16. What’s the new mix of skills for a C-suite exec?
With a transformative world comes the need for a transformed suite of talent. Rapidly shifting markets mean you need an agile and flexible management structure. A greater influx of technology means you likely need technologists at the top. These are not necessarily capabilities that organizations have traditionally developed within their C-suite and management levels. But the need for change is becoming unavoidable, and companies that fail to address this may find themselves swiftly outmaneuvered.
Read more: Has your C-suite changed to reflect the changing times?
17. How can AI help us do less to achieve more?
Robots and human beings are often framed in opposition to each other – not just in science fiction dystopias, but in the real world of jobs and the economy. However, what robots can do is boost productivity, and free humans from repetitive and monotonous tasks. Theoretically, this allows human talent to do what robots can’t – focusing on creativity and the kind of innovation and complex decision-making that algorithms will continue to struggle with. This has been the line of technology optimists for some time. The 2020s may just put this theory to the test.
Read more: Is AI the start of the truly creative human?
18. What should educators be teaching the future workforce?
It’s all well and good to say artificial intelligence and other technologies will create new, more engaging jobs. But determining exactly what form those roles might take is another question entirely. Identifying these roles, deciding on the skill sets needed to fill them, and developing teaching strategies to help the next generation of workers acquire those skills, will be a pressing task for politicians, educators and employers alike in the next decade.
Read more: How do you prepare for careers that don’t exist yet?
19. Can corporate cultures survive the gig expansion?
The major story of labor in the past decade has been the emergence of the gig economy. More than a third of the US workforce is officially involved in gig employment – and this is expected to rise to more than half within the next five years. Gig economy workforces are more flexible than traditional workforces, but learning how to manage these workers, and engage with them effectively, will be a key challenge for those using their abilities as gig economy models proliferate.
20. How can you break new ground on inclusion without breaking local laws?
A critical component of managing talent is promoting inclusion, from women, to people of color, to LGBT+ people – particularly as progressive social values become more and more mainstream in western societies. However, pursuing these values as a multinational can be complex – homosexuality, for example, is still illegal in 73 countries as of late 2019. Protecting the rights of staff and advocating for change while adhering to local legislation is a challenge that needs to be confronted.
Read more: Can you apply a globally consistent policy across an inconsistent world?
Looking ahead
The coming decade will undoubtedly have more surprises and questions for us than these here. Few at the beginning of the last decade foresaw things like the financial crash or the sheer ubiquity of the smartphone. People in 2030 will likely experience similarly radical changes that few will have yet spoken about today.
However, by beginning to think about how we think about the future now, and design plans and processes that cater for speed, flexibility, and agility to deal with what’s next, then decision-makers today can confront the unknowns of tomorrow and beyond with confidence.