Key Messages
Preparing For The Future Of Work: The Skills You Need And How To Get Them
If you want to stay competitive in today’s ever-changing job market, you need to get yourself fit for the future.
The only way to do this is by understanding new developments before they happen and responding to them proactively.
Luckily, there are things that you can do right now to maximize your future success.
The Future Fit Book Summary outlines some of the key skills and qualities which will be especially valuable in the coming decades – creativity, leadership and communication.
There’s also advice on how to create a strong personal brand, understand Igor Stravinsky’s concept of creativity and how networking in the future will be all about getting an edge over competitors.
By arming yourself with all these cutting-edge knowledge and skills, you can ensure that you stay ahead of the game and stay competitive in an ever-evolving workplace landscape.
The Future Is All About Building Your Own Unique Personal Brand
If you want to get ahead in your career, then it is vital that you focus on your own personal brand.
In the future, having a strong and distinctive personal brand will become increasingly important as you attempt to climb the ladder of success.
In today’s world, with flexible working arrangements and tech advancements, face-to-face contact with potential employers is diminished.
Therefore, it is important that those looking for jobs stand out from the rest with their unique personal brands and reputations.
Otherwise they won’t be noticed.
Just like consumer brands, one needs to quickly and effectively communicate what makes their particular personal brand distinctive.
To do this however, one needs to start by taking a deep dive into understanding who they are and why they do what they do.
Popular with potential employers will be those people who have already created a niche for themselves and have an ambition for where they’d like their career path to take them too.
Essentially, if you can create a powerful personal brand which offers something unique then employers will benefit significantly from hiring you – rather than someone without such presence or purpose.
In the modern workplace, having a great personal brand can give you an edge over those who are just going through the motions in terms of their CV alone.
The Future: Prepare Yourself To Become A Master Of Communication
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, you’re going to have to become a super-communicator.
It’s no longer enough to just communicate complex information quickly – it must be done with clarity and understanding in order for your message to be effective.
And that’s what makes it so difficult.
In our rapidly changing world, those who are able to understand and convey new information quickly and accurately will be in high demand.
Those who don’t keep up risk becoming obsolete.
One way in which you can prepare yourself is by learning from television reporters – one of the best examples of super-communication.
A TV reporter needs to make snap decisions about both their tone and which parts of the story to include or omit, all while presenting the facts clearly but succinctly in a limited amount of time.
To emulate this style when talking about important topics with your colleagues or manager, follow the structure that TV reporters use: begin with a ‘headline’ statement summarizing the whole concept, then provide three strong facts backed up by data, before finally ending on an impactful signoff informing them what action (if any) should be taken from your communication.
By following this example, you can start equipping yourself now for becoming a top notch communicator for an ever-changing future!
Embracing Change Is Essential To Keep Up With Rapid Technological Advancement
In the ever-changing world of technology, it is essential to keep up or you will find yourself quickly falling behind.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an older relative who can’t seem to learn new technologies, or just someone who isn’t tech savvy; if you don’t adapt fast, you’ll find it hard to thrive in the future.
Eric “Astro” Teller, CEO of Google’s secret research company X, has pointed out that the rate of change is much faster than ever before due to technologies like mobile phones, the internet and augmented reality which have laid the groundwork for speedier innovation.
In fact, he has graphed human adaptability and technological advancement diverging from each other–meaning we are already at a point where tech-driven innovation is more rapid than human ability to adapt.
The good news is there are few things those of us who want to stay ahead of rapid innovation can do: be proactively engaged with the world around us; embrace changes quickly; and let go of fear or hang-ups about doing something differently than we’re used to.
With these strategies in mind, we can make sure that our voyage into the future remains on track!
Harness Your Creative Powers To Succeed In The Age Of Machines
It is increasingly clear that in the rapidly changing world of technology, humans need tokeep one step ahead and utilize some qualities that machines simply cannot replicate.
One such quality is creativity.
Today’s economy puts a high value on creative professionals, as seen in Adobe’s global survey findings, which showed ultra-high household incomes and superior leadership capabilities among these individuals.
To stay competitive, it is essential for everyone to unlock their own dormant creativity and learn how to apply it effectively.
Practicing forced adaptation and visualization are two great ways to do this.
Forced adaptation is actually shocking your brain with unfamiliar activities – like standing on your head for 15 minutes each morning or showering in cold water.
Visualization exercises can also help by accounting for your goals and training the mind accordingly; musicians might imagine playing a concerto perfectly or entrepreneurs might envision themselves receiving an award for innovation.
Finally, emotional regulation allows for greater concentration and focus that can help bring out the best ideas from within your imagination.
This all translates directly into real-world advantages too; harnessing your creativity will give you more confidence, increased problem solving skills, greater job security and even overall happiness!
In the future, it’s not only necessary to have creative abilities – they could be the only thing keeping us relevant in the workplace!
The Power Of Problem-Solving: How Diversity And Psychological Safety Lead To Smarter Solutions
Problem-solving is a key component of success in the modern workplace.
