Réussir dans le monde changeant du travail

Succeeding in the Changing World of Work

The world of work is changing dramatically. The kind of work you will do, the tools you will use, the form of management you will work under, the environment in which you will be employed, the people with whom you will interact—all are undergoing a pronounced transformation. Many of the changes in this dynamic workplace revolve around processing and communicating information. As a result, the most successful players in this new world of work will be those with highly developed communication skills. The following business trends illustrate the impor- tance of excellent communication skills:Flattened management hierarchies. To better compete and to reduce expenses, businesses have for years been trimming layers of management. This means that as a frontline employee, you will have fewer managers. You will be making decisions and communicating them to customers, to fellow employees, and to

• executives.

More participatory management. Gone are the days of command-and-control management. Now, even new employees like you will be expected to understand and contribute to the big picture. Improving productivity and profitability will

• be everyone’s job, not just management’s.

Increased emphasis on self-directed work groups and virtual teams. Businesses today are often run by cross-functional teams of peers. You can expect to work with a team in gathering information, finding and sharing solutions, implement- ing decisions, and managing conflict. You may even become part of a virtual team whose members are in remote locations and who communicate almost exclusively electronically. Good communication skills are extremely important in working together successfully in all team environments, especially if members

• do not meet face-to-face.

Heightened global competition. Because American companies are moving beyond local markets, you may be interacting with people from many cultures. As a successful business communicator, you will want to learn about other cul- tures. You will also need to develop intercultural skills including sensitivity, flex-

• ibility, patience, and tolerance.

Innovative communication technologies. E-mail, fax, instant messaging, text messaging, the Web, company intranets, audio- and videoconferencing, wikis, voice recognition—all these innovative technologies are reshaping the way we communicate at work, as illustrated in Figure 1.4. You can expect to be com- municating more often and more rapidly than ever before. Your writing and

• speaking skills will be showcased as never before.

New work environments. Mobile technologies and the desire for a better bal- ance between work and family have resulted in flexible working arrangements. You may become part of an increasing number of workers who are telecom- muters or virtual team members. Working as a telecommuter or virtual team member requires even more communication, because staying connected with the office or with one another means exchanging many messages. Another work environment trend is the movement toward open offices divided into small work cubicles. Working in cubicles requires new rules of office etiquette

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