If you were living in the 1700’s in the United States, you’d want to know how to farm, because most of the jobs were in farming. If you were living in the 1800’s, you’d want to know how to work on a railroad, or factory, because many new jobs were related to mass production.
Now, in the 21st century, many companies have closed down their factories in the United States and set them up in China or other countries. It’s possible to run your own farm, but it’s hard because you’re competing against gigantic farms worldwide.
To understand your opportunities in the 21st century, you need to understand how the economy has changed. You also need to understand the word “capital.” Capital does not refer to a state capital like Tallahassee, Florida. In the business world, “Capital” means something of value that you can use to make money. So for example, in the 1800’s a factory was an important type of capital because a factory could make you money. But today, in the 21st century, just having a factory won’t make you money because anyone can open a similar factory in China or another low-cost country. Even if you could get a factory job, you’d get paid almost nothing because there are billions of people on the planet who can do the job cheaply.
In the 21st century, the kind of capital you need is called “Human Capital.” Human capital is the value that you bring to a job from the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired.
If you build your Human Capital, you’ll know how to figure out which kind of factories could still make you money; you’ll know who to talk to get support for your ideas and when; you’ll know how to lead and manage a team of people even if half of them don’t like you; you’ll be able to bounce back from challenges and adapt to new situations. If you build your human capital, you won’t need a factory job because you will be more powerful than the factory.
You can build some Human Capital from doing your homework and working on your GPA. But if you really want to build your Human Capital, you will want to focus on what I call The Alternative GPA™. The Alternative GPA™ measures your Human Capital in three key areas that don’t have much to do with your grades:
Solution Capital: Your ability to solve problems.
Social Capital: Your ability to create a powerful network.
Awareness Capital: Your ability to understand and develop yourself.
The bad news is that many schools are still set up like factories and will not teach you how to increase your Alternative GPA™ – this means you will have to develop much of your Human Capital outside of school.
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i think what you say is very important in a high school student’s life (like myself) b/c we are trying hard to figure out what to do right after we graduate.(: i have thought much about what to do, i want a career not a job! i don’t think i’m good at any specific subeject right now, but i am trying to improve. Thank You very much for your time -Jaquie
Thanks, Jaquie, one of the cool things about taking a Human Capital approach is that even if you don’t know exactly what you want to do, you can find ways to increase your Solution, Adaptability, Social, and Awareness Capital. It’s like you’re a snowboarder and you don’t know which hill to snowboard on, but you can still work on your balance, agility, and strength so regardless of which hill you choose, you’ll soar.
My district has targeted 21st century goals as one of its board goals, but I am not certain how that has filtered down to my level. I am really trying to get kids to think critically about their world and help them develop skills that can transalte into a job and career in ten to fifteen years.
Mawi! I’m so glad you posted this.
I am presently developing an after-school program called The SWT Connect. It is a principles-based curriculum that spends 90+ mins each day looking at things like: Discipline, Integrity, Communication, Relationships, Contribution, Velocity, etc. Cultivating human capital is what I do as a Social Architect. It is such a beautiful reminder to have people like you managing this conversation in a big way. Thank you.
Hi Mawi,
Just got involved in an elementary school teaching the parents of the students (an Adult ELL Program.) It’s a Pilot Program of sorts here in NOVA. We are hoping to have a very positive impact on the surrounding community. Some of your blogs may be useful. Bless you.
You’re making good sense, Mawi – but I’d like to read the next chapter! Aunt Betty
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