After reading books such as Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind and Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat, I think it’s pretty clear that new skills are required for survival in the 21st century. The work landscape is much different today than it ever has been in the past. Paralleling the views of Pink and Friedman, I find there to be four differences in the World today that contribute to this.
The first difference is technology. Following Moore’s Law, the rate that technology has been changing is exponential. Technology is embedded in everything we do and to keep up with the changes, we must embrace learning. Alvin Toffler said that “the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” I find this to be very true. Over the past twenty years, the architectural profession has seen two major paradigm shifts in how drawings are created due to technology. Beginning in the mid to late eighties, architectural firms changed from hand drafting to computer-aided drafting (CAD). Doing so, allowed drawings to be copied and modified easily, transferred by diskette and later by email, and archived in a digital format. Despite being digital, the concept of the drawings remained the same, two-dimensional lines. Twenty years later, we are now transitioning from CAD to Building Information Modeling (BIM). With BIM, we are now truly modeling the building and it’s systems. And not just for visualization purposes. Modeling in 3D allows for coordination conflicts to be detected before the building is built. This process requires a new mindset. Design decisions are needed to be determined earlier in the process and the distinctions between the phases (Schematic Design, Design Development, and Construction Documentation) are becoming more blurred. In some cases, we must unlearn previous ways of doing things in order to embrace change. The rapid change of technology requires an agile mind. No longer can we coast on the knowledge we learned from grade school or college. As Toffler said, we must continue to “learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
The next difference changing the workplace is globalization. Globalization has been activated by technology. The internet and communication tools have made doing business from a global perspective very easy. Large files can be shared through company FTP sites, file storage sites such as Box.net, or simply through e-mail. I am currently working as a design consultant with a company that operates with these tools. I’m collaborating with a team that is located all throughout the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. The pace is extremely fast. In a week’s period I found myself joining the team, three days later having a WebEx conference being introduced to the project and meeting my teammates, and then seven days later flying out to Puerto Rico to do the initial work. Now, we’re all finishing up the work remotely from our own homes mainly communicating via e-mail and WebEx conferencing. A physical workplace for all of us to be at the same place and at the same time is not needed. A collaborative and open-minded attitude is essential to work in this type of environment. Decisions must be made fast and you cannot get hung up on the details.
Currently there are four generations in the workplace: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials. Each of the generations share a common history during their formative years and that history, to some extent, shapes and influences their attitudes and beliefs about the world. Because recent history has been rapidly changing, there is more of a divide than ever before between the generations. This divide can lead to misinterpretations and generational collisions, or what Lancaster and Stillman call “ClashPoints” in their book When Generations Collide. To survive in this work environment, it is important to think and work cross-generationally. By understanding these differences, companies can draw from the strengths and experiences of all the generations.
Lastly, the structure of work is being redefined. In the workplace, this can include things such as flex time, work from home, or transparency. However, more profound changes are happening by individuals. One major driver that is redefining the structure of work is the current economy. You hear stories all the time about Baby Boomers who have lost their jobs or their jobs have become obsolete. They are retiring early, if they are able to, or for the majority, they are re-tooling themselves by learning new skills or professions. Strategies are being used to dumb-down their resumes or to creatively conceal their age so they can compete with younger people for interviews. On the other side, young people are struggling just to get their foot in the door with companies. Many are adapting in response to the current situation and are becoming innovative. They are finding freelance or consulting work using networking tools such as Elance or Guru. They are becoming entrepreneurs by starting their own companies, working from home, and using technology to collaborate with others. They are streamlined and can compete by not having the overhead typical companies have. Creativity is an essential skill as individuals are now having to craft their own brand.
These four differences: technology, globalization, the generational divide, and the structure of work are redefining the skills that are necessary for survival in the 21st century. Most importantly, individuals must become lifelong learners. It is impossible to predict the future and there is no way for us to know what jobs will be relevant. To survive, we must be agile and creative, able to realize connections and transfer skills from one discipline to another. The boundaries are becoming blurred and we must embrace learning.
