Overall, employers said they wanted a conscientious workforce. They felt employees weren't willing to spend the time to get into the details, to feel accountable for results or set high expectations and goals for themselves. Business executives also expressed concern regarding the lack of personal qualities in employees, specifically mentioning responsibility, self-esteem, integrity and honesty. Employers want employees to think outside of their particular job function, essentially thinking of themselves as "business partners." Thinking skills such as decision making, reasoning and problem solving, and personal qualities that help build trust and commitment in the workplace always have been important, but as we move into an information oriented economy, they are absolutely critical. Traditionally, many employers believed these skills to be innate--either you have them or you don't. It now appears that these skills can be learned by changing the thinking patterns of employees. In order to be successful, employees must learn how to expand their thinking to play a variety of roles within the organization. The first step is to break down the narrow focus and boundaries of "what is my job" and replace it with getting people to see themselves as part of the bigger picture. In the traditional economy, success was determined by how well you performed a particular function. Successful employees in today's workplace must move effectively between a variety of technical functions, as well as manage a broad range of situations and human interactions. The critical roles employees must master within the organization in order to be successful in the "new economy" are as follows: Specialized professional A technical or functional expert--competent in developing solutions and formulating recommendations, able to relate technical or complex information so that it is valuable to others, respected for technical capabilities; encourages others to "buy in" to ideas. Facilitator Manages discussions effectively, demonstrates flexibility, ensures that all parties are in agreement before moving on, has a clear understanding of the agreed upon steps to be taken while focusing on keeping the project moving. Problem solver Takes the time to thoroughly understand and effectively analyze the overall project, proactively identifies potential problems, explores and proposes several options for solutions, and develops a process for problem solving. Coach Knows how to motivate and work effectively with others while helping them develop skills and knowledge--creating an environment where feedback is important, has keen awareness of one's own personal reaction to situations before responding and consistently asks for ideas on working effectively with others. Administrator Demonstrates the ability to manage time, deadlines and budgets simultaneously, provides a variety of written summaries including roles, responsibilities and resources required for those involved in the project, has a clear understanding of policies and procedures involved for utilizing resources and consistently monitors and reports project status. Influencer Recommendations are usually acted upon, able to persuade when faced with differing opinions, presents options and trade-offs, able to obtain what is necessary to do the job, focuses on win-win outcomes during negotiations. Strategist Considers the overall big picture, strategically involves key stakeholders in the process, has a clear understanding of the client's business strategies and needs as well as objectives and concerns. Partner Ability to create a high level of trust and commitment in working relationships; ensures that everyone has a clear, well defined common goal; has a keen, objective sense of awareness as to whether expectations are being met; values open communication as a fundamental building block for all relationships.