Jeff Bergosh Blog: Thomas Friedman to NSBA Conference 2014: The Flat World is Becoming Hyper-connected

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I am one member of a five person board. The opinions I express on this forum are mine only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Escambia County Staff, Administrators, Employees, or anyone else associated with Escambia County Florida. I am interested in establishing this blog as a means of additional transparency to the public, outreach to the community, and information dissemination to all who choose to look. Feedback is welcome, but because public participation is equally encouraged, appropriate language and decorum is mandatory. Although this is not my campaign site for re-election--sometimes campaign related information will be discussed, therefore in an abundance of caution I add the following : Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican, for Escambia County Commissioner District 1

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Thomas Friedman to NSBA Conference 2014: The Flat World is Becoming Hyper-connected

Thomas Friedman, the author of 2004's "The World is Flat" blew the NSBA general assembly away this morning with some keen insight and anecdotes about the way our planet is becoming not only flatter, but also hyper-connected with amazing technology, automation, and software.

He knows things are changing, but will we keep up?

These changing technologies will lead to great opportunities for creative entrepreneurs, but simultaneously these will lead to great challenges for workers, particularly those of average skill who do rote, repetitive tasks and who are paid well.

Friedman stated "high wage, average skill jobs will disappear and non-routine local jobs if not performed creatively are in jeopardy."

Friedman believes and stated that for these workers "Average is officially Over!"--meaning that lazy, under skilled, non-motivated workers will be left behind in the new world of high technology, automation, and outsourcing. "There is no bottom-level jobs that high school dropouts will be able to go to" he stated.

"Things are so incredibly different now than just a decade ago," Friedman remarked, that "Facebook didn't exist, big data was a rapper, skype was a typo, and the cloud was something in the sky!"

He boldly proclaimed his belief that the digital divide would be gone in a decade. "Everyone will be connected to the internet within a decade, via smartphone technology" he told the crowd. "They even installed wi-fi at the base of Mt. Everest!"

Friedman left the crowd of about 7500 with five key ideas, five key survival guides for workers in the coming decades:

1. Think like an immigrant-stay hungry for new opportunities.

2. Think like an artisan-take pride in your work such that it is worthy of your autograph, like a painter signs his work

3. Always be in BETA mode like the CEO of a Silicone Valley start-up. keep evolving, improving, and moving forward

4. Think like a parent, make good decisions

5. Be relentlessly entrepreneurial and learn how to leave your mark, your "positive" on anything that is within your power."