In today’s rapidly evolving corporate landscape, adaptability has become a critical skill for success. As industries transform in response to technological advancements and changing global circumstances, professionals must continually innovate to meet the needs of clients and stay ahead of the curve.
Drawing on insights from the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the global shifts triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, TIA Alumni, Sam Varela, Principal Legal Risk Advisor at Aon South Africa, explores the importance of embracing change, leveraging both soft and hard skills, and staying agile in the face of technological disruption.
Technological advancements
The importance of adaptability in the world of work cannot be understated. In today’s ever-evolving and fast-paced corporate world, we have no option but to stay current, stay relevant and find innovative ways of providing our professional and expert services to our clients in the most efficient and effective way. This is underpinned by our ability to identify the needs of our clients and the evolution of not only our industry but the industries of our clients.
Since the advent of the 4IR we are more aware of the impact that technological advancements have on our daily lives. It goes without saying that while technology is meant to simplify our lives and make some tasks more seamless, we know that this comes with its challenges and obstacles.
While there may be fears of our skills and professions being replaced by progressive advancements in technological developments, it is more likely to create new, fresh and exciting opportunities. We have to learn how to strike an adequate and appropriate balance between soft skills (for example: emotional intelligence (EQ), negotiation skills, adaptability, team building etc.) and hard skills which may have been gained through technical upskilling and work experience.
What is crucial is to identify the gaps and opportunities in these areas and capitalise on them. If there is a better, faster and more effective way of achieving a task, I believe we need to accept this and adapt to change.
The gaps and opportunities
Advancements in technological developments, data transfer and ease of communication among entities and people are moving quickly and making the world a much smaller place. Our ability to communicate effectively and efficiently has contributed to this.
While technology can sometimes create challenges, we need to embrace the change provided by solution-driven ideas, that provide a faster, better and more effective output-driven approach.
Groundbreaking developments from the first automated or robotic heart transplant to generative artificial intelligence chatbots, the Internet of Things (IoT), automated vehicle manufacturing and so many more, show that the world of work in all industries is moving, shifting and changing at a rapid pace. If we don’t accept and adapt to this, we will be left behind.
The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic turned our world of work on its head. Corporations and clients alike had to find innovative ways to reach their clients and keep businesses afloat. This brought about new innovative and efficient ways of delivering service excellence across a myriad of industries. We were privy to the impact that advanced technological solutions can have on our day-to-day lives with the global medical fraternity serving as the perfect example in its delivery of possible solutions during the pandemic. With the ease of quick and effective cross-border communication, solutions can be debated and found much faster than decades ago.
There may be solutions inherent in observing and absorbing lessons from previous methodologies in our respective industries, allowing us to harness and leverage off of what we can learn from our predecessors in the world of work as therein may lie solutions from experts to some of the challenges we may face in our day to day lives.
Embracing change
In all aspects of our lives, there is a place for embracing change, taking note of the lessons we’ve learnt along the way and being resilient to setbacks. Self-reflection and introspection will allow us to identify our weaknesses and triggers, while also highlighting areas where we can hone in on our skills. There can be no growth without change and we need to embrace it with both hands.