DEVELOPMENT
researching judgements and case law, and
analysing insurance claims—just to name a few.
As a result, it makes more sense to focus on what
you can do to future proof your career, because
your career is more than just a product to be
commoditised, and you certainly don’t want to
become obsolete.
How to stop robots
taking your job
The start of a new decade is the right time to
take a look at how you can stay ahead of the
game, as AI and automation start to play a
bigger role in business says Michelle Gibbings
THE EXPERT
Michelle Gibbings is
a change leadership
and career expert and
founder of Change
Meridian. Michelle works
with global leaders and
teams to help them
get fit for the future of
work. She is the Author
of Step Up: How to
Build Your Influence at
Work and Career Leap:
How to Reinvent and
Liberate your Career.
I recently had someone ask me how to help
them future proof their job. Interesting question.
The term ‘future proof’ is often used in the
technology and medical sectors, where it’s
desirable to build products that retain their value
and don’t quickly become obsolete. So, in terms
of your job, it could make sense to think about
how you can ‘future proof’ it. Eventually all
products become obsolete and get replaced by
something else. Something that’s bigger, better
and more innovative. It’s the same with jobs. Jobs
come, and jobs go.
Research from multiple sources confirms
that workplace change, largely driven by AI
and automation, will result in new categories
of jobs emerging, while others will partly or
wholly disappear. The 2017 McKinsey Global
Institute report found that almost half of today’s
available work activities have the potential to be
automated. Their analysis, which surveyed 46
countries representing about 80 per cent of the
global workforce, found that fewer than 5 per
cent of occupations could be fully automated
using currently available technology. However,
about 60 per cent of occupations have at least
30 percent of activities that could be automated.
Their conclusion was that most occupations will
change in some way.
Already we are seeing robots do the work
of humans in dispensing prescription drugs,
Seek new opportunities
What everyone agrees on is the current wave
of change is creating new opportunities with
new professions appearing. It’s also shifting the
emphasis on skills and capabilities. This digital
and automated world prizes curiosity, creativity,
problem solving, initiative, adaptability and EQ.
As well, the fastest-growing occupations will
require higher-level cognitive skills in those areas,
and 30 to 40 percent of jobs will require explicit
social-emotional skills. Those so-called ‘soft
skills’ are no longer nice to have, but imperative.
Find your learning edge
Continued career success requires a constant desire
to learn so you stay relevant in your profession.
You can’t just wait for someone to tell you what
you need to learn. You need to be abreast of the
latest thinking and ideas from your profession,
and also from complementary professions. This
requires a desire and willingness to go beyond the
norm and what feels comfortable, to learn new
things and experiment with the unknown.
Know your value proposition
Being future-ready requires you to deliberately
construct and design your career. It’s being open
to the inevitable change that is coming down the
pipeline by understanding what it means for you
and being ready for it. That’s only possible if you
are aware of your unique value proposition and
what you stand for.
Everyone brings certain skills and ways of
operating to the work they do. Think of it as your
unique selling proposition. It’s the value you
deliver through the work you do, and it’s how
you engage and lead. It’s what makes you stand
out from everyone else. However, what’s valued
by organisations changes over time. It’s therefore
essential to be able to clearly articulate that value
in a way that is meaningful, current and targeted.
You want to be able to explain how you can help
an organisation, business or client achieve their
objectives, and to demonstrate that you are ready
and equipped for the future. When it comes to
your career doing it right doesn’t mean there is
only one way or one path to follow. It’s about
being proactive and deliberate about the choices
you make, so you lead your career in the way you
want it to be led. S
www.michellegibbings.com
Issue 1 2020 | Chief of Staff 59