In a continuation of our Prognostications, Predictions and Hot Topics for 2020, here Consultants Collective member executive coach Kevin Jordan shares some articles that look at the workforce in the upcoming years.
As we look to the future, the majority of this week’s articles look at the next generations of workers, including trends in education and career preparedness to migration into the workforce. And while we blaze into the future, Kathryn Bouskill, in her TED Talk, reminds us about the need to slow down. As always, happy reading and listening!
Articles
“The pace of technological change isn’t going to slow down anytime soon, but some contradictory voices are now arguing that doesn’t mean everyone should become a coder or engineer. On the contrary, some are now ready to predict that 2020 will be the year demand for traditional liberal arts majors makes a major rebound.”
“This ability to focus isn’t simply about using fewer apps or reducing the number of screens kids access at once but applying rigor to the source of the information they take in. In other words, students need to return to the fundamentals of education where you question the information and the source, which allows you to gain a greater understanding.”
“Underemployment and pathways to careers are increasingly pressing issues as colleges and universities haven’t come close to keeping up with the digital skills demanded by employers…As most employers now believe that our current system of entry-level hiring is broken, the next front in the talent war will be entry-level hiring. And the primary loser in this battle is likely to be traditional colleges and universities.”
“There are some 74 million so-called Digital Natives [Gen Z] in the United States…Leadership should be prepared to manage this new generation of young adults who, much like the millennials, are set to change the face of the workforce.”
“Young people are going to save us all from office life – Gen Z-ers and millennials have been called lazy and entitled. Could they, instead, be among the first to understand the proper role of work in life?”
“Understanding the practices that have allowed first hires to succeed in the fast-paced environments that are inherent to most startups can give the rest of us insight into how to do the same in our own organizations.”
“As US wages continue to stagnate and unemployment remains low, about 12% of companies — including Walmart and McDonald’s — are offering a controversial new perk to attract workers: on-demand access to earned wages.”
“…People we admire from afar are tantalizingly within reach — just a tweet or an email away. Many people blow that opportunity by failing to establish their credibility (“Who is this person?”) or going directly to an ask without demonstrating any reason their target would want to connect. By using these strategies, you’ll have the opportunity to stand out and build better connections with people you’ll be proud to have in your network.”
“When we needlessly apologize, we end up making ourselves small and diminish what we’re trying to express.”
TED Talks/Podcasts
“Why does modern technology promise efficiency, but leave us constantly feeling pressed for time? Anthropologist Kathryn Bouskill explores the paradoxes of living in a fast-paced society and explains why we need to reconsider the importance of slowing down in a world that demands go, go, go.”
“As a “corporate suit” (his words) and former VP of sustainability at McDonald’s, Bob Langert works with companies and their strongest critics to find solutions that are good for both business and society. In this actionable talk, he shares stories from the decades-long transition into corporate sustainability at McDonald’s — including his work with unlikely partners like the Environmental Defense Fund and Temple Grandin — and shows why your adversaries can sometimes be your best allies.”
Blog Posts
“Realizing that what other people think about you is not important—because we’re all just passing through—is freeing. It’s not a hall pass for bad behavior. On the contrary, it frees you to do the right thing regardless of the criticism that may come from it.”
“It’s tempting to box off all the incoming, to divide it by provenance and to ignore any insight, wisdom or lesson that comes from a questionable/foreign/unfamiliar source. But it’s free. Hiding from it means we can’t benefit from it.”
Arts & Culture Corner
“Is this $15 Million Christmas tree the most expensive in the world?”
“It’s nearly 2020, folks. We know not what terrors the next decade may bring, but if you thought the 2010s were a bit tOo mUcH, there’s still time to end this decade right—by, uh, sprinting back to 2009 with an app that makes your iPhone look like an old-school, click-wheel iPod.”
“More than a century ago, Christian fundamentalists invented cereal to promote a healthy lifestyle free of sin. Little did they know, their creation would eventually be used to promote everything from radio and cartoons to Mr. T and tooth decay.”
Photo credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-women-looking-and-pointing-at-macbook-laptop-1569076/
