The American Transition Recession began at the beginning of the 21st Century. Two very important questions must be asked: Are our next generation of leaders prepared to not only confront the economic and social traumas evolving as they grow up? And, are they studying to know how to think wisely, critically, and unselfishly? As a former adjunct professor of management in MBA programs, and as a professional management sensei, I am truly concerned by what I see are systemic human deficits in organizations. I would add that this includes my observations of young and mid-age professionals in small to large corporations. In addition, have you noticed how many of the immigrants coming to America want to start their own businesses, while most young Americans seem content to work for someone else? In fact, America is looking at offering “start-up Visas” to potential immigrants, so they can come to America to start businesses. That point is obviously a topic unto itself. A related issue is in how too few young Americans want to work as hard as their Baby Boomer parents. Understandably, life as a latch-key child isn’t traditional, but not too dissimilar to earlier periods in history. Nonetheless, employment demographics, tax revenue, and future support for social security/pension vested retirees, are totally dependent upon how well multi-skilled and diligently people work. Simply working harder won’t be enough and not necessarily the right stuff to successfully close-out 2020.
It has been cited by writers of articles, books, and blogs, that our organizations are at war, internally and externally. Over what? They want and need to gain access to top-notch staff members, called “talent.” Yet, I have also read and witnessed the quiet dismissal of very talented individuals due to forced budgetary restructuring. So, enough of the niceties and let’s dive into some of the real concerns being swept under the rug or out the door.
Despite the claims we are short on talent in organizations, I personally do not believe that is true. We are short on people with preferred degrees, from preferred schools, but who are not void of effective talent. Yet, organizations, for-profits thru educational institutions damage themselves with nauseating biases and parochial standards. We must remember that the best do not always rise to the top. Sometimes its the best “politicians,” and not the best tacticians, strategists, creatives nor just plain hard workers, who ascend beyond their abilities. Education, or where you went to school can matter. But, education is only one, traditional path upwards in organizations. Aspirations, showing up at the right place and time, aka luck, plus ambitions can play a role for the undaunted, regardless of their backgrounds.
Let’s look at Education’s Role During the Transition Recession
First, it takes substantial money to gain an extraordinary education, and unless you come from wealth, your only means to a socially and productive future, requires a formal training experience and/or a long and expensive college education. It is the expensive part that will determine how this Transition Recession or TR evolves to the benefit of aspirants of successful lives. Where will the money come from and how will educational institutions reshape themselves to make an education affordable and relevant for our future leaders?
Personally, I would like for all colleges and universities to become far more rigorous in creating learning environments, especially for leaders in all fields. In my opinion colleges, especially business programs, are teaching to the past.
Second, Our age 1 thru 12th grade schools should ponder several major options for helping people who are serving parental roles and the direct educational experiences of children in public education, including Charter Schools. I suggest the following changes be secured by 2020:
A. Quit trying to reform schools systems, etc. every five or so years, and simply remake them from the ground up. Schools should become 7-to-7 learning institutions; B. The curriculum in presently designed high schools adds courses normally deferred to community colleges and high schools and compress their current programming downward throughout the middle school grade levels; C. Public education fully abdicates its role as the keeper of the agricultural era flame and advances into educating youth-thru-young adults to live and work in global/urban life settings. This will include learning two world languages beyond already expected English and Spanish; D. Reading instruction will be improved and increased; E. All students will receive a beginner computer, closed to the internet until age 7; F. All students will receive an electronic reading device (today it could be a Kindle), for reading books, articles, maps, etc. about topics and stories from around the world; G. All students will have world intercultural experiences with a minimum of twenty cultures by age 12, extending to thirty-five or 40 by age 18. These experiences will include submersion into diverse cultural topics, histories, politics, geographies, life-systems, etc. H. Parents, teachers and communities continually encourage students to Aspire, Learn, Contribute, Develop and Compete. We need to remember that it is their future and their goals and not ours to fulfill through them.
This ends the first part of our outlook for The American Transition Recession–2000–2020
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We truly appreciate your visiting our blog. For the team: Thank you, Michael M. Norman, ED.D.
To be continued.
Good post Mike. I like the last paragraph the best. You may want to send this on the John Moravec. Fits his area of work very well.