In a Q&A column on the New York Times web site, columnist and "Flat World" author Thomas Friedman answers questions from readers. In one answer addressing the impact that outsourcing has on American jobs, Friedman states:

"…the ability to learn how to learn is the single most important survival skill anyone can have."

(The Q&A is here; a login for the NYTimes.com site is required:
http://select.nytimes.com/2006/11/05/timesselect/06friedman-qa.html?pagewanted=3)

What are some other essential survival skills for the flat world? I believe they are as follows, starting with Friedman’s statement in the top slot:

1. Learn as much as you can in your field. If you are doing only what has always worked in the past, and you are not learning new skills constantly, you are an easy target for outsourcing. Job security goes to people who adapt continually to change and innovation.
2. Commit to projects, not to companies. Work on projects that you are excited about. In so doing, you will naturally improve your skills and marketability. Do not stay with a company if you are working on uninspiring projects, almost irrespective of how much they pay you.
3. Develop highly specialized skills. For example, don’t be just a general project manager, but learn how to run projects for a telecommunications company. By gaining skills and insights that are in demand for a paticular industry, your marketability becomes less generic, harder to find, and more of an obvious fit for employers and project leaders.
4. Keep on top of the latest innovations in your specialized area. If you are comfortable with what you do and use familiar tools and techniques, then your job is more likely to be outsourced. Instead, stay relevant. Earn certifications and designations in your field, keep pushing yourself to innovate, and demonstrate an ability to manage outsourceable work, so that you yourself are not outsourceable.
5. Learn to leverage other highly specialized individuals. Do so in new ways that "flatten" the organization. The story of my pool is a good example.
6. Use 21st-century tools to do your job and to collaborate. If you are still using Meetings, Emails & Spreadsheets (what I call MES) to manage projects and teams, then you are not taking advantage of the latest collaborative and Web-based project management tools and disciplines. If you do not adapt and improve your productivity, your competition will.
7. Last but not least: You can start a new business! Information, and a global talent pool, is now easily and quickly accessible over the Internet. The virtualization of the enterprise has made it much easier to start and grow a small business. For example, you can bring a service to your region, city, or neighborhood that isn’t otherwise available. In a flat world, you actually have more opportunities to succeed and create than ever before in human history!