Future Skills
I was recently asked, “What skills will be needed in the future?”
Much is being made at present of artificial intelligence (AI). The power of the computer and the Internet can be harnessed in so many ways. We need only look at the number of online businesses and “web-preneurs“ to see how far things have gone in a comparatively short space of time - accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic which obliged many people to transact business of all sorts online.
AI is here to stay but, unlike many of its proponents would have us believe, is not a skill. It’s a tool to support us much in the way that the internet and computers are. AI is developed by humans; humans are naturally flawed. It therefore follows that AI could be flawed either when a particular program is introduced or sometime in the future. The world changes and computers need to be able to keep up with it. The only way they can do this is to be reprogrammed. Humans can often adjust faster.
So, what are the skills that will be needed? Remember here, we are talking about skills, not technical know-how. Technical know-how will always be critical, especially in professions like medicine, engineering, accounting to name a few.
What I am talking about is people skills. The ability to:
- Empathise with others
- Inspire/lead/motivate others
- Network
- Work in a team
- Lead teams
- Work with remote teams - collaboration
- Solve problems
- Make decisions
Other (non-people skills) may be:
- Time management
- Personal organisation
- Keeping fit
- Meditation
- Continued ability to learn
- Curiosity
- Adaptability
- Public speaking
- Data and media management skills
- Knowledge
- Judgement
A former colleague of mine on his retirement was asked what he thought were the essential skills. In much the same vein, he answered:
- Relationships are critical
- Personal integrity (building trust and doing what is right)
- Thinking differently
- Having a passion outside the job
Teaching people skills to AI is going to be a tricky proposition. Human beings are capable of making “intuitive leaps“ that machines cannot. As artificial intelligence, computers and other automated tools and systems continue to grow, we will still need the people skills that have served over so many years.
Just as has happened in the past, perhaps “new” people skills“ will be developed. At times, I wonder if these are the “old skills“ repackaged.
All his life, Sir Richard Branson’s teachers had thought him a “dyslexic and a dunce”. Not long after an “incident” in his chemistry class, he left school for good. On the way out, his headmaster told Branson, “You will either go to prison or become a millionaire.” The headmaster was almost right on both counts. Sir Richard’s people skills have enabled him to build one of the world’s best-known brands.
As leaders, we all have a different idea of “skills” and what they mean to us and our industry. How are you coping in yours to "
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Career, Leadership, Productivity, Strategy, Teamwork
posted by William Martin @ 09:44
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