Future skill above the others: empathy
On June 16th, we at Funzi had the privilege to host world-leading futures researchers and learning advocates in our quarterly event Funzi Mobile talks. The theme of this event was “The fundamental skills needed in the future of work.” The discussion panel included Professor of Futures studies Markku Wilenius from Dubai Future Foundation, Dr. Saara Tamminen from Sitra, the Founder of Reconstructed Living Labs, Marlon Parker, and the President and Founder Aape Pohjavirta from Funzi.
If you missed the event, you can watch the recording.
As the digital transformation is only picking up speed, the future may seem sometimes intimidating, sometimes hopeful, and at times challenging. However, during the discussions, we learned that one skill that appears to make a difference universally is empathy.
Empathy means the ability to learn to look at challenges from someone else’s perspective, as our guest speaker, Professor of Futures studies Markku Wilenius, stated. “Empathy is a superpower because it puts you in a position where you’re never alone,” says Aape Pohjavirta. Soft skills such as emotional intelligence and empathy are becoming crucial in working life. Pohjavirta suggests that empathy is a skill that can not necessarily be taught but it can be learned.
How do we get better at this critical skill, then? “By placing young people in environments where empathy can be exercised,” says Marlon Parker, the Founder of Reconstructed Living Labs in South Africa. “It is one of the skills that neutralizes the playfield,” he continues. By this, he means that anyone from any demographic or socio-economic background can partake in the exercise.
What drives the transformation in working life?
Dr. Saara Tamminen and her colleagues at Sitra (the Finnish Innovation Fund) study societal and planetary megatrends, the global patterns of change compared to history. Behind this grand transformation lies megatrends that are all connected.
The first megatrend, according to Sitra, is the ecological reconstruction that needs to take place urgently. Secondly, relational power is strengthening, which means that networks and interaction will be increasingly significant, and spreading confusion is a way of wielding power. The third megatrend is that populations are typically aging and becoming more diverse. The fifth megatrend is that the economy is seeking a new direction, and new business models are needed to tackle the ecological crises. Finally, the last megatrend is that technology is becoming embedded in absolutely everything.
Megatrends are the drivers of the change. New business models generate a new type of work. According to Marlon Parker, the concept of work should be redefined, which creates a challenge to equip young people for work that doesn’t exist yet. “In Africa, youth unemployment rates are based on what we thought is work. We have associated work with going to a certain place, and that has transpired during Covid. Instead, we need to move from work as a place and process to people and results.”
Skills to acclimate to the change
There is a causal connection between the megatrends and the skill set we need to navigate in professional and individual life, how the labor market is changing, and how education must respond. Professor Wilenius pinpoints the four most critical future skill sets. Planetary skills help us understand ecological reconstruction and see value in our environment. Complexity skills allow us to focus on the essential and filter information from overload and confusion. Third, as global populations become more diverse, we need empathy to observe challenges from someone else’s perspective. Finally, creativity will enable us to find more sustainable solutions in business to tackle the climate crisis.
Leading with love
Educational institutions and organizations must shift from leading from a top-down hierarchy to leading with love. As the future of work is inevitably moving towards a more human-centric approach, learning, education, and management styles must reflect this approach. “Future is interesting because everyone is going there, and it’s the only place where no one has been. It’s always unsure, and we must learn to look beyond the forefronts,” continues Pohjavirta.
Educational institutions are no longer considered as the future of learning. Modular learning is self-driven, flexible, and enables more rapid learning of the skills needed for a specific position. Traditional institutions are too slow and inflexible to be able to drive change. As the institutions are still relying on the outdated credential system, competition, and outdoing your peers, they cannot lead with love and empathy. “Empathy is a great tool for learning,” states Professor Wilenius. In the future, one’s credentials will shift to endorsements and recommendations from peers and mentors. Communication skills and empathy will matter. “You can never stop learning unless you stop listening,” he continues.
As automation continues, more jobs (as we now understand work) will continue to disappear. A new type of work will appear; the future of work is human and requires even more empathy, connection, communication, collaboration, and creativity. We must also emphasize celebrating our own milestones as well as the ones of our peers.
Final thoughts from the panel
What we need to succeed in the future is…
A human-centered approach. The work of the future will be human-centered, and our learning should reflect that.
-Marlon ParkerCreativity. Creativity is a skill that allows us to find new solutions to old and new problems.
-Professor Markku WileniusEmotions that drive our actions. Sharing information is not enough; we need emotions to drive our actions.
-Dr. Saara TamminenTo learn, to unlearn, to relearn. Any skill can be a future skill when applied properly.
-Aape Pohjavirta
“If you’re not building a better future, you are living someone else’s future.” -Aape Pohjavirta
Skills fundamental to the future of work are skills that we also need in life in the future. Humanity is facing massive challenges, but individual input and collaboration are critical, and we must get everyone on board. Traditional institutions alone fail to equip us with the fundamental transferable soft skills, and they alone cannot prepare us for the future as the protocols are too slow. We need modular learning opportunities that equip us with skills that we need at a rapid pace and enable us to implement those skills in all areas of life.
You can watch the full event here.
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