How to Adapt to the Future of Work

Technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), is transforming some of the skills valued in the workplace. But take heart: even as AI continues to automate logic-based tasks—such as diagnosing medical cases and managing investments—the human skills that technology cannot replace will become increasingly important. The World Economic Forum, for example, has identified emotional intelligence (EI) as one of the top workplace skills for 2020. 

Developing emotional intelligence lets you and your organizations evolve and so remain relevant in the digital age. EI not only differentiates humans from the machine-like abilities of AI, but also gives us highly valued skills. For instance, the World Development Report 2019 on “The Changing Nature of Work” describes a rising premium for workers who excel at teamwork, relationship management, and adaptability—all competencies of emotional intelligence. As empathy matters more now, leaders would do well to strengthen this competence, along with their communication and relationship skills.

Similarly, new research on sustainable skills for the digital age found that “human capital will remain the most valuable asset an organization can use to gain competitive advantage.” By investing in employees and enabling them to develop new skills, experts tell us, organizations can lessen turnover and stay relevant amid change. Critical skills for the future, in short, come down to emotional intelligence—a learned and learnable toolkit.

That’s one reason many organizations have embraced executive coaching and EI development at all levels. Coaching has become a growing field. Once seen as remedial (as in, He’s so bad at empathy he needs a coach), having a coach now has become a perk for executive leaders. IBIS World estimates that the business coaching industry will be worth $15 billion this year, up from $9 billion in 2009.

Among the organizations currently utilizing coaching, The Conference Board has found that organizations hire both internal and external coaches to develop leaders who can guide their teams through ambiguity and change. To that end, their research identified emotional intelligence—and variations of its components, including leading teams and people development, executive presence/influencing skills, relationship management, and coping with and leading change—as the top skills organizations hire coaches to develop.

Leading teams and people development, as well as relationship management, require that we tune into other people’s emotions with empathy and apply EI competencies like teamwork, mentoring, conflict management, and inspiring leadership to effectively navigate those emotions. Executive presence and influencing, of course, reflect the EI competence called “influence,” with which we can positively impact others, gain their support, and build buy-in for our ideas. And coping with and leading change takes adaptability, perhaps the most vital skill for the future of work. When we’re adaptable, we flexibly navigate change, juggle competing demands, and develop innovative solutions. More than any other competence, adaptability differentiates leaders in highly tumultuous industries.

The growing need for EI development means we will need more trained EI experts and coaches to lead that development. To help fills those gaps, the Goleman EI team have built career opportunities into the Goleman Emotional Intelligence Coaching Certification. You can learn more and apply here.