Jobs of the Future and Path to Staying Ahead

Ahmed Othmani
Head of Strategy and Marketing
CNS Aero Inc.

Future Leaps Inc.

Understanding Technological Forces, and Crafting Effective Strategies for the jobs of the future

Are you ready for the jobs of the future? With technology advancing at a rapid pace, the job market is undergoing a major transformation. It’s time to adapt and prepare for the new opportunities that lie ahead.

At Future Leaps Inc., we extensively contemplate the future of work and jobs of the future. Drawing insights from the extensive article to the insights by billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, which carries significance for all concerning the future of work and employment. Our aim in this article is to offer further compelling predictions concerning the direction of job markets and effective strategies for navigating forthcoming opportunities.

This article is divided into the following sections:

• Embracing progress – Next steps for the future of work
• The Inevitable – Understanding the technological forces that’ll shape our future
• Machine, Platform, Crowd – Harnessing our digital future
• Thank you for being late: Guide to thriving in the age of acceleration
• Future Strategy: Crafting an effective future of work strategy

Embracing progress: Next steps for the jobs of the future

Scenario:
Winston Henry feels unsettled. He is employed at a large corporation with a relatively high turnover here there was a round of layoffs recently. He has noticed increasing use of independent contractors and became aware of the more transient and varied nature of new career profiles from chatting with former colleagues, as well as from discussions with consultants. So, he has developed a new understanding of the range of possibilities and probabilities
for his own career.

Therefore, he is considering what his prospects are at his current employer and is thinking hard about what else he might do elsewhere over the longer term. As Winston is interested in staying at the company, but they haven’t yet talked to him about his future prospects at all, and he doesn’t want to be blindsided by any re-organization or layoffs. So, he is actively working on the next steps of his own career plan, looking at the realistic possibilities; where he is working now and what else he might want to do in the future and for whom. This evolution will continue to grow increasingly conspicuous and ubiquitous within organizations.

As we move towards new working environments that are keenly talent-focused, as well as digitally-integrated, technological advances are enabling new ways of working—responding to evolving need of enhancing productivity and better employees performance. On the other side, organizations that focus on their talent, articulate a meaningful culture, evolve their leadership style and integrate technology to create a new work environment will be ones that thrive going forward to better embrace jobs of the future. 

Machines, platform and crowd: Harnessing our digital future

Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson have co-authored a transformative book, ‘Machines, Platforms and Crowds’. McAfee is a principal research scientist at MIT where he studies how digital technologies are changing businesses, economies and societies. While Erik Brynjolfsson is a professor at MIT. He is also a keynote speaker at conferences like World Economic Forum, BusinessWeek CEO Summit and elsewhere. He is a graduate of Harvard University and MIT. Both co-authors have been named to the Thinkers 50 list of the world’s top management thinkers and the Politico 50 group of people transforming American politics.

The traditional approach to creating business value has always been people think up or invent a better way of doing something (Minds), monetize the idea (Products) and then build a company around making that product or service (Core). That basic Minds | Products | Core dynamic is at the heart of the modern economy.

However, three trends have now arisen:

1. Machines (Robots and AI machines) are getting smarter and when supplied with big data can learn by identifying patterns and finding smarter ways to do things.
2. Platforms (like Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon) have come along run by companies which don’t make or own anything but just facilitate transactions and resource sharing.
3. The Internet makes it feasible for crowds (cross-functional user groups) working together to come up with better ideas than experts.

The combined result of these three trends is the Minds | Products | Core dynamic is rapidly being superseded by Machines | Platforms | Crowd. The good thing is with change comes opportunity. The key to excelling in the years ahead will be to take advantage of Machines | Platforms | Crowd because jobs of the future lie in these themes.

Thank you for being late: Guide to thriving in the age of acceleration

Technology stands as the primary catalyst propelling the rapid transformations we witness today. Thomas L. Friedman, the author of the book, ‘Thankyou for being late’ answers these questions by focusing on 3 main accelerations — technology, globalization, and climate change — are all rapidly changing at the same time. Friedman elucidated that this phenomenon can be attributed to the exponential surge in computing capabilities. We are being outpaced by this massive force of Internet and cloud computing which he calls the ‘Supernova‘.

The launch of the 1st generation iPhones, Android, Kindle, cloud technologies like Hadoop and Google Cloud, along with increased bandwidth speed and mobility of networking, sophisticated software, and AI like IBM Watson, all came in about or around the year 2007. All these technologies came together (Smartphones + mobile Internet + unlimited storage in the cloud servers) and launched a modern-day technological revolution.

The Supernova is transforming everything digitally, in orders of magnitude. Despite
the increasing rate of innovation and technological advancements, this rate of change began speeding up to disorienting levels and has put our ability to test.

For many, this will seem like a losing battle. How can someone keep moving, better prepared for the jobs of the future and not burn out? How can someone ever survive in this age? By maintaining a lifelong learning attitude and keeping updated!

