Different Colors for Different People

Gig mindsetters are finding ways to take ownership and "color" their own work experience

Photo by Thom Masat, Unsplash

The gig mindset I'm talking about refers to salaried people inside organizations whose attitudes and behaviors are similar to independent free-lancers. Although the term 'gig mindset' is new in this context, it has clearly struck a chord with people I've interviewed.

Gig mindset or traditional mindset or are you somewhere in between?

The more I talk to people about the gig mindset, the more I learn how people are shaping their futures in very different ways in our era of turbulence and challenges. Roles and practices are being challenged. Leadership is questioned. People are developing strategies and finding ways to take ownership and "color" their own work experience.

Some firsthand examples:

How has the gig mindset impacted you and your organization?

• "I began to see why some of the tensions had emerged in my work environment and saw ways I could handle them." (UK)

• "It made me continuously reinvent myself, work practice and output... I need to stay nimble and aware of external changes at the level of the sector I work for and my practice.  (UAE)

• "Provided opportunities to see more as possible rather than accept constraints which seek to maintain the status quo." (Australia)

• "It's a mindset of self-sufficiency that helps you to grow faster because you're not constrained by the professional development offerings of your employer."  (USA)

• "My organization allows the gig mindset within a certain tolerance band of investment and productivity. Ultimately it has to deliver business results. Credibility needs to be built for it to become a mainstream approach." (India)

• "The few of us who do operate from a gig mindset simply choose to ignore senior leaders focused on hierarchy. If we achieve the expected results then there is very little they can do to us." (UK)