10 skills you will need to develop in the coming years

New technologies, four generations simultaneously present in the workplace, new organizational structures, new business models and ways of creating value (Uber, Airbnb, Facebook and Google, for example) ...

We live a paradox. While technological and business environment changes become increasingly constant, not all professionals prepared themselves to live in this scenario yet.

All this will demand from professionals the ability to reset their mental model, as well as being aware that we will all need to supercharge our strengths, reduce the impact of our weaknesses and relearn fast, so as not to become obsolete.

This is not easy and will require an extraordinary effort on the part of those who are used to working in the same way for many years.

But which skills will be important in the future? Below, I highlight 10 important skills for professionals who want to prepare for the new challenges that lie in the workforce in the coming years ...

1) Entrepreneurial thinking

Entrepreneurial thinking does not necessarily mean to start a company. It also means a mental model designed and trained to identify opportunities and make things happen. One of the main reasons many talents leave companies is connected to the lack of career development opportunities.  Intrapreneurship Programs that stimulate the development of Entrepreneurial Thinking to create opportunities and new solutions in companies are one of the alternatives to solve this problem. Check some examples in this super cool article published in Forbes magazine: "Why Companies Want You to Become an Intrapreneur".

 2) Cross-Cultural Skills

In a connected world, skills will be put to the test in different locations and professionals will need to be able to work in any environment they are. This will demand a set of skills that involves, of course, the ability to speak different languages, but mainly a high capacity of adapting to changes and rapidly respond to new contexts. Besides, dealing with diversity will be an increasingly important ability in organizations in the next decade. More precisely, it′ll be one of the key factors to produce innovation in products, services and processes. Employees successful in these various teams will be those who can identify and communicate connection points (mutual goals, priorities, values ...) that transcend differences and allow building winning teams.

3) Communication Through New Media

The explosion of content generated through blogs, tweets and likes on social networks is a reality today and will be fully absorbed by companies in the next decade. New communication tools will break the barrier of static content (the best example are PowerPoint slides produced on a large scale in companies). Therefore, professionals will be required the ability to be "fluent" in new forms of communication. The ability to create and produce their own content through more agile, dynamic and less static tools will be increasingly valued. Just like producing cool presentations and slides is a plus today, to create and produce quality videos, for example, will be a rule in a few years ... Other formats will show up and quickly spread. This will demand new skills to sell your ideas and engage your audience through such new platforms.

 4) The “T” Professional Era

Global companies′ problems will become more and more complex in the future. This will make mandatory a new set of skills professionals should bring to organizations. It means that the ideal professional will have a "T" shape: They bring a deep knowledge specialized in at least one area, but have the ability to "speak" the language of a diverse range of disciplines. For example, HR professionals who have understanding of Marketing and Supply Chain. Marketing professionals who understand Finance & Analytics. Biologists who understand Mathematics and Finance .... This will bring up curiosity and willingness to learn that go way beyond the formal learning format we have today (University, Post-Graduation, MBA, MS, PhD ...). Since people will live longer (and this will definitely result in the development of multiple careers throughout life), the ability to become a “T” Professional will make itself vital.

 5) Information Overload Management

In a world richer and richer by the minute when it comes to content and knowledge across multiple formats and devices, the matter of information overload arises. Organizations and professionals can only turn this huge amount of data into an advantage if they can filter it efficiently and focus on what is really important. The new generation of professionals has to develop skills to solve this problem. Many people already can′t stay away from their smartphone. Quite recently I read a very interesting tweet on this subject: "To filter all this information overload, you are to be smart. Not your phone" ...

 6) Learn to work, cooperate and lead virtually

For many professionals and businesses, virtual work has been a reality for some years now. What we will see in the coming years is almost all companies and professionals working in this model. We are entering a period of increasingly accelerated technological advances. In a few months changes will be huge. Many people have found it very difficult to keep up with the speed of these changes. And the trend is that the process will accelerate further. For example, Holography and Telepresence will be omnipresent technologies in a few years. If you are a "digital native", this will be a more comfortable change. Now, if you're over 30, chances that you're already a little behind in their understanding are very high. In addition, due to these technological advances, work will become increasingly global. This means that you will be virtually working with people. Perhaps even leading a virtual team.

