Do you have a Portfolio Life? Maybe you would like one? Perhaps you are not sure what a Portfolio Life is…
There are several terms in use for one aspect or another of our daily approach to life and work. Few of them inclusive. For instance – freelancing, consulting, interim and portfolio careers. However, bringing the key elements of life and work together, as we are increasingly doing for our members, means that we should use more inclusive terms.
We have been talking for a long time about people becoming increasingly engaged in non-career positions. This is the premise of the Expert Alumni model. Driven by Demographics, Social and Economic change and Information Technology advancement, the shift in the way that work is done is becoming more prevalent. We are far from alone in observing that the demand for experience and competence are becoming the most crucial resource – not capital – that will drive and enable business.
Not just business and government in fact, but the third sector too (NGOs and broadly all not-for-profit organisations).
We also know that people are not driven by cash but their purpose. If you have not seen it before, here is a great animation highlighting the importance of fulfilling purpose:
RSAnimate – Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us
In fulfilling our purposes, we are most likely to use our experience and competence to great effect.
I believe that there are three key factors in Portfolio Life – Pay, Purpose and Play. Pay: we all need money and cash rewards for our efforts. Purpose: we need to be fulfilled, whether helping inner city kids to read, helping in a disaster area or so many other ways that we can improve the lives of others. Play: we need leisure time.
More and more people are combining these as a lifestyle where significant time is spent on each as we balance priorities. Some work, some play and some giving… We call this Portfolio Life. The Portfolio is a series of work, and purpose-filled activities. A far cry from the career ladder and grindstone of the typical work life…
