Week 2 Application Assignment - Michael Saunders
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The document discusses the idea that individuals should think of themselves and their careers like a startup company in a state of "permanent beta", constantly learning new skills and evolving to adapt to changes. It connects this concept to organizational design principles from an article by Worley, asserting that organizations and individuals should focus on continuous learning over maintaining a single competitive advantage. Adopting a mindset of permanent change and lifelong learning is important at both the individual and organizational level to enable discovering new opportunities.
Week 2 Application Assignment - Michael Saunders
- 2. In his book the ―Start of Up of You,‖ LinkedIn Chairman Reid Hoffman, asserts that individuals should think of themselves and their careers metaphorically as start up companies—in other words as organizations. He put forth the idea of thinking of one‘s self as in ―Permanent Beta‖—meaning that one must always learn new skills in order to adapt to changing market realities.
- 3. Worley‘s thinking with respect to organizational design has applicability to individuals. Using the metaphor of one‘s self as a start up company in ―Permanent Beta‖ and then applying that thinking to the change principle outlined in Worley‘s article would be beneficial at the level of individual as well as organizational design.
- 4. ―What is needed is an organizational effectiveness model that is built on the assumption that continuous change is simply business as usual.‖ – Worley. Major organizations have reflected this principle in their core values. For example, Zappos Core Value 2: ―Embrace and Drive Change‖
- 5. Corollary to the change principle: There is no sustainable, long-term competitive advantage. ―Instead of seeking a single sustainable advantage, built-to-change companies must continually pursue a series of short- term competitive advantages.‖ – Worley Because of the change principle, a mindset of ―Permanent Beta‖ and the lifelong learning that goes with it is a must for discovering new competitive advantages.
- 6. ―Instead of ‗What do we do well?‘ … ‗What do we need to learn?‘‘; ‗How do our current capabilities need to evolve?‘; and ‗What new capabilities do we need to develop?‘‖ – Worley These questions are highly relevant not just at the organizational level, but also at the individual level. If the individuals in an organization were to adopt such principles, the whole of the organization would benefit.
- 7. Lifelong learning is as vital to organizations as it is to individuals. In many ways, this rationale provides the foundation for why I am in the USC MCM program.