This excellent reminder comes from Ryan Holmes, Chairman and Co-founder at Hootsuite, whose LinkedIn post, reprinted here, looked at the most in-demand skills for 2021:
“If you haven’t checked it out, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report is chockablock with research and insights on where work is headed. One takeaway in particular really opened my eyes.
In each report, editors survey HR leaders at top companies to identify the 10 most in-demand skills for the years ahead (chart below). This year, for the first time, self-management skills such as active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility made the list — right up alongside more familiar things like critical thinking, problem solving and creativity.
That makes a lot of sense, of course. Overnight, the way we work has changed. In a remote-work context, self-motivation, self-discipline and self-direction are suddenly paramount. There are no more managers looking over our shoulders. There is no time clock to punch. We are, in many respects, our own bosses.
But, here’s the critical thing, that doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Self-management is a skill set that needs to be learned, and even brilliant, capable people struggle with this. Now, more than ever before, we’ve got to figure out how to manage and motivate the most challenging of people: ourselves.
So how do we uplevel these skills? To me, the answer starts with embracing the idea of “hustle” — a value very close to my heart. At its core, hustle is about finding a way. It’s understanding that the buck stops with you. This could mean buckling down, or getting creative, or thinking laterally … but you find a way.”
[***PSM Editor Note: You can also tap into fantastic resources like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning –both offer a wealth of courses in these specific areas. For the sake of efficiency—and your wallet—we’ve provided helpful links to corresponding and free courses at the end of this article.*** ]
[***PSM Editor Note 2: Forbes magazine recently featured 10 human resource experts discussing critical self-management skills in their article, The Top 10 Skills Recruiters are Looking for in 2021***]
“I learned this from a young age as an entrepreneur and have always been a big proponent of bringing this value inside companies, as I did at Hootsuite. All signs indicate that it’s only going to be more important in the years ahead. Another mind-blower in the Future of Jobs report: as the "double-disruption" of the pandemic and increasing automation takes hold, 50% of all workers will need to reskill in the next five years.
To put it another way, things will never move as slowly as they are today. Being adaptable — and knowing how to pilot our own evolution — is the only way forward. In that sense, the crisis isn’t an aberration. It’s a sign of things to come.” –Ryan Holmes
****COURSES FOR SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE***
- ACTIVE LEARNING [continuous learning]
**Note From the World Economic Forum— What you need to know about education, skills and life-long learning
Creating a Team Culture of Continuous Learning (Coursera)
- RESILIENCE
Resilience Skills in a Time of Uncertainty (Coursera)
Positive Psychology: Resilience Skills (Coursera)
- Additional Courses (Coursera)
- STRESS TOLERANCE
Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty and Stress (Coursera)
Conflict and Stress Management (Coursera)
Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19 (Coursera)
- Additional Courses (Coursera)
- FLEXIBILITY/ADAPTABILITY
Adaptability and Resiliency (Coursera)
TIP: Though published in 1998, Spencer Johnson's “Who Moved My Cheese” remains a timeless classic—a fantastic, thought-provoking resource about adapting to change.