the way to work.

In the 21st century, there will be only one--yours. Here are five basic rules for a plan that won't fail you, no matter what the future of the workplace may hold.

Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. --1 Cor. 3.13 KJV 

IT JUST DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS. IF YOU READ OUR most recent comprehensive look at the world of work (see "The Future is Now," February 2000), you know that the labor market is in top form and that job hoppers hold the lion's share of power to negotiate top-notch employment packages. While that's definitely news working folks can use, have you done any more than just read about this wonderful information? If not, you'll want to pay extra close attention.

Now is the best time to be working. But here's a news flash for you: if you're not taking full advantage of this buyer's market--that is, if you're working too hard in a too-small space for too little personal and financial reward--you're living beneath your professional privilege. Unless you take the steps to rectify your situation now, you'll be kissing more than just the 20th century good-bye.

On the following pages are five rules you must follow if you desire to gain professional power in the new millennium. Bead them. Study them. Incorporate them into your career strategy. But most important, act on them now. If you come away from this report with only one thought, let it be this: you have two choices. You can choose to control your career and assume full responsibility for getting the most out of it, or you can choose to perish in the new world of work. Now is the time to stop making excuses and get busy doing what you need to do to get to where you want to go professionally.

* PURSUE CONTINUING EDUCATION TO AVOID BECOMING OBSOLETE. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that through the year 2006, the highest paying occupations will require at least a bachelor's degree. But it's not enough to stop there. If you've had your degree--whether it's an associate's, bachelor's, master's or doctorate--for more than five years, your skills are already on the verge of antiquation. In order to avoid becoming "jobsolete," you'll need to get up to speed--and stay current with the ever-changing marketplace.

In this tight labor market, you'll be up against some of the most highly skilled, tech-savvy professionals to ever compete in the job search rat race, Increased global competition and the application of technology have virtually transformed entire industries and occupations, and the way work is carried out. If you don't stay on top of all of these changes--and how they affect what you do from day-to-day--you will be left out of the loop.

Therefore, take any opportunity to update your proficiency and increase your expertise. Go back to school and get an advanced degree. Earn a certificate through an online distance learning program. Take continuing education courses relevant to your field. Use your employer's on-site training and/or tuition reimbursement programs. Make a commitment to lifelong learning. You won't get along--or ahead--in your career without it.

* FIND YOUR MOTIVATION--AND STICK TO IT. Your personal motivation--the reason why you do what you do--will push you on happily when the excitement of your position inevitably wanes and when your colleagues work your nerves. But more important, that self-generated zeal will help you maintain two traits critical to success in your career: integrity and self-respect.

When you experience downtime," you may find operating like one of the 50% of workers who admit that they do just enough to keep their jobs. When that happens, especially if you have a manager who uses what Joshua Halberstam refers to as "the game show approach to management ... thinking that without payment, nothing would get done," you may be tempted to forget about what really pushes you to deliver excellence and fall prey to the money trap. Don't.

"Each time you bribe yourself to get to work, you chip away at your self-respect," writes Halberstam in his book Work: Making a Living and Making a Life (Perigee, $14). "These mind games are thin devices that don't address the core question of how seriously you take yourself and your responsibilities."

Knowing what drives you to perform on the job is important. Having the courage not to waver from it, however, is crucial. You'll work in many companies in several different positions throughout your career. And, naturally, your desire to carry out professional tasks will go through highs and lows. But you must never lose sight of your sense of purpose or sell it to the highest bidder. Your credibility as a professional maybe called into question if you do. And at the end of the day, your reputation is all you have.

* BRAND

YOURSELF. There are hundreds and thousands, if not millions, of people who do exactly what you do for a living. In addition, four out of five companies already make use of nontraditional, "contingent" staff--and that doesn't include part-time workers--to get their work, every day. So where will that leave you? In two words, invisible and unnecessary.