7) We will definitely live longer than our parents did, so you must develop a long-term strategy!

Your professional life will be shaped by changes in longevity patterns (it is already certain that we will live longer than our parents) and demographics (in many regions, there will be a much higher proportion of people over 50). Well, if you′ll  live longer, you′ll need resources to live. The kids are already set but the costs inherent to people over their 70s (health, medication, and other care) increased alarmingly. Relying on Social Security is not an option ... So, you already need to design a long-term strategy. You should choose at least one of the three options below ... If possible, combine all three:

OPTION 1: Build a career that allows you to work longer (at least between the age of 65 and 70).

OPTION 2: Save a significant part of your income throughout your life for the moment you need resources and no longer have physical conditions of working.

OPTION 3: Consider ways to reduce your consumption and live following simpler standards.

No matter which one it is, you will for sure have to pick at least one of these three options ... and developing skills for this near future is essential not only professionally, but for your future life quality as well.

8) Embrace change. It is here to stay and will become more intense by the hour.

Professionals in companies (especially the Baby Boomers and Generation X) have gotten used to short periods of change interspersed with stillness ones. It is still common to hear in company corridors "Wow, when these changes will stop?". If you haven′t yet dug it, the truth is changes will not stop. On the contrary, they tend to become more frequent, more intense and uninterrupted. People have gotten used to doing things the same way, using the same technologies and the same processes for many years ... The problem is that the processes used today may not be the best for the current reality of companies. Check this: no more and no less than 40% of the companies listed in Fortune 500 in 2000 were no longer on the list in 2010 ... Keep in mind that in a few years, Generation Y will be 75% of the workforce! They are part of a generation that grew up using collaboration tools and social networks to communicate, collaborate, find people and information. This behavior is already generating a shock in many companies. This will generate new types of behavior and the adoption of more advanced technologies even faster. Anticipating yourself and taking the lead of these changes will make your life and your work much easier.

 9) Share and contribute! Those who help the most will have more career growth chances!

This will be one of the main skills of any modern professional. Traditionally, the idea that "knowledge is power" has been promoted to the extreme in organizations over the past years. Traditionally, people wanted to keep ideas and information to themselves and receive recognition from their superiors and be considered essential elements. This model is no longer effective. With the introduction of collaboration tools and the possibility of sharing information with the whole world, ideas become much more powerful when worked on together. Sharing benefits not only the team but any/the professional as well. A very interesting survey conducted by Insper (a Brazilian University) has shown that those who help more are more likely to climb the career ladder. Research has shown that professionals who make themselves available to help colleagues stand out more and have more growth opportunities. Peers and leaders already recognize the proactive attitude of helping. That help can be given in several different forms: ideas, feedback, teaching something you've mastered, presentations, documents ... Summarizing, any action to facilitate someone's life!

 10) A new leader arises: he′s there to ease up his team′s work. Are you prepared?

In most companies we are still far from this reality, but the future management model will be primarily based on this leader′s performance in removing obstacles from his team′s path in order to help it succeed. This goes beyond people management, it empowers and engages people. The traditional idea of ??management was based on the military structure - leadership by fear and command/control concept. Employees used to work hard to award their managers success. What will be growingly valued will be the ability of managers in treading the opposite way: meeting their team′s needs in favor of its members′ success. An action catalyzer behavior will be required. A leader who is there to facilitate the work of people. In a more extreme situation, many researchers bet on another alternative: the complete absence of the hierarchical model as we know it today. Will it be so?

Place your bets - and get ready!

The future is just around the corner!!!

So, what now? Do you enjoy it? What′s your opinion?

Is there any other important skill you consider essential for the future?

Share it!