Humanity has always been striving for the next step in automation. Communication has advanced from stone tablets to scrolls to paper to wire transmissions to instant text messages. Travel has advanced from walking to horses and carriages, which advanced to cars. Automation in our current digital age is just a continuation of these evolutions that have been happening for millennia.
But, with each advancement comes the revelation that there are still problems to solve. The level of sophistication of humanity’s needs and concerns continues to be a challenge. In fact, the more technology you have at your disposal, the more difficult moving forward and making a decision may become because of your unlimited options.
Technology may be making things more efficient or effective for humanity, but the advancements only highlight the gaps where a human’s skills cannot be replaced. For example, ChatGPT may be able to tell you how to build a house, the materials you will need, and what it will cost—but YOU still have to decide which contractor to hire to get the job done.
Skills like decision-making, conceptual thinking, collaboration, negotiation, futuristic thinking, and innovation cannot be replaced by technology. Competencies like these will in fact be your differentiator in the market, even more so than the latest technology—because everyone will have access to that same technology. But not everyone will take the time to invest in their people skills.
To grow your career, your team, and your organization, you must invest in developing these skills that cannot be replaced by technology, just as much as you invest in developing your technical skills. Follow these five steps to gain a people advantage in the age of technology.
Assess your current competency levels. To begin, you want to establish a baseline. Use assessments to learn how developed your skills are. These assessments will likely also teach you more about what each of these skills means in detail. If you happen to have a low score in futuristic thinking, for example, that doesn’t mean you aren’t a futuristic thinker. You just now know that there is room for you to grow that skill.
Prioritize a skill to develop. Now that you understand more about each skill and your personal level of development, prioritize the skills that will be the most beneficial to you and the career that you want. Futuristic thinking would be a critical skill for you if your role involves strategy or innovation, so you would want to prioritize that over another skill that could also need development.
Practice, practice, practice. Learn as much as you can, in different forms and formats, about the skill you want to develop—and then practice. Skills are best developed through practice. So, if you want to be a better futuristic thinker, put yourself in situations where you have to think futuristically or reference past trends. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to practice.
Find a mentor or coach. Engaging with a mentor or coach versed in the skill you are hoping to develop can help you grow your competency further, faster. They will often have practiced experience in activities that will help you build your skill and can offer their own perspective, advice, and experiences in skill development.
Repeat the above steps for interrelated skills. Most skills are actually connected. Futuristic thinking also requires skills in creativity, leadership, and innovation. To continue developing your futuristic thinking skills, pick one or two related skills and assess, prioritize, and practice them. This will naturally enhance the primary skill you wanted to develop and grow your skills in other areas.
When technology is no longer the differentiator, utilize your people skills to take the advantage.
Header photo by fauxels via Pexels.
