What do you do if technological advancements are leaving late career professionals behind?

1 Assess your situation

The first step is to take stock of your current situation and identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) in relation to the technological trends in your industry. What are the skills and knowledge that you have that are still valuable and in demand? What are the gaps or areas that you need to improve or learn? What are the emerging opportunities or threats that you can capitalize on or mitigate? By doing a SWOT analysis, you can gain a clear picture of where you stand and where you want to go.

2 Explore your options

The next step is to explore your options and generate possible solutions to your problems or goals. You can use various creative problem solving techniques, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, SCAMPER, or TRIZ, to generate ideas and alternatives. The key is to be open-minded, curious, and flexible, and to avoid judging or rejecting ideas prematurely. You can also seek feedback, advice, or inspiration from others, such as mentors, peers, experts, or online communities.

3 Evaluate and choose

The third step is to evaluate and choose the best option or combination of options for your situation. You can use various criteria, such as feasibility, desirability, impact, cost, risk, or alignment with your values and vision, to rank and compare your options. You can also test your options by doing experiments, simulations, prototypes, or pilots, to gather data and evidence. The goal is to make a informed and rational decision that meets your needs and preferences.

4 Plan and execute

The fourth step is to plan and execute your chosen option or solution. You can use various tools, such as SMART goals, action plans, Gantt charts, or Kanban boards, to break down your solution into manageable tasks and milestones. You can also assign roles, responsibilities, resources, and deadlines to yourself and others who are involved. The goal is to implement your solution effectively and efficiently, and to monitor and measure your progress and results.

5 Review and improve

The final step is to review and improve your solution and your problem solving process. You can use various methods, such as feedback surveys, SWOT analysis, or after action reviews, to evaluate the outcomes and impacts of your solution. You can also identify the strengths, weaknesses, lessons learned, and best practices of your problem solving process. The goal is to learn from your experience and to make adjustments and improvements for future challenges.