Freidman continues in chapter 6 called the “Untouchables”, starting off by talking about the how we may be dealing with someone in India for one thing, someone form China for another and then dealing with someone in England for another type of business or transaction. You may start with one country and before the process is complete you will deal with multiple countries. The true challenge for Americans is to figure out what their are abilities to provide services and products that are needed by any given company. If you can do that and adapt in a changing environment you will survive and thrive.
The modern day untouchables will be the people who are “really special or specialized”. These include celebrities, famous scientists, and cancer researcher. The have a worldwide market for their skill or service. Others include jobs or services that must be performed in the local area, such as plumbers, electricians, sales clerks, waitresses etc. We as Americans need to look at the different areas that are being outsourced and see how we can retrain or evolve in our present positions to become a valuable resource.
One area that has been overlooked it when you need someone who can explain a difficult problem to work out and get others involved in the problem solving process. There are many people in business today who are brilliant but cannot explain what they are trying to do or get anyone involved in the process. This is where the “explainers” come in handy. They can take a problem and break it down so that all involved in the process are on the same page. That is a real talent and not easily learned. It is an intuitive type of job.
One of the things Friedman talks about is making our kids today be more well rounded students. By learning to interact, play and work with others that makes them more marketable. The piece he wrote about the Georgia Tech students having to be more well rounded was very interesting. He uses examples of the kids working together in band or other team activities to foster the importance of working together. The examples he used were very interesting.
Once again, he keeps you on your toes and wanting to see what the “rest of the story” is all about.
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2 comments:
I agree Cheryl. We need to all open our eyes and see what is going on and take the necessary steps to prepare ourselves and our children for what is to come. I don't believe there is much that we can do to stop it but believe as with anything else in life, we must be prepared. I am not ashamed to admit, I am currently not prepared for what is coming. As a parent, that freaks me out! This book and this class have been a huge eye opener. I am learning things here that will help me prepare. My company has opened offices in India and is thinking about China. For me, all of this is very real...it will not be long before it directly affects me and my family. Luckily, I am much more knowledgeable than I was 4 weeks ago!;0)
Good work, full credit for this post.
:) Kelly
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