For better and for worse

Not that long ago, I mentioned that the company downsizing I (almost) survived, had the specialists at the company dropping like flies. Now it seems, I can't go on any forum without getting further examples of specialist firing squads in action.

Derivatives were the domain of a few specialists. This is now seen as a big mistake. Other examples have shown up in education, wall street, CEO's, and just about every nook and cranny of the economy.

My example was a photo lab, and my advise was for specialists to watch their back. Since then I have heard job hunters (like myself), feel better, or worse, depending on their ability to cover more job descriptions. I am a specialist, so I'm feeling worse right now.

But the point I'd like to make is that I was not a specialist until recently. I absorbed most every department in the photo end of the business, and then the photo end itself dropped off a cliff.

A similar event is bound to happen with the electronic records for health care, in whatever shape it comes out of Congress. Every part of the computer systems will become obsolete on a continuous basis.

So, what to do? Say that in a recession, you don't raise taxes, update the new technology, or downsize for fear of unemployment? Take the position that you will only do things that create jobs, even though that is un-sustainable?

The answer to turning around an economy is the most nimble part of the economy you can find. In years gone by, small business was the key, but the very bulk, and low profit margins, make this option less promising than it used to be.

We are left with the fastest thing around, new technology, to dig us deeper, as well as to dig us out of this mess.

Oh, and do try to keep up with cross-training (just my personal advice).