Andrew Mina

There are two increasing narratives screaming for your attention in the HR sphere: Technology is replacing people in workplaces and that employees are human 😲 But the myths being purported is that these are new phenomenons we are grappling with is ardently not true. They have simply found a new voice, or voices, in 2020.

Jobless

On the first one; that technology is taking peoples job, well yes and no to varying degrees. But let’s consider that this is the 4th Industrial revolution, indicating that there are three previous occasions where the way we work was profoundly altered forever and we still have work. Briefly, think about how the forklift has, thankfully, changed our world! This by no means is a dismissal of the value of people or the work they do, it is just now we need to learn the ‘drive’ the new technology like we did with the forklift.

Additionally, the advancements that society is making and creating new jobs. We now have many new learning opportunities for all of us to learn and grow. Simply check out the free online education websites out there, from language learning with Duolingo, coding with Edx, and more.

Human

The second one is that we are rediscovering the humanity of the humans that we work with and for. This, in and of itself,  can be considered to be good and we ought to hold in sharp focus that those around us are people who feel, breath, live just like ourselves. I think what we are seeing and hearing is a renaissance of humanity living and expressing itself in a more open, honest and vulnerable way than we have been allowed or permitted in over a generation. 

“On the societal front, a paradigm shift is underway in how we work and communicate, as well as how we express, inform and entertain ourselves.”

Klaus Schwab

So, what next?

So what can you do today to remain in the workforce, and only because your Unicorn 🦄hasn’t appeared just yet:

1) read 📚 listen 🙉 and engage more – follow your own curiosity and the guidance of your mentor or manager. Set a goal for what you learn in 2020 and it is not that you will master the topic necessarily, but you are informed beyond a conversational level.

2) Drop your guard 🛡 and engage with those around you. Many of us spend 8 hours a day with our work colleagues. I recognise we need to create and maintain safe workplaces, but perhaps the starting point could be:

• Learn your colleague’s name and greet them each day 👋🏼
• Find out their favourite beverage ☕️ or snack  🍿 and maybe you can get one for them 😉, and 
• Ask questions ❓ and make fewer assumptions.

Drop in the comments below how you might change the narratives and your work environment.

Every workplace is changed a little bit by every person who has ever worked in it.