Harness skills to stay in the game

TECHNOLOGY is replacing humdrum and repetitive aspects of work. It is also creating new opportunities and roles and expanding industries that today’s workers are able to transfer into using existing skills.

It is not the first time in history the workforce has been through a revolution because technology has been transforming the way we work for centuries.

Until the printing press was invented, books were copied by hand; computing arrived after the Second World War and removed many monotonous tasks; then in the 1990s, the internet brought changes across almost every industry.

Futurologist Craig Rispin says the key to success in an evolving landscape is to harness transferable skills that have proven to transcend time.

Leadership skills

Workers can take existing leadership skills and apply them to a one-off project at work or in their spare time.

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, for example, applied his leadership skills to run businesses across multiple industries including publishing, music, fashion and airlines.

Interpersonal skills

Being able to effectively interact with other people is integral regardless of how the workforce changes.

Computers may be able to automate tasks but they cannot replicate human-to-human interaction.

Problem solving

Great leaders focus on solutions, not problems.

Tesla co-founder Elon Musk identified Los Angeles traffic was a problem so, together with a small army of intelligent people, he designed a plan to build a web of tunnels under the city.

Problem solving is an essential and invaluable skill that will go a long way towards future success.

Time management

Regardless of what the

workforce looks like, time management will always be important. A worker who struggles to stick to deadlines or prioritise may do well to build this skill.

Creativity

No matter how rational a person thinks they are, they can find the creative within.

Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia could not afford to pay the rent for their San Francisco flat, so they got creative and invented Airbnb.

Workers can be creative in any industry, it is just a

matter of thinking outside the box.

This article first appeared on Seek Advice & Tips.