Technology has always changed the nature of work. The photocopier replaced mimeograph machines, while computers replaced typewriters. Today, technological advances, including generative AI tools, 5G expansion, and quantum computing, are rapidly impacting every industry. To advance, being technology literate is non-negotiable for anyone in a professional role.
Get Future Ready
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report (2023) outlined how 43% of work tasks will be automated, and a quarter of jobs will change by 2027.
The 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report by Microsoft and LinkedIn found that 66% of leaders would only hire someone with AI skills, and 71% would rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate without them.
Futurist Amy Webb, in her 2024 presentation at the SXSW Conference, discussed how we have entered an economic supercycle. This cycle is an “extended period of booming demand, elevating the prices of commodities and assets to unprecedented heights. It stretches across years, even decades, and is driven by substantial and sustained structural changes in the economy.”
In the past, these supercycles were driven by a single technology. This time, however, three converging pieces of technology are driving this cycle. As Webb outlines in the Future Trends Report, AI, biotechnology, and wearable devices are converging in a way that will redefine many aspects of life and work.
It’s Complex – Accept It
How this all plays out and what it means is unclear, and that means you need to get comfortable with constant uncertainty.
Getting comfortable isn’t the same as being complacent—quite the contrary. To thrive as a chief of staff and support your executive, you want to be strategic.
The first critical step is to accept that uncertainty is a part of work in a complex world. While you may not like it, uncertainty leads to growth and new opportunities.
Be An Early Adopter
You want to know what’s happening and how your role, profession, industry and sector will likely change. Use those insights to set yourself up as an early adopter of new technology.
It helps to take an open minded and experimental approach. You can experiment with the latest tools and techniques so you can assess the benefits and determine which ones to adopt.
For example, understanding analytics platforms is crucial in today’s data-driven world.
Tools like Power BI or Tableau can transform data into actionable insights. These tools allow you to identify trends and anticipate challenges, enabling you to be well-positioned to provide advice and make informed, strategic decisions.
Explore the tools your organisation uses and investigate additional tools to elevate the efficiency and effectiveness of your working day.
Leverage the Benefits
Technology is the engine driving today’s workplace productivity. Mastering digital tools can streamline routine tasks like scheduling, communication, and document management.
Apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams facilitate real-time collaboration, while project management tools like Trello or Asana keep tasks on track.
Additionally, large language models such as Perplexity, Microsoft Co-Pilot, and Chat GPT can be used to draft emails and reports, summarise information and extract salient points, schedule meetings, automate routine tasks, explain complex problems, and provide step-by-step instructions.
The result? More time for strategic activities and critical decision-making.
It’s More Than Technical
When building your skillset, remember that while the predictable and process elements of roles will be automated or outsourced to robots, what can’t be automated are relational, emotional and leadership skills.
In your focus on elevating your technological literacy, don’t forget the human-to-human connection.
Mastering technology and embracing digital evolution is crucial if you want to accelerate your progress and success now and in the future.
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Written by Michelle Gibbings.
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