Yes, that distinction is now clear to me. Not everyone wants to be an executive or president of a company or a nation. An engineer who does his/her best job will be affected by executive decision to keep the fab in house or outsource it. A president may give incentives to companies to do business on foreign soil. While there are no “owed” jobs we all want the American Dream. Grove’s tips are so obvious to me that maybe they are addressing college students, because after you start working for an industry you will know them painfully well.
Parser, Paranoia as defined by Andrew Grove should not be equated with unwarranted fear. It isn't asking people to live a life governed by panic scenarios conjured up by the mind. It is asking us all to confront the reality of life whether it as business leaders or employees. This distinction is important. I have heard Intel leaders repeat Grove's statement over the years and I believe they live by the constant awareness that the industry owes them no dues and that they will win only by bringing the best products to the market at the most competitive price.
I interviewed a senior manufacturing executive at Freescale Semiconductor once who informed me that his job was only as safe as the savings and efficiencies he could engineer for the company.At a time of increased outsourcing and the adoption of fabless-model by semiconductor companies, the Freescale executive's job rested on his ability to prove that manufacturing should stay in house.
The same applies to the rest of us. My job depends on the success I can deliver to the company and my employment is -- as they say in the field -- "at will" on both sides.
If anything, these are more relevant than ever. The idea that you are "owed" a job comes up more and more as college graduates can't find the career they feel they were groomed for. Taking responsibility is something else that is no longer in vogue ("It's China's fault"). Grove's tips absolutely stand the test of time.
I would compare business paranoia to adrenaline addicts. People who volunteer to be medics (emergency doctors), police or professional solders are all seekers of action, which keeps them satisfied. The adrenaline is a potent drug and it is produced free of charge by our brain. These people crave the action, but for majority of the population it is a state of fear and uncertainty, very unpleasant state. Business paranoia might be good to very few of us and it is a source of miscalculated decisions based on fear. Fear and emotions are not logical weighted moves.
Tips for workers faced with job cuts are misdirected. When I am alone out of job it is truly obvious to me that everything depends on me. Tell a fat person “you are fat” unless you want to offend that person. You may say, “how about exercise today” or “let us eat less for the lunch”. Saying obvious things is an affront. An unemployed worker needs to be told about glamour of being on his/her own. Number 1 can be rephrased to: You can choose your carrier, 2: Do what you like the most, 3: No more unreliable co-workers, 4: Your competition is diluted in the crowed, 5: You have complete freedom on timing of your moves, 6: You are going to succeed
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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