Great posting by Tammy Erickson in the HBR today on her predictions for 2010 Five changes in the way we work

I particulary agree with prediction 3 on the competition for discretionary effort, which I unashamedly reproduce here:

Engagement has been a hot topic in talent management circles for the past decade. But its benefits have focused primarily on attracting and retaining employees. Increasingly, managers’ focus will shift to competing for an employee’s discretionary energy — competing with other priorities in the employee’s life, including other options for work — but also competing against employees who are only “going through the motions.” More and more of the work in today’s economy cannot be done rotely — success requires a spark of extra effort, creativity, collaboration, and innovation.

Goes back to what I wrote about yesterday – the importance of creating a climate at work where people can be themselves!