Thanks so much for writing this post, Kristy.  I'm definitely going to refer people to it.

I worked at a corporation for 20 years and it took me awhile to realize that not everyone felt the same interest or commitment to their own development as I did.  Once downsizing became common, employees started looking for "the answer" to remain employed.  Unfortunately many thought the answer was keeping your head down and your nose to the grindstone.  Don't make waves.  When I would propose another option, few were interested.  I think this point from your post sums it well:

"Remaining competitive as a whole only occurs by remaining competitive as an individual, this makes on- going personal development and the fine tuning of your skills a key component of your job responsibilities."

People would be mad that expectations of performance would change over time.  But it's up to us to roll with those changes, right?  And taking responsibility for the "fine print," as you suggest, IS key.

Good job!