THE CHANGE WE SEEK BEGINS WITH 'US'

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

― Barack Obama

One thing I am convinced of is that the world is changing and this change is becoming commonplace in our everyday life, and so are the people and the narratives, and the post-COVID events have/will prove to us the extent of this change. We cannot sit on the side-line and assume the role of spectator or on-lookers because if we do, we will discover that we hid our heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich that when it is frightening, hides its head under the sand for protection from the predator in hopes that the trouble will pass it by

In an article published on LinkedIn by Jake Perez (Editor at LinkedIn News), about a research conducted by McKinsey & Company based on a survey of 800 executives from around the world. It was said that 85% of companies accelerated digitization and 67% accelerated automation and artificial intelligence during the pandemic, with faster expansion in firms that had a greater shift to remote work, especially the financial services and tech sectors. McKinsey’s survey suggests that the mix of jobs for post-pandemic will be different, predicting increased demand for contractors, gig workers and hygiene, cybersecurity and data analytics jobs.

Companies and ministries are making statements about alternatives and new models that can work ranging from education to the aviation and biomedicine industry; those statements may well be undertones, but they would not have been made three years ago.

Not only has COVID thrown millions of individuals out of work, but the mix of jobs that have/will emerge from this crisis is likely different from those that were lost. With many k-12 schools using digital learning environments, digital learning education training will be in demand for teachers, and these will require that trainers from this field emerge. The physical classroom is not the same as the digital classroom and the earlier we sync these learning platforms so we can achieve one aim which is educating and preparing a generation for the future of work, the better.

It took the pandemic to drive the acceleration of automation and digitization, and henceforth continuous learning, upskilling, reskilling and mobility will be the standard requirements for most companies moving forward. The “Work from home” initiative that is already being adopted by some companies and industries will help many get back on their feet, as it did help many stays afloat during the pandemic. In the “Socially Distanced World” regardless of your profession, some of the new competencies which will need to be attained by everyone in the contactless reality that we now live will be the comfort of use with Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality.

Use case scenarios with all of these disciplines, whether it be as an end-user or as a developer and you will discover that they will become commonplace at some point, within the next 5 to 10 years. Do not be surprised when you will see questions based upon Augmented Reality fluency skills appear on a basic job application as it becomes as ubiquitous as MS Office Suite skills are now.

Anonymous said, “Not all transformations are visible,” and while it is unclear if that change is for the better or worse, the effects will not be forgotten anytime soon. The good news is that “we are finally having conversations about what we need — what we need to eradicate once and for all” and we have begun to rethink our reskilling strategy if we still want to stick around longer.

“We cannot be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something good for you now, maybe the very reason why you don’t have something better,” these are the wise words of C. JoyBell C, and it applies to the uniqueness of the kind of change we look forward to because the kind of change we seek will not happen instantly, and this kind of change will require a collective effort.

There is no perfect moment to try to create change. There never will be. So, I ask again, if not now, when?

One question stares us in the face as a people and as a nation, “Have we changed our goals of achieving a ten years plan in (x) years, and how do we do that?

Come up with a plan for what you want to change, how, and to whom. Be clear on why you are making these changes and what you hope to accomplish in best-and worst-case scenarios. Make sure you have a strong support system in place to have your back no matter what happens.” And know that if even one person feels seen, or acknowledged for having similar experiences, you will have done something important and so very necessary to the change we seek and the change we need.

Change is coming. Be a part of that CHANGE. May the next few months and the years ahead be a period of spectacular and innovative change that will lead to a transformation that will leave you completely anew, and it was Marianne Williamson that said, “Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one.”