Working in social media means constantly watching out for disruption. I never know when the next new thing will appear and blow away my plans for the rest of the year or completely upend our client strategies. Living under the threat of radical change can be stressful, so I try to read and research a lot to stay ahead.
I recently came across an article on the World Economic Forum website titled “3 Vital Skills for the Age of Disruption.” I’m drawn to pieces like this because I want to surf the waves of disruption instead of floundering among them. The article was written by Karthik Krishnan, the Global CEO of the Britannica Group, who not only has global business experience, but also has a background in education. His take on what skills will allow people to thrive in the business environments of the future surprised me.
The three areas of expertise he recommended cultivating are “learning agility,” resilience, and “grounded optimism.” The practices he suggests for strengthening these skills include cultivating self-awareness, indulging one’s curiosity, meditating, and practicing mindfulness.
How unexpected is this? Not coding, or AI skills or cloud data visualization, but rather changes to one’s mindset are what this particular expert thinks is the best bet for coping with disruption.
Perhaps I’m already mastering optimism, because I found this list of skills and practices encouraging. These are all things I can realistically do, and things that I know will help me in other areas of my life outside of work, such as in my relationships with family and friends. I’m beginning the new year on a positive note, resolving to work on the “fuzzy” skills that will help me thrive in a changing world.