The 5Cs - What human skills are needed in the 21st Century??

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As I sail through the ever-evolving landscape of the new digital age, I can't help but reflect on a few essential lessons that I’ll need for what follows, and more importantly what my children will need (as a health warning on what follows, this may be one of my more esoteric musings - so may require an open mind and is certainly not a light read!).?

We may not want to acknowledge that the skills we’ve spent a career honing aren’t going to matter in the future. However, rather than hiding our heads in the sand, we should focus on the skills that can make us future proof. Plenty of theories discuss this topic, but my primary focus returns mostly to a framework aptly named the ‘4Cs’ (Creativity, Critical thinking, Communication and Collaboration) used by many educationalists. Hopefully a skills framework that will keep them, and all of us, ahead of the ‘algorithm and machine’ in the digital age.?

Certainly, not just for this article, the question I want to address is if our educational systems and career trajectories are in sync with the skills demanded by our future world of work.?

Turning to testing this in a very unscientific manner, I recently engaged in a working group involving one of my children’s schools on refining a five-year strategy for their school. Based on that discussion and the changes I see in my team’s daily work; I have extended one of the 4Cs as I believe that really there are five essential blocks – hence 5Cs! Specifically, Collaboration needs to also include Cohabitation – or as I’ve described in one of my previous posts, human-led augmentation when working with the machine. My thinking that humans will not be replaced with machines but rather work together is evidenced with the findings from the RSM UK Real Economy 2023 research – 61% of survey respondents expect an increase in employee headcount due to the use of generative AI.?

Assuming the model therefore has some base for applying further, let me extrapolate on what the 5Cs are as I hear you shouting at me to cut to the chase!?

??? Creativity??

Let your imagination roam free! In the world where machines crunch numbers, your creativity is your secret weapon. Dream, innovate, and explore beyond the ordinary!? We humans excel at telling stories using art and finding fresh ways to deeply connect with others using powerful words and visuals. This special talent helps us share compelling tales that touch people’s hearts, bridging gaps between cultures and leaving a lasting impression by blending words and images in a beautiful way. Yes, GAI can now create great starting points based on what access it has from the web, but can it incorporate visual stimuli that project emotion in art? Well, not yet I might suggest! GAI is yet to make me cry, though my eyes water every time I watch (or read!)? Watership Down with my kids.?

???? Critical Thinking?

In the flood of information today, sharpening critical thinking is key. Machines drown us in data, but it’s up to us to analyse, evaluate, and judge its pertinence. Critical thinking therefore helps us from being manipulated. It's like a guide helping you sort through the information overload, picking out what's valuable from what's just noise. Critical thinking means questioning, checking sources, and identifying what's reliable from what's not. It shields you from false information, letting you make smarter decisions amid all the conflicting data. Plus, it helps you connect the dots between different ideas, making sense of the massive amount of information available. Strengthening this skill lets you navigate through the complexity of information, making wiser choices in our data-filled world.??

?? Communication?

More than ever the ability to build deep, personal relationships is even more of a life skill. In many careers, whether medicine or business, knowing yourself and how you need to communicate with others will require even more effort. Developing the soft skills and cultural sensitivity will be essential to success. Machines are being trained to “hack us” (or more elegantly put understand and try and persuade us through a range of techniques) for sure, but feelings and emotions remain (for now!) the cornerstone of humanity. ???

?? Collaboration and Cohabitation?

Much has been written on human collaboration especially regarding teaming between humans. And yes, I’ve written on this numerous times and will not delve into this key tenant as it deserves as always, its own story and article… However, today, collaboration isn't just about working well with people; it's about building a strong partnership with machines. Some can get understandably frightened as there is an association with technologies coming and unemployment, however we need to learn to see beyond that. We should put more effort into reimagining our ways of working by looking at how the two capabilities can work in a cohabited state to create "augmented human-led" capability. Think of it as a dynamic duo – humans and machines, each bringing their unique talents to the table. By working together, we create something amazing, like a well-practiced symphony where we all play our own part, making the whole experience extraordinary. It's this special collaboration that should be at the heart of our digital journey.?

How do the 5Cs help???

Now we might ask how much of the 5Cs are we truly developing in our roles as business leaders? On reflection, I’d say ‘very little!’ - and that will urgently need to change!???

In the first instance, organisations will need to rapidly assess their future talent needs alongside the data and digital capabilities they need from the machine. Why so urgently? Well, the talent needed to navigate the role of the human as we transition through the tipping point, where the balance of how work will need to change in the future to a more optimal cohabited state – is still being programmed all too often on a traditional education system that itself is still in transformation.?

Developing talent programmes to fuel future careers is one of our most urgent needs and will disrupt current practices and require significant investment. But as leaders in business, never has there been a more important moment to lead on this agenda.???

If we do, we will provide the north star for next generations to follow and provide the practical insight for how our overall education system must change. Ultimately the 5Cs, or something akin to this, should become a cornerstone to a fundamental shift in all that we do if we are to navigate the digital age and embrace the opportunity the 21st Century holds for humanity.?