Uncertainty & The Perfect Opportunity

In February I was able to attend and present at the ATP annual conference . A big area of discussion among speakers and attendees was globalization - opportunities for North American based associations to expand their professional certifications into new countries and the rapidly changing demographics of North American association membership bases. One message became abundantly clear - if you're not considering 'going global', 'global' is still coming to you. There is a clear need for all association bodies to adopt purposeful multicultural practices and approaches to serving their members even if they never plan to venture out of their own backyard.

ETS, a recognized expert in education assessment, analysis, research and policy studies, as produced a video and white paper detailing the affects of globalization and economic restructuring on education - "The Perfect Storm". Personally I find the doom-and-gloom theme of the video, well, gloomy (literally, shot in black and white with lots of umbrellas and rainy days). However, the discussions at ATP and the research themes ETS are detailing point to exciting new prospects in the world of professional certifications and education -- in fact, they may point to a whole new world to come for those ready to dive in and help create it.

The point being made by both ETS and at the ATP discussions is that a confluence of factors are ripening at the same point and time and the potential of this confluence is creating is huge. And, while ETS focuses more on how these factors are affecting the K-12 education system in the US, their data points are clearly equally compelling for associations with professional bodies of knowledge.

What are these factors?

1. The digital revolution. As DigitalNow states, "Web 2.0 and all that goes with it offers a freedom of choice that is changing the rules about the role associations play in our society." The model of associations making good information mass-available to members via a generic website, pdf documents, email blasts, etc. is quickly becoming obsolete.
2. The dissolution of geographic boundaries. As we mentioned in our February posting on the affect of the economic meltdown, the old mantra, 'what goes on in the home, stays in the home' as died. We are living on one fundamentally interconnected planet where opportunities and challenges in one nation represent opportunities and challenges for all. By virtue of factor #1, the boundaries of every association on the web are dramatically changing. Further, based on trends of professions on the move, even the location of US and Canadian citizens can no longer be assumed to be within our geographic boundaries.
3. The intersection of cultures. ETS states that the US Census Bureau predicts that in the coming decade foreign immigrants will account for more than one half of the US population growth. So while geographic boundaries are fading, the need for associations to be astute regarding cultural nuances and needs is increasing. This is one of the fundamental paradoxes of globalization.
4. Global job competition. When a certified professional seeks work in their profession they are no longer competing with people in their home geography or even their home country. The world, it seems, is now our oyster and our competition -- the anti of what it means to market oneself as a professional as been upped.

Clearly these factors indicate that if associations rest on tradition alone, reaching into the past to find ways of seizing the opportunities this confluence of change presents, they will be increasingly obsolete. And perhaps in some cases, this will be necessary -- evolve or perish will help sort the change agents of the new era from the inertia of the resistors.

However, unlike the doom and gloom theme of the ETS Perfect Storm video, I see signs of new thinking and passion for change everywhere and in coming posts I'll highlight some of these. To create new models every association doesn't need to be at the leading edge of change ... what we do need is a sufficient core of individuals who opt to think differently about their roles, organizations who dare to ask a few powerful new questions, and groups who try, fail and try again to come up with new models and processes to all contribute in their own unique way.

The real challenge it strikes me is to focus on this confluence of chaos as the ripe ground for creativity. And to create together. Because as the digital age is teaching us - we can grow, evolve and influence rapidly if we learn and connect around a collective mission. Professional associations have a key role to play in the evolution of our global workforce. How are you working with others in the certification, education or licensure profession to contribute?

We'd love to hear your stories ... post a response here or email us at info@globalproskills.com

Implications for associations of new developments in the global economy

What might the recent US mortgage-led economic crisis suggest for the future of professional associations?

Not so long ago people were commenting on how “globalization” had created a situation where multinational corporations could weather a downturn in the economy because their business in other countries was still doing well. They said that economies around the world were independent of each other, not integrated. Well, we have learned over the last year that it is not true. As it turns out, the degree of integration of economies around the world is quite fundamental. Given the US mortgage led economic bubble, many economies went up together and then came down together. In response central banks in countries around the world are working collaboratively to fund recovery. Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of Great Britain, has called for a brand new global financial system and regulations.

What we know from the past few years of economic growth is that people in every country want new opportunities for themselves and their families. We have seen a huge interest in education in all the key “emerging” economies. Whether it is in project management, human resource management, health care or accounting, obtaining marketable skills has become a recognized way for people around the world to prepare themselves to pursue a meaningful and lucrative career or advance their current employment situation. Recently at a conference in New York, I listened to one of the leading bankers in India say “in India we have a severe shortage of skilled people”.

Will the ripples of economic challenges and change prompt a greater demand for skilled professionals? There are certainly signs that a new form of principle-based regulation could demand a new level of professionalism. Do we hear a new opportunity for the more than 123,000 professional associations in the USA to evolve and expand what and how they provide professional education and certification?

Many young people look to the most association-rich country in world to obtain professional skills. For example, tens of thousands of people all over the world are signing up to take the US based Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification, and that is just one body of knowledge influencing the advancement of professional expertise across major markets such as India, China and the Middle East.

What impact do you think a new call for a more integrated set of rules for the global economy will have on the demand for well established education and certifications? What are the implications for the design and deployment of these programs? What key issues need to be addressed by association leaders?

What are your emerging ideas?

Welcome to the Global Professional Skills Blog

We know your time is precious and you’re looking for a blog that’s worth reading. Emerging Ideas is all about exploring new ways of thinking about professional education and certification. It’s not about advice or mainstream practices - this is the place GPS team members try to invoke a conversation about how we might advance the field of association learning. We’ll do our part to keep posts timely and engaging and we hope you — GPS clients, association leaders, professionals holding certifications, those seeking a certification and those hiring professionals — will do your part to push the conversation forward. Post your responses, write about your experiences, ask provocative questions. It takes an active community to evolve the way we think and perform … we hope you’ll join us!