retirement, who will fill the shoes of these high-level employees?
There’s another fact that is electric. Generation Y marketers in this industry are smart, energetic, driven, independent, and technologically-savvy. We multi-task, we learn quickly, we make mistakes, we learn from these mistakes and we’re tenacious about success. We don’t want money or glory like 80% of baby-booming management thinks—we want responsibility and opportunity to become a part of something greater. We love our work-life balance and we love what we do. As we’ve been taught since birth, anything is possible.
Now, I may just be speaking for a selected few workers (ranging from 22-29) but I sure know I speak for myself. I’ve found what I like to do and I tend to think I do it well. I am a hard-worker and have learned a lot in the past 2 years. I keep myself humble by listening, asking questions, keeping an open mind and always knowing there’s more to learn—more to gain.
So, to those who say the talent pool is running dry—I recommend looking to younger staff to take on new opportunity and responsibilities. Groom and mentor the younger generations in the office—because really that’s all we want. Treat us right and we’ll bend in any direction for you in return.
I believe that this is the future for the rising demand in talent for the AEC industry and that there will be more and more 30-somethings being placed in corporate management and decision making roles in the next 5-10 years.
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