In an era marked by rapid technological advancements occurring every decade, fostering a lifelong learning mindset becomes imperative for adaptability. Through platforms like the internet, learning resources are readily accessible, enabling individuals to continuously update their skills. For instance, AT&T’s transformation from communication cables to broadband and computing underscores the necessity for employees to evolve with the changing landscape. To address skill gaps, AT&T initiated a retraining program in collaboration with Udacity, Coursera and universities, highlighting a new social contract: subsidized or free tuition in exchange for employees’ commitment to ongoing self-improvement. This approach signifies a shift towards lifelong learning as a prerequisite for sustained employment at AT&T.

Future Strategy: Crafting an effective future of work strategy

A future of work or future of jobs strategy encompasses initiatives aimed at addressing the uncertainties and consequences of forthcoming events. Which may prompt changes in the nature, timing, and location of work, as well as the entities or mechanisms involved. These changes may stem from internal organizational decisions or external trends like technological advancements, market dynamics, and demographic shifts. Emily Rose McRae, Gartner Senior Director Analyst, highlights the potential existential risks these trends pose to businesses, emphasizing the need for a dynamic and continuously evolving future of work strategy, underscoring the iterative nature of its development.

A future of work strategy includes:

• A description of the organization’s current and desired state for how, when and where work is done; who does the work; and what is considered work

• A prioritized list of future of work trends

• A roadmap for implementing future of work initiatives the organization will pursue

The process of making the future of work strategy

In order to develop a future of work vision and strategy for your organization, we recommend a comprehensive three-phase process: trends analysis, scenario creation and strategic planning.

1. Trend analysis
2. Scenario Creation
3. Strategic (long-term) planning

Phase 1: Trends Analysis

First, scope, understand and prioritize key trends and potential disruptions.

Identify Trends

• Identify future trends from the following sources:
  • External source
    1. outside experts
    2. press reports
    3. industry-specific trend reports
    4. search engine alerts
  • Internal sources
    1. progressive business leaders
    2. talent analytics
    3. board and executive meeting minutes
    4. employee and customer surveys

Interpret Trends

Use one or both of the following lenses to understand the relevance and implications of the identified trends:

• Trends uncertainty: Assess trends on a spectrum of low to high uncertainty and within four categories:
  • Trends that are a reality today
  • Predictable trends
  • Unpredictable trends
  • Transformative trends 

• Trends impact: Assess trends based on the influence of external factors, such as technological (AI, Chat GPT), political (Brexit, war in Palestine and Ukraine), economic (economic alliances), social or cultural, trust or ethics, regulatory or legal, and environmental factors. This will help you uncover which trends have the greatest potential to impact your organization. 

Prioritize Trends

Next, prioritize those trends with the greatest potential impact or opportunity for competitive advantage. For example:

• John Deere’s mega-trend assessment filters approach includes an impact screen (testing the relationship between the trend and the company’s core business and capabilities). And an opportunity screen (ranking megatrends and identifying those fit for time and resource investment). These screens help filter and prioritize future of work trends.

Phase 2: Scenario Creation

Scenario creation is an adaptive approach to predicting and testing future business scenarios using the prioritized future of work trends.

Develop Future Scenarios

1. Identify critical uncertainties for prioritized trends that can lead to a range of future outcomes. 

2. Combine range of future outcomes to create future scenarios.

3. Identify the business implications of each scenario, and use storytelling techniques to build simple and relatable narratives that illustrate the business impact.

Phase 3: Strategic Planning

Developing an organization-wide future of work strategy is highly advantageous, offering a competitive edge, fostering innovation, and boosting employee engagement and being ready for the jobs of the future. This unified approach streamlines operations and promotes shared accountability across business units, enhancing overall effectiveness. As organizations increasingly prioritize future workforce planning, lead managers play a pivotal role in spearheading centralized strategies. Such initiatives are crucial for maintaining competitiveness amidst ongoing disruption and uncertainty.

Automation may be gutting American manufacturing jobs, but there’s one thing the robots still can’t beat us at: people skills. It just so happens that the future of American labor will require a lot of them. The occupations projected to add the most jobs in the next 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, all req

Preparing for the future: Embrace change and lead a successful life

To thrive in the future job market, it’s essential to embrace change and continuously learn new skills. The jobs of the future will require adaptability, creativity, and a willingness to embrace technology.

Stay updated with the latest trends and developments in your industry to better be prepared for the jobs of the future. Seek out opportunities for professional development and upskilling. Network with like-minded individuals and stay connected with industry experts.

Remember, success in the future is not just about having a job – it’s about leading a fulfilling life. Find your passion, pursue your dreams, and create a life that brings you joy and satisfaction.

So, get ready for the jobs of the future, attain financial freedom, and lead a successful life. Take those future leaps and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead. The future is yours for the taking!

Leap into the future, take the next exit!