What is the point of refining your skills and updating your knowledge bank (Rule #1) if no one will ever know how talented and brilliant you are? The average worker holds nine jobs by the time he or she turns 32 years old, which is not surprising considering that the hot high-tech sector trades workers like cards in a game. With all that movement, you need to have a clearly recognizable identity that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Fail to actively promote yourself and your services, and you'll be at the mercy of your employer. Needless to say, that's not a good place to be. To: remain "sell-able," you must go beyond basic networking (see our three-part Powerplay series, June through August 2000, Making Connections) and make every effort to get your name and face in as many places as possible.

Make yourself so invaluable to your company that it would be hard-pressed to get along without you. Volunteer to chair a committee in your professional organization. Be ready, willing, and able to speak at schools, conferences, and charitable events. Get published (or quoted) in newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals. If you can get regional or national exposure on TV and/or radio, go for it. Even consider hiring your own publicist/image maker. Leave no self-marketing stone unturned.

* KNOW YOUR WORTH--AND WORK IT. In case you hadn't noticed, job security is virtually a thing of the past. Between January 1995 and December 1997 alone, one in 16 American workers found themselves displaced. That is to say they left or lost their jobs because their place of employment closed down, moved, wasn't supplying enough work, or eliminated their job function or shift. With the recent merger madness among major corporations and a tight labor market, companies are luring employees with promises of better opportunities. This trend is sure to continue well into the future.

This means you have the power to get the position, compensation, and benefits package you desire. But in order to leverage your worth to your best advantage, you first need to know what it is (see "Worth Your Weight," February 2000). Thanks to a new census year, you will have all of the newest information available to you to find out how much you should be getting paid for the function you perform. Websites such as www.wetfeet.com and www.salary.com give you immediate access to all of the information you need to negotiate the deal of your dreams.

Once you have this information--and up-to-date skills and a strong work ethic--to support you, use it to your advantage. Make your employer aware of what you are worth in your industry, and use it as leverage to get what you want. If the employer doesn't want to lose you, they will comply with your request. If they refuse, your research will have presented you with plenty of other avenues to pursue. You'll never have to take a position you dislike in a company you hate for a salary that you can't live with--or on--ever again.

* DON'T MAKE WORK YOUR LIFE. When was the last time you worked from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on a regular basis? New ways of working, such as telecommuting, combined with casual dress codes and more relaxed office environments, have effectively blurred the lines between the professional and the personal. According to the 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce, 55% of companies allowed employees to work from home occasionally, while 33% let staff work off-site on a regular basis. Working with less structure has left many professionals struggling to find the balance between work and personal/ family life.

Working to live--not living to work--is the only way to achieve this elusive balance. Yes, your career should provide you with a sense of personal satisfaction. But if you make it your No. 1 priority, you stand to gain more than you think--loads of stress, exhaustion, and burnout.

What are the best ways to avoid the strain? Set limits at work and have a life outside of the office. On the job, learn how to say "no" and stand firm when you are asked to take on more work or responsibilities than you can handle. Then, when you physically leave the office, mentally leave the work behind as well. At home, continue to develop your personal passions. Maintain a regular fitness routine and take care of your health. Keep up your friendships. Use your vacation time and personal days. If your company offers them, take advantage of sabbaticals and other extended leaves of absence. Even consider joining the contingency workforce as a free agent, so you have more control over your time.

The 21st century workplace promises to present a host of new opportunities, challenges, and ways of thinking, We've showed you how to face it head on and emerge victorious. Whether you do or not lies squarely in your hands.

tavis smiley 

president, the smiley group inc. on branding yourself

WHAT IS A BRAND? IT'S A trademark or distinctive name that identifies a product or manufacturer. Credibility is what distinguishes Brand Smiley. Big Momma always used to say to me, "You can do anything, but you can't do everything." When you're branding yourself, you need to find out what it is you can do better than most other people and then deliver it with quality. Every one of us has a mission in life, a role to play. To be successful, your brand must have a central theme. Brand Smiley focuses on elevating the quality of life for African Americans.

