>Why it's important
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The world is changing exponentially
The world is being disrupted in unprecedented ways by global megatrends like technology evolution, globalization, entrepreneurship, or attitude shifts. To thrive, organizations need to change before they have to and evolve faster than these trends. This requires new structures, mindsets and skillsets. The way we work does not work anymore The suit was invented in the 17th century, yet we still wear it to work. Yet, billions are made by entrepreneurs in T-shirts. It's time to change not only what we wear to work, but how we work and live. We can help you to work better in the new world. |
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Technology is changing purchasing behaviours. Consumer spending via mobile is estimated to increase from US$204b in 2014 to US$626b in 2018. Almost half of all e-commerce sales will be from mobile commerce. Technology is also determining ways people work now. Recent research at Oxford University shows technology’s threats and opportunities. 47 percent of jobs may be automated within ten years. Yet today there have been 627,000 jobs created for people to build and sell apps on Apps store that did not exist ten years ago. Globalization is increasing, and economic power continues to shift east and south of the globe. With growing economic influence, emerging markets are gaining bigger share in the knowledge economy. It is estimated that 40% of global R&D investments come from Asia. Chinese companies are globalizing aggressively, moving production out of China. Alibaba, the e-commerce company has outgrown Amazon, Facebook and IBM. Entrepreneurship drivers in rapid growth markets are moving from necessity to opportunity. Developing nations score higher than developed in entrepreneurial activity. Uganda is the world's most entrepreneurial country; 28% of its adult population started businesses in the last 42 months, which is almost twice as high as any other country in the world. UK comes at 37th place (4.6%), US at 41st (4.3%). Japan is the world's 4th least entrepreneurial country, with 1.3% of adults running their own business. Attitudes are changing. Millennials (people born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s.) will amount to 50% of employees by 2020. Millennials are born "digital natives", and they often show more similarities with people at their age in a different country, than with people ten years older in their own. They value social contribution, learning and wellbeing. The are not attracted to employers who do not. Millennials are entrepreneurial, especially in emerging markets; 57% of China’s entrepreneurs are between the ages of 25 to 34. |
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We need new types of leadership to create a better world
The increasing complexity has made it both more important, yet more difficult to build entrepreneurial cultures, encourage collaboration and innovation. Ability to learn fast and adapt is paramount to survival. The evolving nature of organizations requires employees that are open to new attitudes, approaches and ideas. |
We need to change the way we work
The nature of knowledge work has shifted from 1) local to global, and 2) from what data to look for, and where to find it to how to identify novel and unprecedented insights from the exponentially increasing amount and complexity of information available at our fingerprints. As the world has evolved, we deal with increasingly adaptive challenges where existing expertise may no longer be an asset. What is required is curiosity, openness, resilience and agility (i.e. a “growth mindset”). Disruptive innovation is the only way to succeed, and that requires rapidly tapping into diversity of skillsets inside, and outside the organisation. Organisations need to be able to offer environments and flexibility conducive to maintaining high performance and well-being in these circumstances. We need better learners
Learning in current circumstances is characterized by stuckness, disappointments and surprises, yet in fact success depends on how one responds when they occur. Doing this requires operating from a state of clarity, in other words, attending mindfully to each situation at hand, observing and modeling, taking risks, experimenting, failing and learning from the failures. Tapping into neuroscience and newest cognitive psychology research is necessary to provide the right opportunities and ways to learn. Leading organizations in diverse industries have been shifting their L&D strategies from teaching content to building platforms, structures and practices to develop learning agility (defined as “the ability and willingness to learn from experience and apply the learning in novel, complex situations”, or put simpler knowing what to do, when you do not know what to do). We need better leaders
This shift means leaders need resilience and dispositions to publicly admit lack of knowledge or capability, ask for feedback and advice, try behaviours they might not be comfortable with, and reflect on the process. They need to be able to tap into both data analysis, and the subconscious and intuitive aspects of decision-making. Leaders need to become more genuine, and show real passion to solve big challenges. Leadership is becoming everyone's job as organizations need entrepreneurial workforce. We need to change corporate cultures
We need a shift in thinking from “event” learning to a gradual seeding of culture change and habit change. This means that focus is less on what training is provided and when, to what learning happens and how. People need “learning to learn” - strategies, processes and methods of “high performance state management“ that allows for truly generative learning to happen in teams and individuals. These should be a part of the structure and culture of the organisation. |