Auto.Mate.Work

"Humans are hard-wired to dream, create, and innovate. Each of us seeks to do work that gives us purpose — to write a great novel, to make a discovery, to build strong communities, and to care for the sick. The urge to connect to the core of our work lives in all of us. But today, we spend too much time consumed by the drudgery of work on tasks that zap our time, creativity and energy. To reconnect to the soul of our work, we don't just need a better way of doing the same things. We need a whole new way to work."

Last week Microsoft introduced 365 Copilot, an integration of well-known office applications and the power of large language models (LLMs) with your data in business. It is a game-changer in office work. It is really a copilot for your work, adding tremendous efficiency to your professional flow.

There is no need to mention Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure for their cloud computing capabilities that we are discovering day in and day out.

How are we going to cope with the change that will drive us crazy over the next decade or two? (Remember the planetary Pluto effect coming to the astrological theatre, I mentioned in the previous episode.)

Here is a plan for an intelligent design in life and at work.

The plan has three integrated skill sets (individual goals) that are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive. (MECE: pronounced "mee-see")

Automation at work at any cost to boost productivity.

Coaching skills in life to communicate better.

Work in a progmess! Getting used to uncertainty.

Three future-proof skills beyond 2023:

AUTO . MATE . WORK

1. Nonlinear shifts — AUTO mode.

Can you argue about the data-driven future? Can you imagine an entrepreneur or a corporate professional neglecting big tech ecosystems in any venture? Well, there may still be some, but they are very limited in number. Data, coding, and automation skills are beneficial for inevitable digital transformation.

Automation is the hard skill set that I put all my resources into learning deeply if I want to stay relevant into an ever evolving economy and new order beyond 2023.

Data and tech awareness support the core competence in business fully!

• Choose a topic that suits your xTECH (exponential technologies) agenda and dive deep into it. (Something like, I am dealing with the Microsoft POWER Platform daily. I aim to be a power user in a year.)
• Create an essential machine learning practice in your capacity. (I do not aim to be a data scientist; however, it is nice to learn about algorithms and practical software like Dataiku.) It is the future!

2. Radical collaboration needs — MATE culture.

For the last three years, I have been practising my coaching skills. I needed to ditch my "command and control mindset" and build a brand new awareness and responsibility-driven "growth mindset". The world is shifting to a new Order, and collaborative creativity will be a much-needed virtue in the post-globalisation era.

I am not talking about establishing a coaching business. The skill set is more important than the external accountability business. It is a soft skill essential for clear communication.

It is essential to communicate as equals. Coaching is a soft skill that will support your communication and leadership.

It seems to be that there is less space left for lecturing and commanding. If you push this on, you will realise that you will always preach to the choir. Good luck with the millennials, Gen Z, and native-digital-born youth.

• Start with the habits of listening effectively and asking more questions.
• Forget the old-school ways of hierarchy and organisational structures. The future is more about the "roles" rather than the "titles".
• Engage with a coach or a coaching community. If none is possible, at least start reading "Coaching for Performance" by Sir John Withmore.

3. WORK in a progmess!

The workplace is disrupted. We are living in a VIRTUAL, UNREAL, CRAZY and ACCELERATING World. (Remember the VUCA? Yes, it has been disrupted, too. It used to stand for describing Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous situations! It is super-VUCA anymore.) The future is nonlinear. So do the work.

The speed of learning is the new unfair advantage at work.

Believe it or not, it is also a skill ( combined with a beginner's mind.)

• Why not start a side hustle? It is for two reasons. Firstly, it is the one and the only way to adapt a beginner's mindset and practice the speed of learning. Secondly, you will need it sooner or later to generate an income stream. (Look up the super-VUCA.)
• Choose your side hustle and then practice your AUTO-MATE skills in building it. I am not suggesting creating a complex business model. I am simply advising starting something really basic and small.
• Gardening, running a workshop, or almost anything that is even labour work or craftsmanship may be AUTO-MATE powered.
• Start something new combined with your passion in life (and small), a side hustle. It has never been this much easy to start a business. We all have to take this advantage of being an entrepreneur. Everything is possible with this high level of automation and radical collaboration.
• Remember, we all do not need to end up as entrepreneurs, but it is good to feel it!

AUTO.MATE.WORK

Good Friday and Happy Easter...