Leadership is a valuable tool when things around seem to be out of sorts.  Knowing the successful trends and helping your company or volunteer organization keep up will give you strength in your career.  That is true whether you are looking work or wanting to move up in your workplace ... being savvy on business trends is your ticket to a positive career path. 

In an article at Talent Management, a site for HR managers, the article by Deborah Busser,partner at Essex Partners, titled "Five workplace trends" for 2012 gives us insight to some of the trends in the workplace. There is value in reading it and pondering how it affects you.  The primary points are:

1. Movement from management principles to leadership values.  "By engaging the workforce in a compelling shared vision and engaging their hearts as well as their minds, leaders can reap the best results."
2. A focus on workplace culture as a means to grow the business. "When a company is perceived to be one that really cares about its employees, it can prove to be a great PR or branding opportunity."
3. Diversity makes a comeback. "...companies need people inside their organizations who are representative of the people they are trying to reach outside."
4. Rise of virtual work relationships. "... greater amounts of information and expertise to be shared and leveraged, and employees are becoming known for who they know and can access, rather than how much time they log in the office. This will be particularly important as aging baby boomers stay in the workforce longer than planned, but demand more flexibility in where, when and how they work."
5. Organizations are getting flatter. "It used to be about “playing your positions,” but the new mindset is that everyone chips in and does what is needed."

Do you believe these apply in your career?  What are other trends you have observed?  Is there an area you believe is vital to career growth or new employment?

Looking forward to your answers...