With ever-evolving technology and disruption, organizations need to be able to solve problems quickly and efficiently in order to stay ahead of their competitors.
And while problem solving is a natural human superpower that all of us possess, there are two ways organizations can facilitate this capability and maximize their effectiveness.
The first way is by fostering an environment of diversity, as diverse perspectives often open up new solutions and perspectives on issues.
Having people from different backgrounds with different points of view in decision making situations leads to better outcomes for everyone.
And when assembling teams for new projects, it’s important to make sure that there are individuals with varied backgrounds involved so all opinions can be heard and considered.
The second way organizations can optimize problem solving is by creating a psychologically safe working environment where employees feel free to express themselves without fear or embarrassment.
The best ideas often come from the most unexpected sources, so it’s important that all voices are heard without judgement when solving complex challenges.
When team members feel secure in sharing their thoughts and ideas, great things happen!
So if you want your organization to successfully solve problems in the future, embrace diversity and create an atmosphere of psychological safety where ideas can be shared freely and openly!
Rethink Your Approach To Networking: Reach Out To Your Old Friendships For Support And Success In The Future
Networking in the future means doing something very different to what one might imagine.
Rather than attending industry events and giving out business cards, or relying on an awkward message on LinkedIn, you’ll reap greater rewards by rekindling old friendships.
Our relationships can be invaluable tools in helping us achieve a better future for ourselves.
One perfect example of this detailed in Andrea Clarke’s book, Future Fit, is that Clarke reconnected with an old friend from 25 years ago and was able to secure valuable work for her company.
This situation was made easier because they had a long-standing friendship and could be direct with each other without going through the rigmarole and making too many attempts at establishing a relationship first.
Not only will reaching out to your past friends open up new opportunities, it provides both practical and emotional benefits as well.
In the current age of alienation and depression, having support from your close group of friends is vital if we are to get through potential difficulties in life.
Research has even shown nostalgia surrounding the sense of community found during times of conflict – something that is harder to come by these days due to our current world atmosphere.
Ultimately, networking in the future requires us to think beyond face-to-face meetings and focus our efforts on reconnecting with old friends who we may have not spoken to in decades.
With their help, such as in Andrea Clarke’s case, you may find yourself closer towards achieving your goals for prosperity!
The Future Of Leadership: Teacher, Learner, Mobilizer & Giver Attributes Are Vital For Success
The workplace of the future will no longer be like that of the past.
Companies are undergoing a transition from traditional office environments to flexible and remote work settings, with more technology used in everyday tasks and operations than ever before.
In order for companies to thrive under these new circumstances, leadership must adapt and evolve.
As business professor Jonas Altman points out, there are four distinct leadership types that organizations should look to in order to remain successful in the future.
The first is “The Teacher,” which emphasizes transparency, knowledge-sharing, continuous learning and feedback while creating an environment based on trust.
The second is “The Learner,” which focuses on quickly developing new expertise amid rapid technological change.
Thirdly is “The Mobilizer”, who excels at leading complex processes that involve multiple remote teams seamlessly working together.
Last but not least is “The Giver” whose selfless generosity creates a company culture that encourages others to do the same – achieving better profitability, efficiency, and customer satisfaction as a result!
Therefore, it’s clear that for businesses to remain competitive and successful in the modern world of work, leaders must embrace these four attributes: Teacher, Learner, Mobilizer and Giver; all of which can be combined or adopted separately depending on the organization’s needs.
Embrace Continuous Learning To Prepare For A Future Of Constant Disruption And Change
Continuous learning is essential if you want to stay ahead in the future.
Rapidly changing technology, automation, robotics and artificial intelligence will completely transform the world as we know it.
It’s vital that we educate ourselves on new topics in order to keep up with these advancements and prepare for potential career opportunities in the process.
If you want to embrace continuous learning, start by setting clear learning objectives – identify an area of personal weakness or lack of knowledge, then put aside a few hours to understand it better.
Having both old school and new school knowledge on your chosen topic is key for a holistic understanding, so make sure you combine both components during your studies.
Keeping tabs on current news and developments related to your field also provides valuable street smarts which add to the foundation created by learning the basics.
Lastly, establish a revision schedule – commit yourself to reviewing material at regular intervals using flashcards or other techniques – if you don’t do this regularly then it will be difficult to fully absorb new knowledge.
Wrap Up
The core message that is emphasized in Future Fit is that the future will require us to be highly adaptable and have the capacity to engage in life-long learning.
Networking with others who can provide advice and support of key importance.
Likewise, leadership must become increasingly dynamic and accommodating in order to successfully adapt to change.
In conclusion, one actionable piece of advice from this book is to read up on unfamiliar topics whenever you can.
Taking the time to learn something new that you don’t know will help you gain perspective, confidence, and mental exercise.
So challenge yourself next time instead of binging on Netflix; spend 5-10 minutes reading about a topic you’re unfamiliar with!
