The threat at home

For US workers, does Amazon really pose a threat to their livelihoods? One columnist had a grim projection: “Amazon is going to destroy more American jobs than China ever did.”

Points:

• Lower prices
• Convenience
• Efficiency
• Automation

Retail workers (12 million strong overall; 6.2 million strong in general retail) and warehousing/delivery workers (2 million strong) are the part of the workforce the writer focused on. If they are indeed displaced, many will not be able to work for online retailers because that’s a much more efficient sector.

What to do?

One approach might be to take a heightened skills mindset.

• Try thinking beyond the job at hand and start to think of the job as part of the system comprised of different functions. 
• Think about the skills you indeed to integrate the different parts of the system (business functions in your organization like operations, HR, technology, and marketing, for example) to achieve a common goal.
• If you can demonstrate that you can reach across silos to accomplish the mission, you may find yourself highly valued member of your organization.