Branding yourself will allow you to attract other quality brands. At 35, I've worked hard to get to the point where major corporations want to work with [The Smiley Group]. Be very careful to brand only with companies that will advance your agenda. Start early, look at what others are doing and decide if that's the kind of company you want associated with your brand. Ask yourself: "Will this advance, protect, or compromise my credibility?" If it will weaken your brand, you've got to turn it down no matter how sweet the deal may look. Money isn't the most important thing all the time. Credibility is important, because it's all you have. Once my credibility is shot, my effectiveness is over.

No one wants to buy or deal with anything that they think is less than high quality. And because the marketplace is so competitive, everyone wants that value-added component. It's extremely important to brand yourself positively, but if you misstep or make a mistake that shatters what your brand stands for, all your work will be for naught. Without branding, your product--you--will get lost.

As host of BET Tonight With Tavis Smiley and political commentator on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, a radio program, Tavis Smiley focuses public attention on issues of importance to the African American community. Through these vehicles, he reaches 56 million households and 7 million listeners in 105 radio markets, respectively, every day. As an author of four books, an advocate, a political analyst, and a lecturer, Smiley himself is the only brand/product his Los Angeles-based firm offers.

shawn buchanan

president and ceo, all american meats inc. on intergenerational management

I FIND THAT IT'S EASIER FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO ADAPT AND CHANGE BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN driven in a certain direction. Older people may have a great deal of experience, but I think you have younger people leading companies right now because of their ability to adapt and change very quickly.

I have a few employees in their early 60s. They were mentors before I started the business. Now that I'm running it, I treat them as allies, as well as integral parts of the operation. It's very important to earn the respect of all those that you work with and who work for you. For example, the people in my organization know that I work 16 hours or more a day, every day, even Sundays. And because I also showed them that I wanted to learn their way of doing things in addition to applying more innovative ideas to the way we do business, I earned their respect.

My advice to those who have younger managers or bosses? Understand that even though they may be young and "in charge," they still need to maintain the same work ethic as someone older. They need all kinds of people--a mix of younger and older individuals on staff and in management positions--to make them and the operation grow and be successful.

Shawn Buchanan, 31, launched All American Meats Inc., a $15 million food-processing firm in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1996. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves out of high school and was later drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in his junior year at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. After graduation, he played for six years with the Chicago White Sox before retiring in 1996.

star jones

attorney/co-host, abc-tv's the view on reinventing yourself

REINVENTING YOURSELF REQUIRES THAT YOU KEEP AN OPEN MIND. YES, FIND OUT WHAT YOU'RE GOOD at [doing]. You have to. However, always keep your eyes open to other you can do. A career is ever-evolving; it's always moving, it's always changing.

Find out what other groups -- philanthropic organizations, for instance -- will support your future career endeavors, and volunteer in the area you want to be in next. Remember that: people first judge you by the way you took, so make it a point to look like you belong in that area. For example, when I was the assistant district attorney in Brooklyn, it was important for me to dress a certain way so that when I walked into the courtroom, I had an extremely commanding presence. That helped me to get the high-profile cases and get noticed for television. Investigate what you need to know about the next step, and find out what can make you stand out from everyone else, Then, play up those contrasts.

You should create your own niche. Develop something you can give people, something that they can't get anywhere else. We need to be more experimental, willing to try new things and not be so myopic as to think this is the only way. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean it's the only thing you are meant to do. In the 21st century, we as African Americans must learn how to harness and use our power so that we can compete.

Star Jones is a lawyer and former prosecutor turned legal correspondent turned television personality. A native of Badin, North Carolina, Jones earned a B.A. at American University and a J.D. flora the University of Houston. She passed the New York bar exam her first time at bat, and went straight to the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, tier work earned her a promotion to senior assistant district attorney in 1991, and she was handpicked by District Attorney Hynes to prosecute high-profile and community-sensitive cases. A number of highly publicized victories opened the door to the world of television and enabled her to reinvent her professional self.