Creating value, now that is something we as Americans know a thing or two about!
Say what you want about financial markets and creative manipulation of dollars and equity, or the collective elitism of certain areas of our country in regard to technology (see Silicon Valley), we Americans are really good at creating value. Keep this in mind moving forward, especially anyone who is thinking about a career change (can you hear me boomers?) young and old alike we have tremendous upside. And I mean in a really huge, positive way!
Let me tell you how much I love Time magazine, from the science tips to the feature articles, the political takes, health and science to the satire, Time rocks! From Rana Foroohar, âFrenemies: A Trade Storyâ, Fareed Zakaria, âThe Saudis Are Upset? Tough!â to the hilarity of Joel Stein, they all just get it completely done. However my newest favorite, this week anyway, is hands down Times Asian correspondent Michael Schuman and his article, âChina Makes Everything. Why Canât it Create Anything?â
I would like to say âway to go Mike!â
I have been sharing my views on baby boomers and the need to âtransitionâ into their collective 2nd or 3rd or maybe 4th career for almost three years now on my radio talk show âBoomers Rockâ. Quality of life boomer style is all about staying integrated and engaged, employed and connected, mentoring and giving back, it is a mindset that lends itself to helping our collective society, young and old, build and rebuild. This is what we as Americans are really good at, teamwork!
As my new favorite Mike writes about the economy, âthe U.S. growing at a sluggish 2.5% and Europe doing even worse, all eyes are on China as the worlds growth engineâ, the coffee is brewing and I can hear that knocking of opportunity, boomers listen up. China has its issues, and the global economy is still pretty flat, but this newest of terms, âreshoringâ is growing, and it is this plus other positives that make me excited.
âReshoring is the practice of bringing outsourced personnel and services back to the location from which they were originally offshored.â
I like to think of this period in time as the âgame onâ phase of economic growth, the opportunity for mentoring and giving back, which leads to improving our knowledge base is a massive occasion in the 21st century. As Mike wrote in the above mentioned Time article, âa recent KPMG (one of the largest professional services companies in the world) report, 37% of the technology executives surveyed believed that the U.S. holds the most promise for producing disruptive technologies over the next four yearsâ.
Americans create and think critically, that is what it takes to drive innovation!
I like to say through adversity grows opportunity, in the flattened globe bringing home jobs is such an upbeat movement that wasting this chance to set up our society for say the next fifty years appears to be within our reach. The re-tipping point, the point where the pendulum has swung back and forth twice is now upon us, and it is time to get excited and get involved in the solution. Baby Boomers now is not the time to think the dreaded R word (retirement), it is as I say on the talk show âwalk into the ReFirement zoneâ. Time to pick up our game!
Skills that demand education, culture change that demands teamwork, disruptive technologies that demand critical thinking and the cojones to make it happen, now driving the engine of opportunity is clearly here. The Chinese are good at copying, their students are good at test taking, and their population numbers are massive, but the cheap labor days in China are over, and they are afraid of failure, it’s in their DNA not to rock the boat. Frankly if you cannot dream the big vision, see the next great innovation, or invent the next technology then you can never lead.
We are leaders, and we need to step up our game because the entire world needs us to continue to be disruptive and find alternative ways to accomplish the impossible.
Tom Matt is the host of the daily radio talk show âBoomers Rockâ, heard on WGHN 1370 AM Saturday mornings at 9:00 in Grand Haven, Michigan. And syndicated on the Internet here at VoiceAmerica, and heard on the Spartan Sports network SSN/247.
This is where he brings experts in to discuss all issues that enhance our quality of life. He welcomes comments and feedback, on his site Boomers Rock , please join our family and change the world!
