University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Flat, Fluid, and Fast
Book

Flat, Fluid, and Fast

Harness the Talent Mobility Revolution to Drive Employee Engagement, Accelerate Innovation, and Unleash Growth

Brynne Kennedy
McGraw-Hill, 2019
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples
  • Insider's Take

Recommendation

Today’s workers demand mobility across borders and divisions and in how they use their time. Brynne Kennedy, founder of Topia, a business-trend consulting firm, says that any business can become flatter, more fluid and faster with careful planning. Kennedy’s road map for change management rests on three pillars: a talent marketplace, a global management system and continuous learning. Though she wrote her book before the coronavirus shutdowns, it is a comprehensive guide to worker mobility and contemporary preferences. Your workers are on the move. It’s time to move with them.

Summary

Workers in the 21st century change careers as often as 20th-century workers changed job titles.

Millennials want mobility, flexibility, recognition of their skills, fair compensation and benefits that match their contributions to achieving their employer’s objectives. They want to reinvent themselves and constantly learn. To remain competitive, companies must adapt and change with millennial expectations. They must become “flat, fluid and fast,” or “F3 Companies.” Such firms help reinvigorate their local economies as they address 21st-century challenges.

Consider four ways to classify employee movement:

  • Full-time employees (FTEs) – These workers have traditional jobs with the usual benefits.
  • Contractors – These workers perform specific, fixed-term work. In the United States, they are called “1099 workers” after their tax designation.
  • Freelancers – These workers do high-value, specific work. Companies hire them on demand, and they often work remotely. 
  • Gig workers – These workers come and go. Companies hire...

About the Author

Topia founder Brynne Kennedy is a member of TechNet, a network of business leaders who work to promote the growth of innovation. Based in California, she is a 2020 candidate for Congress.

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