The document discusses the changing landscape of work and essential skills for the future, emphasizing the impact of technology and societal shifts on workforce capabilities. Key abilities highlighted include sensemaking, social intelligence, novel thinking, and adaptability across cultural settings, with a focus on lifelong learning and diverse skillsets. It also addresses the rise of freelancing, the importance of individual empowerment, and the need for new educational approaches to prepare for future challenges.

1. SHIFT HAPPENED.
Now what?
Speaking notes prepared for the Sydney Thinking
Women’s Network on the forces that changed
everything and what skills we will need in future,
by Annalie Killian, Catalyst for Magic, AMP
@maverickwoman
30 May 2012

2. OUR CERTAINTIES
• 2012 AIM Australian Capability Index Highlights
• 252 respondents, self-assessment
• Key findings:
• Australians most capable in Integrity, financial mngmt, governance
• Least capable in Innovation products & services, & Organisation Capability
• Rockbottom is Visionary & Strategic Leadership which incorp international
perspectives & global thinking

3. • My role: Improve the Future Quotient (FQ)
of my organisation
• FQ: The ability to anticipate the future in
the present so you can create value over a
long-term
• Examples: Amplify Festival and Samplify
(http://www.amplifyfestival.com.au )
• Amplify Theme 2013: Shift Happened: The
transformation of business and work

4. OUR TECHNOLOGIES
Forces that caused the shift & are still shaping it
1. Advances in health> Radical longevity
2. Rise of smart machines & systems, do-it-yourself
technologies > automation
3. New Globalisation> talent anywhere
4. Ubiquitous connectivity > synchronous,
asynchronous, 24/7
5. Radical transparency, social pressure, performance

5. DARK TRUTHS
• NO INDUSTRY UNTOUCHED- not even prostitution
• Scarcity and Abundance flipped > rise of Freelancers
• Outdated architectures ( Corporates, education, personal)
• New order, mismatch of skills
• Fragmentation: Risk loss of concentration, mastery, play
• Isolation: Work as community lost, other relationships
• Exclusion: The new poor > loss of jobs, World Futurist
Society predicts 2 billion by 2030

6. THE BRIGHT SIDE
• Power returned to individual > capital, means of
production, prosumer
• Co-Creation> Amplification of impact, energy
• Social Engagement > rise of empathy, awareness of
balance, our choices & consequences
• Micro-entrepreneurship > Crafting a career
through continuous creativity

7. OUR SKILL-SETS
• From “Earning a living” to “Learning a living”-
education not bundled in early years, but all
lifestages
• From shallow generalist/ deep expert to serial
mastery ( i-Shaped to T-shaped)
• From isolated competitor to innovative connector
• From passive consumer to passionate producer

8. • 10 Skillsets for the Future Workforce
according to Institute for the Future

9. SENSEMAKING > ability to determine a
deeper meaning or insight from data,
environment, events
• Artificial Intelligence vs Human Intelligence
Difference: Reproductive vs Productive
thinking
• Genius is not about a High IQ, its about how
many ways you can look at a problem
• Develop? Diversity of experiences, esp kids,
Make thinking visible- draw, paint, share,
visual/ spatial development, theatre

10. • SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE > Ability to
connect others in a deep & direct way, to
sense & stimulate reactions, desired
interactions
• TED SYDNEY: Curator Chris Anderson>
“The ability to convey complex ideas in a
way that moves people is a new literacy”
• Anyone notice the rise of Storytelling?
• Develop? Public speaking, comedy club,
blogging, storytelling, make a film

11. • NOVEL & ADAPTIVE THINKING >
Proficiency at thinking beyond rote & rule-
based thinking
• Discontinuity demands situational
adaptability to unique and unexpected
scenarios
• Example: Fukishima Nuclear Disaster
• Rise of Project Managers, Crisis Managers
• Develop? Debating IMPROV theatre,
Comedy Club, Extreme Sport, racing

12. • CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCY>
Ability to operate effectively in different
cultural settings
• Uni Michigan study Centre of Complex
Systems, Prof Scott Page: Groups displaying
a range of perspectives & skills outperform
like-minded experts. “Progress depends as
much on our collective differences as our
individual scores”
• Develop? Travel, o/seas assignments/
languages, seek out friendships with other
cultures

13. • COMPUTATIONAL THINKING > Ability
to translate vast amounts of data into
abstract concepts & models. Understand
data-based reasoning
• From MS Office to Statistical analysis &
quantitative reasoning skills as entry level
• Programme or be programmed: Ability to
code is a basic literacy for supremacy
• Develop? Hacking camps, Online games/
Simulators,

14. • NEW MEDIA LITERACY > Ability to
critically assess & develop content &
leverage media for influence & persuasion
• Rise of visual communication, low cost of
production
• Scaling your Social Intelligence (Skill 2)in
asynchronous fashion. How can I earn a
living while I’m asleep?
• Develop? Learn by doing. Writing a blog is
different to having a hit. Learn the
difference (TED: Rebekah Campbell)

15. • TRANSDISCIPLINARITY > Competence
across multiple disciplines (T-shaped)
• EG Hum a tune- and someone else can jam
on from there!
• Develop? Double degrees, side-moves,
hobbies, diversify rather than specialise, Co-
working spaces

16. • DESIGN MINDSET > Ability to develop
systems, objects and tasks to achieve a
desired outcome
• Observation skills, open-mindedness,
learning vs knowing, self-awareness of
assumptions
• TED talk: Science communicator
• Develop? Easily learnt. Collaborate with
others, design something, observe &

17. • COGNITIVE LOAD MANAGEMENT >
Ability to discriminate & filter information
for importance, and understand how to
maximise cognitive functioning using variety
of tools & techniques
• Discernment of facts from noise
• My TED talk > Learning paradox of
ubiquitous connectivity
• Develop? Conversation, participation,
collaboration, silence, stillness, meditation

18. • VIRTUAL COLLABORATION > ability to
work productively, drive engagement &
demonstrate presence as a member of a
virtual team
• Story: My resistance to change re meeting Steve
Vamos by teleconf call
• New protocols, Online etiquette (Interruption,
virtual meetings, conference calls)
• Develop? Learn by doing,Yammer and tools, set
boundaries on personal time, Appoint someone to
monitor & provide feedback in virtual meetings

19. Our CHILDREN:
• Role model more effective than telling.
Develop:
1. Global mindset ( Twitter, social networks)
2. Immediate feedback > Resilience, “Like” and
RTs , Rypple
3. Agility> Learning & failure, creative

20. Class of 2022: Alex Knapp, Forbes > In addition to a
2nd language and ability to programme, other majors
in demand will be
• Maths_ the language of all life
• Robotics
• Agricultural engineering & Aerospace Engineering
• Urban design
• Hospitality Management
• Quantum Engineering
• 3D Design and printing
• Liberal Arts
• Health, Biotech, ecosystems, gerontology

21. • ENTRPRENEURSHIP & NETWORKS
• Women’s Day story
• My daughter:
• Peter Thiel Fellows
• My future career, my daughters’ business

22. • Final message:
• RADICAL TRANSPARENCY, SOCIAL
PRESSURE & PERFORMANCE
• Rise of Free Agents > Digital Footprint &
personal reputation scores

23. Sources consulted:
• Institute for the Future: Future Work Skills 2020
• The Shift- Lynda Gratton
• The 2020 Workplace: Jeanne Meister, Kylie Willyerd
• 2012 AIM Australian Capability Index Highlights