A survey relevant to Switzerland shows that many skills in management will literally die out in the next few years due to advancing digitization. At least as many new ones are required. We are therefore facing a revolutionary skills shift in management development. How can this be overcome?
Why skills are constantly changing.
Architects have long since left the drawing board. They use CAD tools for their designs. In surgery, operations with medical robots can be carried out across continents via WiFi. And recruiters use search engine technology to find the right talent on the web at the touch of a button. The examples show: State-of-the-art technology and increasing automation in all areas of the working world have led to areas of responsibility changing ever faster.
The demands on tomorrow’s managers will also be different from those on today’s managers. In order to master the digital transformation in companies, for example, they not only have to bring more and more high-tech skills and knowledge with them. This includes, for example, a basic understanding of future technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, IT security or Internet of Things applications.
Soft skills are becoming more and more important.
There are also some changes in the area of soft skills. Because: What happens as a result of advancing digitization at the team level? That’s right: Routine work is increasingly being outsourced to the computer. The result: In the future we will all be working off fewer and fewer recurring to-do’s and instead think about innovation tasks in projects with other experts on an equal footing. This is already the case in innovation-driven areas such as IT.
For managers, this requires a new understanding of leadership. Gone are the days of strict requirements on the part of the management and consistent task fulfillment on the part of the employees. In the future, teams will increasingly consist of highly competent experts who develop ideas together. On the part of the management, it is important to moderate these processes in an appreciative manner and to lead projects in a goal-oriented manner. This requires skills such as problem-solving skills, strategic and analytical thinking, emotional intelligence, critical thinking skills and much more.
Radical change in the world of work.
In its “The Future of Jobs Report” , the World Economic Forum therefore predicts a veritable skills shift in management. Virtually overnight, executives are faced with the most radical shift in competencies in human history. The following overview shows this very clearly.
Managers must be prepared for this change. In order to acquire new skills in the area of soft skills and also to be up to date with the latest technology, permanent further training is required. The only viable way: establishing a learning culture. But it also has to keep what its name promises. A culture of learning is not to be equated with offering a few seminars indiscriminately.
What is a learning culture?
Instead, learning content must be conveyed extremely precisely, continuously and according to the type of learner. Because each of us learns a little differently. This must be taken into account – the more effective and sustainable the increase in knowledge will be.
Fortunately, digitization also has a few offers up its sleeve in the area of corporate learning. With them, the constant acquisition of knowledge can be integrated into the everyday life of managers in such a way that it is fun and not perceived as a burden.
Digitization supports the development of a learning culture.
For example, varied quizzes in a learning app offer the opportunity to deepen knowledge in a playful way. There are also webinars, video content, blended learning , knowledge articles in our own management blog and much more. The possibilities of digital learning, which can also be linked to face-to-face formats, are almost unlimited. In fact, they won’t even notice that they’re constantly learning, because the acquisition of knowledge can be integrated into everyday work so naturally.
Problem solved.
