I chose this class because I was interested in the effects technology had on our society. I did not realize just how wired our society is. Technology and the way we use it is not only a tool that we use to our advantage to learn and innovate, but it has changed how we communicate and interact. It constantly changes who we are. I did not just learn enough to pass this class, but I learned more about who we are as a society and what it means for our future. I learned how the world is changing and what it could look like in the next years to come. And I learned about the opportunities and potential available to everyone together and individually.
The first thing I learned was how different the world is than I thought it was. When I was reading Friedman’s descriptions of the flatteners I recognized most and remember being a part of a few that I experienced first hand. But there is a lot more to it than I expected. I did not realize how important the Berlin Wall was or that I was using workflow software without know it. I did not know how effective supply chains and insourcing was. It is hard to imagine that the entire world is flattening. As an American, I kind of just expect to go to WalMart and find everything I need right there. I did not consider the amount of innovation and collaboration it took just to get the products there. I think I got my first taste of how the flat the world was in early 2008. I somehow managed to win an auction for an iPhone on ebay for a hundred bucks. Most were going for about four hundred, but mine had a cracked screen and the buttons were broke so I got a good deal. When I put my flip phone in a box in the back of my closet I realized I would never be able to go back. We have to keep updating and downloading to be relevant and current with the world around us. The world becoming flat does not mean that it reached a certain point of globalization, but that it continues flattening everyday.
The second thing I learned is that, in order to be successful, it takes more than the skill to perform a job, but also the personality to create a job. Most people used to be employed based on their labor. Companies needed more bodies to complete a bigger job. Now, there are so many tools to create value in an idea that the thing on demand is a great mind to create a job in its own niche. The second half of Fireman’s book is about the type of people that are getting jobs and what the competition looks like now that the world is flat. A new strategy to consider to during my education is that passion and curiosity quotient is greater than intelligence quotient.
The third thing I learned is that there is unlimited potential for the amount of collaboration and innovation we can create in the world today. There are more and more ways to work together with people near and far to bring new ideas to life. There is also a new playing field that opens the door for even the individual to grab their own piece of the pie. In the past, it was more of a command and conquer system to provide the things you needed and wanted. By working together, we can actually provide more that then we need and include more people in the benefits.
Education is key. It is important to know how to use the tools of collaboration because we are working more and more with people over greater distances and with different backgrounds. You have to try to keep up with technology. Things change so fast. What you feel comfortable with right now will change soon and the new way of doing things is already deep into development without you even knowing. I will be coming out of this class with a broader world view and better understanding of how it works from entire countries down to each individual person.
No comments:
Post a Comment