2016 has started with many complex dynamics all around the globe which contribute to increase the uncertainties about the future of new economy, work and more in general our life. We can read many different analysis that can lead to an exactly equal number of different conclusions.
It is clear is that the world as we knew is changing and technologies are contributing to it at a speed that doesn’t allow everyone to catch the interrelated dynamics involving everything. And here it comes Big Data, data analytic softwares about almost everything that are promising us to identify more clearly and in a shorter time, the relevant information we need to make accurate decision in such a complex world. When we are almost ready to breath and relax, here it comes Martin Lindstrom with “Small Data: the tiny clues that uncover huge trends” – nominated best seller at NewYork Times – which reminds us that actually “devil lies in the details”.
Not to forget the increasing impact of automation and IT technologies to a more connected and flexible working environment which requires employing people that in some cases do not exists yet – if we search them by following the traditional HR principles, too focused on hard skills and CVs’ texts. Terminologies like O2O (On line to Off Line), CDO (Chief Digital Officer) are just one example of how Human Resources should move from a mainly administrative function to a more strategic one. The first to be empowered with the need to understand what is going on out there are in fact the people involved in HR who need to lead the organization toward this change and adjustment to this dynamic and high-tech reality.
Pressure, responsibilities, deadlines, complexity and risk to make it wrong doesn’t help to move to this new level. Uncertain economic conditions and shrinking sales revenues, doesn’t allow to consider this recent future as a priority to invest in. Though, who will take the challenge to do it right now will definitely succeed.
Companies need to focus more on diversity, soft skills like complex problem solving, creativity, analysis and emotional intelligence. But the market and the education systems prepare us to competition, specialization and others skills that will be still useful though not as useful as others necessary for a more global, interconnected, technologically unpredictable and diverse economy. As an example: how many people know that emotions impact on human behaviour? How many know that a conscious knowledge and management of emotions can have a positive impact on our life and work?
Let’s just accept complexity an change as new normal conditions. We should prepare well, analyze, but at certain point we must take decisions and be less risk-averse. If we’ll wait too long, things will change again and our analysis will be out of date. In conclusion, we should not consider our decisions as a final strategy but keep them as a first step on a path of continuous improvement to turn pure theory into a scientific law.
As mentioned by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder: “Trial error is freedom”.
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