What competencies await our children in the future, and in which areas can we adults, who genuinely care about our own personal development, improve ourselves?
The founder of Tesla, Elon Musk, regarded as one of the world's most important entrepreneurs, recently made a much-discussed call on Twitter.
In this call, Musk said that for those who want to work at Tesla, having a university degree, or even a high school diploma, is not a requirement.
Musk, who himself dropped out of his doctoral programme at Stanford University, stated that the most important thing they look for in people wishing to join the company's AI (Artificial Intelligence) team is coding, and that he believes the rest can be learned.
Although many Twitter users saw this merely as a motivational speech and questioned its validity, Musk's message is not new. In a 2014 interview with a German automotive magazine, he had also stated that the first thing he looks for in colleagues is not a diploma. We also know that executives of leading Fortune 500 companies have made similar statements in the past.
As Industry 4.0 anticipates the digital, scientific, socio-cultural and economic changes of the future and shapes the world, it is clear that new skill sets will be needed. This naturally shifts the focus away from academic development towards skills that will enable us to adapt to and shape this future.
In that case, the time to seek answers to the questions above must have long since arrived. We are not going to take our children out of school or burn our diplomas, but it may be wise to know – and prepare for – the skill and competency sets required by a future that is fast approaching, or indeed has already arrived.
So let us take a look at those skills. The list below was compiled from the annual World Economic Forum, recent McKinsey reports and futurist magazines.
1. Complex Problem Solving and Critical Thinking – Future Minds
For minds that will work with concepts such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, smart robotic automation systems and augmented reality, being able to tackle the complex problems they may face at work clearly and to look at problems from different/multiple perspectives is one of the top-ranking skills. We must keep re-examining the place of this skill in our education system.
2. Innovation (Inventiveness) – The Power & Courage to Create
Considering the innovations of the future, it is no surprise that both new generations and we adults need to focus on developing our capacity to innovate. Whatever the sector or position, being able to bring new, fresh perspectives, ideas and products to the table looks set to remain important. Of course, this has some critical prerequisites – such as having courage and being able to take the initiative…
3. Collaboration – Together, Not Alone!
Working dynamics in business are evolving day by day from solitary cubicles in office towers to social teams that create together and achieve results together. In these new dynamics, shifting from siloed working to a holistic view, the ability to work in collaboration with a team is coming to the fore.
4. Social Intelligence – A Brand-New Kind of Intelligence Has Been Born
After Emotional Intelligence, which has been much discussed and written about, we now face a concept of intelligence that encompasses it and includes a broader set of awareness and behaviours. This type of intelligence, prominent particularly in leadership and management theories, is gaining importance as topics such as remote working, communicating with artificial intelligence and the internet economy enter our lives. In a nutshell, social intelligence includes emotional intelligence, an individual's adaptability, and the ability to develop – depending on the situation – a mindset.
5. Service Orientation – Not Just Me, But Us
Service Orientation is a skill that may sound surprising at first but is on the world's agenda. In work environments that are becoming ever more individualised because of technology and increasing competition, there is clearly a need for perspectives that can accurately read others' needs and respond to them quickly. This behaviour, discussed under the motto "being there for others", is undoubtedly of critical importance for teams and organisations to move forward.
6. Flexibility – Adjustment and Adaptation
One of the most prominent and most discussed skills on the list. It is the exact opposite of rigidity – the attitude of "this is how it is, this is how it's done"… It is a skill that describes being able to question the status quo, interpret what is happening correctly and make the necessary changes. It stands out as a characteristic of people who can gather different kinds of data, emotional or rational, and use it to connect with the new. At a time when agility is an essential topic at every table, it looks set to remain important for a long time.
In short, according to World Economic Forum reports, one third of the skills that companies look for today will become obsolete in the future, and preparing ourselves for the future by developing ourselves will only be possible by acquiring new skill sets.
My own favourite on this list is number 6: flexibility.
When I first started running many years ago, my running coach told me how important it was to do stretching exercises after training, but as an amateur student I remember not really listening at the time. Later, when I learned that all the injuries I had suffered were because "I hadn't stretched enough", running taught me a kind of life lesson: you break where you don't bend.. Especially in an age where change is the new normal and agility is essential…
How we can develop these skills is a topic for another article…
Gözde Berber Özbalaban
Consultant (MCT Management Center Türkiye)
