FINANCIAL LITERACY AND SMALL BUSINESS
With the digital age well and truly upon us and automation occurring, certain skills will become increasingly valuable. The Palo Alto Future World Report identified several of these.
To give you something to think about, here are some of those great skills that could be beneficial for you in the new world of work.
Adaptability and flexibility
The ability to quickly adapt to new technologies, work processes and changing circumstances will be essential. Being flexible and open to learning new things will help you navigate uncertainty and thrive in dynamic environments.
With business being increasingly global, it is important to have tolerance and an open mind to the varying working weeks around the world and cultural differences.
With the rapid pace of change, a commitment to lifelong learning will be crucial. Being proactive in seeking new knowledge, acquiring new skills, and staying updated with industry trends will help you stay relevant and adaptable. Having a growth mindset is essential. What is that? In short, it is believing that you can always learn new skills through hard work and focus.
Digital skills
Technology has played a major part in our lives for many years now, and this will only continue to grow at an even faster pace.
With continued advancements in technology, having a strong foundation in digital knowledge will be important. This includes being confident in using various digital tools at work. There are so many software applications out there. Some are useful for many jobs out there and some are quite specialised.
Having an understanding data analysis and having a basic understanding of coding and programming will be very useful.
You cannot know everything. You might know where your passions lie and this will help give your learning some specific direction.
It is essential to be able to manage online communication by email and video conferencing and other software such as community platforms.
Aside from continuing to learn and gain skills, you need to understand the power of technology so that you may use it to your best advantage.
Creativity and innovation
As automation takes over routine tasks, creativity and innovation will be highly valued. The ability to think outside the box, generate novel ideas and apply imaginative solutions to complex problems will set individuals and organisations apart.
Resilience and stress management
In fast-paced and demanding work environments, resilience and the ability to manage stress will be vital. Developing strategies to cope with pressure, maintain a work-life balance, and prioritise well-being will contribute to long-term success.
In a more interconnected world, interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence will remain important. The ability to understand and manage emotions, build strong relationships, communicate effectively, and collaborate with diverse teams will also be highly sought after.
Critical thinking and problem-solving
As automation takes over routine tasks, the ability to think critically, analyse complex problems and develop innovative solutions will be highly valued. Critical thinking involves logical reasoning, creativity and being able to approach challenges from different angles.
This future work skill crosses over all the skills mentioned in this blog.
You can see it is important to think about what your passions are, what interest you have and what you are going to put your energies into. Complex problem-solving and analytical thinking are not skills people are usually born with, but rather they are skills that we develop as we evolve throughout our careers. Although it helps to have an analytical mind, learning to analyse data can be quite easy, even fun for everyone.
Problem-solving also requires creativity, initiative and originality. Having a creative and original approach helps to push innovation and to view problems with an open mind.
There are many future skills courses on offer, plus workforce information such as this report:
https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/reports/state-of-australia-skills-2021
Being successful tomorrow
More workplaces are constantly changing. Process automation has arrived. Currently, the workforce has more women, more part time jobs than ever – think “gig economy” – more men in part time roles and more highly-skilled jobs. Plus, more workplaces are offering flexibility, see the EDGE SME blog on Hybrid Workplaces for more information.
Tomorrow’s success will require new and different skills. It is exciting. Take action today to prepare for the future.
