Because of COVID-lockdowns, millions of people have been laid off, had their hours cut, or been furloughed. With this we have freed up human ingenuity but are we truly tapping into the minds of those who are now un/underemployed? How are we using their wisdom and experience and helping re- or up-skill them for the new economy? A huge portion of our workforce is now either subsidised or on government welfare which is unsustainable and wasteful. What do we need to prepare our hearts and minds for 'beyond the virus'?
COVID-19 has accelerated the future of work and it’s likely a decade’s worth of tech advancement will be compressed into 2020. There are now over 3 million Australians reconsidering their career paths due to the changes that have been happening during this pandemic. From the attraction of unsung heroes like essential workers jobs and collaboration with cobots rather than replacement by robots, to the shift towards right brained jobs, and Digilogue collaboration, check out this interview with AusBiz where I decode the future of work:
The post-COVID19 era is one that will look vastly different from the one we left behind. 10 years worth of leadership lessons and digital transformation has been crammed into a single year - 2020. Sadly, some people who are being laid off today who will never get back into productivity - either because their skills are not relevant for a digitised workplace, or because their thinking/execution is being carried out by a robot or an AI.
Yes, this does sound dystopian, but it really is a call to arms for humans to reconnect with our curiosity, our creativity and our humanity, and to spur new learning, new business models, and to craft ideas for a new economy - the 2nd Renaissance.
Looking at our current circumstances, there are many questions about the world we live in – from what constitutes ‘work’, to modern family life and what ‘essential’ work or services look like. Evidence from our ING Future Focus Trend Report shows there is a Second Renaissance emerging, filled with new opportunities ready for the taking.