In a rapidly changing world, a question often asked by practitioners in any profession is “How do we cope with the changes?” or “How should we prepare the workforce for the future?”. In the context of training and development, the usual response is to adjust training approaches and methodologies; create contents that reflect the latest and the newest; increase training hours to update the workforce’s knowledge and skills, etc. On the surface, such a response is medicine that matches the symptoms, and should adequately tackle the challenges. Indeed, none of the above is wrong and all such measures are necessary. The question is, however, whether this is adequate.
This speaker argues that it is not. The changes sweeping across the world are not ones that happen simply in the natural course of human progress. These are disruptive changes that threaten to uproot long-held dogmas and trusted systems. Our way of life has been fundamentally changed. We are firmly in an era where the truth doesn’t matter anymore, only narratives do. Geopolitics is characterised by coercive power, where true diplomacy has limited utility. Any device, even currencies, can be weaponised for political purposes. Economics are now at the mercy of political whim rather than sound fundamentals. In this landscape, irrespective of an entity’s nature of business, workforce development must be about not only gaining an edge in the new reality but also preparing it for survival in a crisis.
Training interventions that are focused solely on knowledge and skills will enhance workforce competencies but do very little to build the necessary culture that will be critical for uniting the workforce in crises. This speaker will discuss the importance of culture building for corporate academies, the danger of token VMV statements, and some essential elements of a successful approach.
