Posted on March 21st, 2020

Over the past year or so, I’ve written and spoken passionately about the future workforce changes that are expected as we move into the 4th industrial revolution. Research conducted by the Brookings Institute, the World Economic Forum, and McKinsey & Co. (to name a few) all points to workforce changes our generation has never seen before.

Everything from robots eliminating some 41 million American jobs by 2030 to the rise of gig workers has now all come into focus as the United States and the world deal with the new coronavirus (CoViD 19). Not even the best algorithm models could have predicted the workplace changes we see happening before our very eyes. Virtually overnight, this virus has caused millions of workers to become “remote workers,” and the American workforce landscape will never be the same.

This new way of working will require new skills and strategies for engaging, inspiring, and rallying your team around a shared vision. More than ever before, leaders will have to reimagine and create a new narrative around how they reward soft skills such as emotional intelligence, critical thinking, complex problem solving, judgement and decision-making, people management, and those who can exercise cognitive flexibility.

Take a hard look at these skills, because according to the experts named above, the demand for these so-called “soft skills” will see an increase of nearly 24% over the next 30 years.

Study this list again, and you will see that these are the skills organizations desperately need during any crisis, especially this one. Who can think outside the box? Who can you count on to apply critical thinking and remain calm under pressure? Who understands the four quadrants of emotional intelligence and can teach it to other members of the team. When it comes to judgment and decision-making, which of your leaders can effectively lead teams remotely and still inspire them to greatness?

Now is the time to help your supervisors, managers, and leaders reinvent themselves for the future. Where do you start? by helping them hone the skills that are considered the skills of the future.

Future crises will require them. Got skills? Reinvent yourself now!

2020 Cubie Davis King, All rights reserved internationally.