There are no future-proof skills.

At this year's HRFEST, now with over 1,500 participants, we once again spent a lot of time discussing how to develop skills for the future. There were many roundtables and presentations about what we need to do to build future-proof skills.

In my opinion? Absolutely nothing.

There are no future-proof skills.

But fortunately, there are more optimistic people than me. If we look at the World Economic Forum's report, we see that the skills listed for 2015 and 2025 are practically the same. So, according to them, almost every skill is future-proof.

Although some skills have been rephrased or combined into one, if we look deeper, aside from the appearance and disappearance of EQ, nothing has really changed.

So, if we want to summarize thoughtfully and elegantly what the experts believe about future-proof skills, it’s that everything they considered future-proof is still regarded as such today - except for one: emotional intelligence. Let's leave that aside - one less thing to worry about.

We have no idea what skills will be needed in the future.

This video clip was found by ChatGPT, which I was chatting with while writing this. Why? Because what used to take me 60 minutes to write 10 years ago now takes a maximum of 30, thanks to not having to waste time browsing YouTube. Is this a new skill I’m using?

Absolutely not.

It’s the same complex problem-solving I’ve been doing for forty-two years (today is my birthday!!:)).

What I find much more intriguing about this whole question is which skills can be developed, when, and with what. But we don’t really talk about that. Instead, we try to dive into everything that comes our way, knowing that nobody ever regressed from attending a creativity workshop. But did they become more creative? Well, that we don't really know.

Thanks to neuroscientists, we’ve gotten smarter with some information about neuroplasticity, so we know and understand that if we’ve enjoyed learning so far, it’s good to keep going. But we really have no idea how to deal with someone who:

• doesn’t like to learn
• isn’t interested in how to work more efficiently (because they grew up with healthier drivers :)) )
• isn’t excited by technology
• doesn’t enjoy reading books
• doesn’t like new impulses

How are we supposed to convince them that, YES, it’s worth it, and YES, even at ninety, it’s incredibly beneficial for the brain to keep learning? Anything. And do you know why anything?

Because none of us know what will be needed next year.

We didn’t know in 2019 that in 2020 we’d have to conduct online meetings in such a way that we’d see and feel the person on our side just as much as the person on the other side. Why is that a problem?

Because previously, you completed all negotiation technique training with the idea that you were trying to agree on something with someone sitting across from you, while the person on your side was sitting next to you.

That’s not the case online. So, when you say something, you can simultaneously see your teammate’s facial reactions and those of the other party. Before long, you find yourself seeking feedback on your behavior from your right-hand person’s facial expressions, even though they’re not the other party.

It’s the one you haven’t looked at for ten minutes. Should we learn to negotiate like this?

Of course.

Is this a skill? Well, God only knows—it’s certainly a competency that wasn’t necessary in 2019 but is vital today. And it’s one of seventy. Can it be developed? Yes. So, you should focus on it ASAP if you haven’t already.* And it's not even on the list.

Meanwhile, things like critical thinking are on those lists every year. But, for heaven's sake.

Do you know what critical thinking is? The ability to question things. Do you know who can question things? Someone confident enough (call it arrogant or overconfident, if you like) to realize their opinion could be on par with that of the World Economic Forum. Someone who knows that nothing will happen to them if others don’t agree with their opinion. Because they are still lovable. Is this called critical thinking?

No. It’s called confidence.

Can confidence be developed in workshops?

Absolutely not.

Can it be developed in adulthood?

Well, sure, something can be. For example, maybe with a few years of therapy. So, is it our job to develop it? Well, yes. But not as coaches, HR professionals, or consultants. As parents, because 95% of the outcome of our kids' development will be our responsibility.

As coaches, let’s focus on developing what can be developed in adulthood. Whether it's on the list or not.

*(info@y2y.hu, online negotiation training, maybe at the end of November, but January would be even better..:)) )