Four Skills Essential to Outrun the Robots in Tomorrow’s Workplace

Does the future of work mean that robots will ultimately take your job? Well, yes and no according to upcoming Heather McGowan, upcoming PTK Catalyst speaker and future of work authority.

In her book The Adaptation Advantage, McGowan says that technology is always advancing and, as a result, will consume many of the jobs as we know them today. Also, however, there will be new and different jobs for humans — the jobs that technology cannot perform. The key to thriving in this changing workplace is not to truly outrun the robots. Instead, we should learn to let go of our definitions of work that so strongly define our identities,  be aware of what technology brings to the table, and cultivate our “human skills” that complement the value that technology delivers.  This requires a shift in your way of thinking about work. It’s your adaptive advantage.

How many of these “human skills” from McGowan’s book The Adaptation Advantage do you have in your career toolbox?

1. Design mindset. The ability to deal with uncertainty, focus on finding and framing challenges, and placing humans at the center in seeking solutions

2. Novel and adaptive thinking. Your ability to move beyond the way you’ve learned things or the way it’s always been done to find new approaches that fit changing needs

3. Cognitive load management. The ability to filter and assess the value of the ever-growing amount of data coming your way without becoming overwhelmed

4. Sensemaking. Your ability to identify deeper meaning or significance in what is expressed.

What else to do need to be prepared for jobs of the future? Find out from Heather during PTK Catalyst. Learn more.