FutureSkills: What sort of workforce will you need in the age of GenAI?

“Bring your whole self to work” – Sheryl Sandberg.

As technology evolves, it is assuming more and more of our physical – and now our thinking – work.

So, what do we need humans for? What will they bring to the workplace?

They are good at stuff tech is not, like operating in unstructured situations with little or no data, where we need problem discovery and novel solutions. On the other hand, tech is fast, needs no rest, and unlike this human worker, never forgets.

In short, humans will need to bring more – or perhaps different — parts of their selves to work than ever before, and less of their industrial-age skills, now used (and surpassed) by digital colleagues.

So, you will have two workforces – Digital People and humans – who will need to coexist on the organisation chart and co-create, leveraging the best of both.

What will we recruit for and develop in our human workforce?

The #1 skill LinkedIn found recruiters seeking was communication, followed by 8 more “soft” skills in the top 10. Adaptability grew most in importance.

I scoured the literature (which GenAI kindly helped with), including studies by the World Economic Forum, academic literature, and industry studies. I listed attributes and skills on bits of paper, and my desk looked like a parade had just passed by.

That would not do, so I themed the skills, and a framework emerged that surprised me.

First, “doing”: we still need skills running today’s business while we integrate higher-end technology into our work. We also need skills to create tomorrow’s business, including interacting with emerging technology, entrepreneurship/intrapreneurship, and emerging topics such as sustainability.

“Most importantly, you will want to recruit and develop not just yesterday’s skills but tomorrow’s skills and attributes.” “When learning equips you to perform and succeed, people will pursue and engage.” – Dr CJ Meadows, Director, i2e – The Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre – S P Jain School of Global Management.

Second, “thinking” skills include (1) logical (analytical/critical, judgement/decision-orientation, strategic, and (eco)systems thinking), as well as (2) creative (creative problem ID/framer/solver, information sourcing-analysing-using, integration, and flexibility/agility).

Third, “being”: this was the surprise. The largest skill group by far included inter-personal and intra-personal skills. But, of course, it makes sense, since technology does not take over our being, and this is the core from which great work comes.

Inter-personal skills are already recognised and trained at work, including communication, negotiation, questioning, maintaining composure, operating in unstructured environments, connecting, collaborating, co-creating, teamwork, empathy, crisis management, and leadership.

On the other hand, intra-personal skills are generally considered private and are not included in business schools and L&D. Yet, they will grow most in importance and are already foundational to leadership.

“Three years into my tenure, I found all my character flaws embedded in my organisation. Now I wish I’d dealt with them before launching an enterprise.” – Tech Founder.

These include openness, curiosity, positivity, confidence, self-esteem, courage, risk-taking, energy, passion, independence, self-awareness, self-development, self-discipline (including self-direction, motivation, and self-management), passion for excellence, comfort with ambiguity and uncertainty, ethics, integrity, character, persistence, commitment, diligence, resourcefulness, and resilience.

At the intersection of thinking and doing lies innovation – where we try out new ideas. At the intersection of doing and being is where we find inspirational leaders. When we mix thinking with our core being, wisdom (hopefully) emerges.

Finally, at the centre of innovation, inspiration, and wisdom lies impact – what we all aim to achieve with our work.

READ MORE: Technology and what it means for the future of L&D

You will need to map exactly what you are looking for as an organisation and customise your own model. You will also want to overlay the skills and attributes of different employees so you can see what sort of teams you have assembled, departments, and the organisation as a whole.

Most importantly, you will want to recruit and develop not just yesterday’s skills but tomorrow’s skills and attributes. You will need to ensure you have built an environment in which employees will bring their whole selves to work and use their whole selves to create tomorrow’s work.

Are you using and developing your whole self, too?

About the Author: Dr CJ Meadows is Director, i2e – The Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre – S P Jain School of Global Management

To talk to the author’s digital twin about your situation, just visit CJ2.personal.ai and click the “public chat” button. To learn more about the future of L&D, visit drcjmeadows.com/futureoflearning for the author’s book, Disrupting and Design Thinking Education (Routledge, available on Amazon), multimedia book The Future of Learning (Gnowbe), articles, and more.