6 Metaskills to Supercharge Your Career in Any Industry or Role
Attention all professionals: the digital age is here, and it's time to step up your game! With technological advancements disrupting every industry, it's crucial to have the right skills to stay relevant and competitive. In fact, the World Economic Forum predicts that 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025. According to the same report, nine out of ten are meta skills or soft skills not tied to a specific profession or education. So, what are the skills you need to thrive in the 21st century?
The Future of jobs according to World Economic Forum
In The Future of Jobs report World Economic Forum has listed top 10 skills of the future:
Analytical thinking and innovation
Active learning and learning strategies
Complex problem-solving
Critical thinking and analysis
Creativity, originality and initiative
Leadership and social influence
Technology use, monitoring and control
Technology design and programming
Resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility
Reasoning, problem-solving and ideation
In order to succeed in the 21st century, it is essential to possess these skills that enable individuals to effectively navigate the rapidly evolving technological landscape, including artificial intelligence. Additionally, leaders must adapt to the demands of the digital age, as traditional industrial management practices are no longer sufficient for achieving success.
The Importance of Developing Essential Skills for Business Success
From a business perspective, these skills are crucial in the face of the rapidly advancing technological landscape. As machines take over routine tasks and jobs, humans must focus on utilizing their unique human abilities such as holistic thinking, generating new ideas, and collaborating effectively. These human superpowers are vital for solving complex problems and creating innovative solutions that are relevant to customers, businesses, societies, and the world as a whole.
For businesses to stay ahead and thrive in the digital age, they must cultivate a culture of innovation and develop their employees' human skills. This not only leads to more future-proof organizations, but also happier employees and customers, and increased value for all stakeholders.
The Future-Proof Skills Every Digital Age Change Maker Needs
In the digital age, we need individuals who possess the skills necessary to drive change and create sustainable businesses for the future. These individuals are known as digital age change makers, and they are essential to shaping our 21st century work life.
Digital age change makers possess a unique set of skills that allow them to thrive in today's rapidly changing business landscape. They understand digital age value creation and business models, and they have the courage to challenge the status quo and take the initiative to drive change.
Furthermore, they think strategically, holistically, systemically, and critically, allowing them to see the bigger picture and create innovative solutions. They are also curious and creative, taking advantage of their unique abilities to come up with new ideas and put them into practice.
In addition, digital age change makers are future-oriented and futures-conscious, always thinking ahead and planning for the future. They use their human superpowers to build sustainable businesses, overcoming egocentricity and putting the needs of the organization, employees, and society first.
Based on our experience, we have identified the most crucial skills that individuals can acquire to achieve the goals mentioned above. These six skills are:
Strategic thinking:
Strategic thinking is a crucial ability that enables individuals to understand and navigate complex situations effectively. It involves the capacity to think critically, both in the short and long term, and identify insights and alternatives that help to solve problems. This skill requires the ability to analyze information and evaluate options to make informed decisions.
Futures thinking:
Futures thinking is an essential skill that involves being aware of potential future scenarios and preparing for them rather than focusing solely on past events. It requires individuals to use their imagination and creativity to envision various possible futures and prepare for them accordingly. Futures thinking involves being conscious of the future, considering the implications of current actions, and making decisions that are likely to lead to positive outcomes in the future. This skill helps individuals and organizations to be proactive in their approach, anticipating and preparing for future challenges and opportunities.
Business conceptualizing
Business conceptualizing is the process of transforming abstract concepts and ideas into concrete business strategies and plans. It involves identifying opportunities, creating innovative solutions, and developing business models that can be implemented to achieve goals and objectives. This skill requires the ability to think creatively and critically, as well as the capacity to communicate ideas effectively to others. Business conceptualizing is essential for entrepreneurs, business leaders, designers and anyone who wants to create and implement successful business strategies.
Curious creativity
Curious creativity involves using curiosity to inspire and drive creative thinking. It's the ability to ask questions, explore possibilities, and generate new ideas that push the boundaries of what's currently known or accepted. Curious creativity encourages experimentation and embraces failure as a necessary part of the learning process. It involves taking risks, being open-minded, and challenging assumptions. Curious creativity is an important skill in the digital age, where businesses need to constantly innovate and adapt to stay competitive.
Constructive challenging
Constructive challenging is an approach that encourages individuals to question assumptions and explore new possibilities while remaining respectful of existing ideas and opinions. This requires a combination of critical thinking, open-mindedness, and empathy to facilitate productive dialogue and generate innovative solutions. By challenging the status quo in a constructive manner, individuals can push themselves and others towards growth and progress while avoiding unnecessary conflict or resistance.
Empathetic listening and learning
Empathetic listening and learning involves putting aside one's own biases and assumptions to truly understand and appreciate the perspective of others. By actively listening and empathizing with others, individuals can gain valuable insights and develop a deeper understanding of their customers, colleagues, and stakeholders. This skill requires flexibility, open-mindedness, and a willingness to engage in self-reflection in order to continuously improve and grow. Ultimately, empathetic listening and learning is key to building strong relationships, fostering collaboration, and driving positive change within organizations.
How to Start Learning Digital Age Change Maker metaskills?
If you're looking to accelerate your learning and gain practical insights into implementing these six meta skills, we recommend downloading our Change Makers’ Society’s Metaskills guide for free. This guide offers a glimpse into our thinking and outlines the skills we have used to successfully create and lead businesses and products. By following the guide, you can jumpstart your journey towards becoming a digital age change maker.
