#FutureOfWork Skills: Autonomy

12.30.2020

“I always see her sitting there, like, reading The New York Times.”

— Anonymous disdainful office worker, Chicago, 2013

I’ll never forget this damning character takedown I heard passed between colleagues on a Chicago subway platform seven years ago.

I was a few months into my first job, and lulled by the fluorescent overhead lights in a cavernous industrial chic office space and the temporary lull in my group at the agency where I worked, I would often pass the hours of 3-6 PM alternating between Facebook and picking at my manicure. 

The New York Times? I thought, feeling shamed. What a productive use of down time!

(At least I kept my lesser hobbies hidden with an Excel sheet on my monitor for passersby, and Facebook obstructed by my body on my laptop—I’m no fool).

Reader, I know you’ve been in my shoes.

The average employee has three productive hours in a day.

It might feel like more, with all the busy work and communication—but that’s hardly the stuff to keep you switched on and excited about what you do.

High-performing people need novelty, challenge & reward.

Which is why I’m so excited about flexibility as a major feature in the ‘future of work’ that’s already upon us.

With greater control over our location and hours, autonomy is quickly becoming an essential skill.

I’ve written about it before. When you are autonomous:

— You conceive of yourself as a service provider, rather than an employee. (Even if you’re on payroll). 

— You transcend the bullet point list of a job description; you know the value exchange between you + an employer is bigger than that.

— You’re always playing the field and making new contacts.

— You’re skilled at connecting with opportunities that inspire you: podcast interviews, presentations, consulting gigs, charity events...

— You rarely get bored because you realize there is no limit to all the interesting things you can do.

Know your value

If you’re over work day boredom, I challenge you to think about your true value. It’s not optimising click funnels, writing pitch decks or leading sales calls. 

It’s solving problems.

— “As a marketing strategist, I help companies tell compelling stories and create true fans.”

— “As a senior backend engineer, I help young startups scale by creating data architectures that grow with their users.”

— “As a customer support director, I help companies create cultures of caring that build brand affinity with every support ticket.”

From that perspective, what do you do? 

And what more can it do for you?