Some readers have asked me to explain why I have a category labeled �Work and Career ‘4.0.’�� Fair enough: A few of these blog posts are tagged that way, but I haven�t described what I mean by that designation.

What I call 4.0 is a shorthand way of describing a new evolution I see in people�s attitudes, behavior and desires about their work and career.� Think of 1.0� as more of a survival orientation to work.� It�s how people think about and engage in their work when they�re in situations of extreme hardship, political upheaval, or within socio-economic conditions that limit their opportunity and choices. �That probably describes the situation for the masses of people throughout most of history, and of course it exists today.� In such situations, just earning enough of a living to survive and support yourself and your family is your target, your criteria of� �success.�� Today, the conflicts that people experience within version 1.0 often concern working conditions, discrimination and limited opportunities for getting onto a career path that can lead to something better.

Version 2.0 emerged with the political and economic environments that gave rise to the modern �career�; that is, mostly within increasingly large, bureaucratic organizations from about the late 1800s into the early 20^th Century.� Those organizations required layers of management and administration � white-collar jobs.� Advancement became possible along a defined path, and was available to people who could gain a foothold within it, usually because of educational opportunities and/or social class advantages they were born into.� Seeking recognition, power, status, and material perks from steady advancement define success with Version 2.0.� It still predominates within today�s career culture.� It�s where you find the conditions that generate, for example, work-life conflict, boredom, workplace bullying, hostile management practices, and subtle racial and gender barriers to moving up.

Version 3.0 arose just in the last few decades.� It reflects the desire for more personal meaning and fulfillment through work.� People within this career version are less satisfied with just the money, power and position characteristic of version 2.0.� The 3.0 careerist wants more compatibility and balance between work and life, and is less willing than the 2.0 careerist to�stick with an unfulfilling job, or to settle for one when job-hunting.

Surveys illustrate the 3.0 orientation in various ways.� For example, in the pushback against the longer hours companies increasingly pressure you into.� Or against being available via BlackBerry or cell phone 24/7, even while on a vacation. ��Also, increasing numbers of people say that moving up is a downer for them; that they dislike their new jobs when they do move up the traditional career ladder. ��For example, a recent Families and Work Institute report finds that promotions are being turned down by workers in the thick of their careers.� Workers used to be eager to take on more responsibility, and now they aren�t, as much.

The 3.0 careerists want professional life to nourish the capacity for developing talents or interests outside of work, instead of pushing them aside.� In short, they want less fragmentation and more integration among the different parts of their lives.� More than just having a successful career, they want their careers to serve and support a successful life.

What, then, is Version 4.0?� It�s what I think is a new but increasingly visible evolution beyond 3.0.� In the 4.0 orientation, the person wants not only work that enables more personal self-development, but looks for opportunities to connect with, serve and have impact on something beyond or larger than oneself.� �That is, the 4.0 careerist not only wants a career that enables you to integrate personal life goals and values with what you do at work; not only have sufficiently meaningful work, personally, but also be able to have a positive impact on human lives through work.

Consequently, the 4.0 careerist is highly proactive, looking for and seizing opportunities for new learning, and creative growth, within the organization; and having positive impact on something larger than oneself through his or her career.� That is, the 4.0 careerist is oriented toward a sense of service to and connection with the larger human community through the product or service he or she is contributing to.

Just more money, advancement and increasing recognition aren�t sufficient. �In short, the 4.0 careerist wants work that is personally rewarding, but that also contributes to the greater good, beyond his or her own personal gain.� They are attracted to organizations whose philosophy and management practices are supportive of those goals; that value innovation, are transparent, psychologically healthy � and philosophically committed to the �triple bottom line:� financial success, social impact and environmental responsibility.� Career version 4.0 looks to be part of an emerging new business model � one that�s sorely needed in our current business, social and political environment.