The Most Valuable Employees in the New Economy

In this new economy, what it takes to be a valuable employee has changed. By new economy, I am referring to the digital economy; the economy of disruption. Traditional industries are crumbling or undergoing massive reinvention. See Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods, and just wait for the industry trickle-down effect.

At an employee level, this new economy has forced siloes to come down at the most successful companies. For example, Marketing not talking to Sales isn't sustainable anymore because the buying cycle has changed in fundamental ways. See the "Zero Moment of Truth." Sales has to pay attention to Marketing because it's so core to their effectiveness. A charming knowledgeable salesperson is not enough because prospective buyers insist on doing so much upfront research and legwork on their own, online.

Employees who don't add significant value in multiple functions across their organization have become replaceable (note: when oil goes below $50/barrel it turns out that everyone is replaceable). It's no longer enough just to be a great brand marketer, for instance. The truly in-demand candidates in the new economy will be...drumroll...

Problem-solvers who can think in real time. Specific job titles will become less and less relevant.

The disruption economy means that business is moving and changing at a significantly faster pace than it did even just 10 years ago. A frenetic pace of business is becoming the new normal. So, what does this new speed have to do with expectations on employees? The ability to think on your feet and change direction to fill your organization’s needs is what will bring the most value. Those who get frazzled by having their to-do list wrecked by 10 a.m. will find themselves increasingly unable to adapt. This is not to say that employees who value a prioritized plan will be outdated; it is only to say that these plans must be held very loosely.

The A-level employees who I think will be at a distinct advantage in the new economy will be those with heads halfway up all the time: as they work on their current project or deliverable, they will always see the broader context and business objectives at play within the organization. Those with the emotional intelligence to understand deeply that even though the current project feels like their baby, it is likely not the most important to everyone (including leadership of the enterprise). Thus, they will see organizational needs in other areas, and step up.

Folks who insist on perfection or a very clearly defined role will have a hard time keeping up with this new economy (except in certain scenarios where anything less than perfection will not cut it). Effective employees must embrace the concept of minimally viable product in this age of economic uncertainty and rapid pace and change.

A spirit of "let's try this," of experimentation, of iteration, is often built into the DNA of the most successful tech companies. Think about Google's “20% time” policy which, while in effect in Google’s earlier years, was all about employees following their curiosities -- and led to Gmail's creation. Or think about local tech standout Blinds.com, which was acquired by retail giant Home Depot in 2014. Beyond their revenue, it was their culture, underpinned by fearless experimentation, that drew Home Depot's interest. These organizations succeeded with employees who embraced expectations of innovation, thinking on their feet, and adapting to changing needs of their organizations as they grew.

So the key takeaway to employees daring to be great: embrace the speed and learn to work with it.