Skills for the present and future
In 2015, Devex published an article titled, “5 Things to Know About the Next Generation Development Professional.” The author outlined the following five traits required of a future development worker:
- Integrators are key
- Jack of all (funding) trades
- Invest in education and learning skills
- Soft skills are critical
- Constant upskilling [1]
Fast forward to 2025; some of these traits remain relevant, but the world has changed significantly. We aren’t thinking like integrators anymore, but more like systems thinkers. The funding landscape has drastically transformed with the closure of USAID. Investing in education and learning skills is essential, but AI is reshaping the future of learning and how we will upskill. As for soft skills, they continue to be a top priority in any workplace. Harvard Business Review (HBR) also published an article under the Managing Yourself topic, titled “The New Rules of Executive Presence.” They’ve been tracking these for over a decade and have recently highlighted the traits of an executive leader. These traits include inclusiveness, respect for others (both soft skills), listening skills, presence, and authenticity, to name a few. [2]
These are all important; however, Dr. David Rock’s book, “Your Brain at Work,” has led me to question whether managing and overcoming distractions is a critical trait and skill that has been overlooked for our present age.[3] The rise of social media is associated with a surge of information and distractions for leaders, putting considerable pressure on our brains with “immediate crises.” that need attention or information that does not lead to solving any of the crises. As a leader focused on driving performance and effecting change, managing the information in our “mental stage” is essential. Rock asserts that “while you can hold several chunks of information in mind at once, you can’t perform more than one conscious process at a time with these chunks without impacting performance.” He also notes that smartphones can undermine our ability to think effectively and diminish our IQ. [4]
As I reflect on the evolving challenges in the workplace and society, Rock’s book has made me realize that:
- I must remain aware of and manage distractions, channeling my mental energy into the most productive use. This a necessary ingredient for better decision making.
- The potential transformation resulting from this approach can be immense. Imagine if our teams adopted the same principles in their daily work. Workspaces would be fulfilling, creative, and would foster much-needed disruptive innovation.
- Information will only continue to increase, and we must find ways to be effective in our workplaces and society.
Given that the “brain is easily distracted, and distractions have a significant energy cost,” I suggest that the idea of working smarter through the application of strategies to overcome distraction and regain focus should be a critical skill of both the present and, arguably, the future[5]. The strategies suggested by Rock not only apply to the workplace or leadership roles but can be useful for youth as well. Learning how to create meaningful patterns, and prevent over-arousal of the limbic system can help us make better decisions on all fronts. With a quick scroll at your news/social media feed, you’ll likely see a pattern of distractions emerging from the highest political offices in the land, within organizations, institutions, and the general public. Meanwhile, injustices, climate crises, and economies continue to suffer due to lack of attention to what is critical. If I were to rewrite the Devex and HBR articles, I would suggest including Rock’s ideas on working smarter as a key skill of the future. What do you think?
[1] https://www.devex.com/news/5-things-to-know-about-the-next-generation-development-professional-86399?utm_source=email&utm_medium=next_generation_aid_worker&utm_campaign=ca_ntr&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRokvKrIe%2B%2FhmjTEU5z17u4oXKK1gokz2EFye%2BLIHETpodcMTcpkPL7YDBceEJhqyQJxPr3DJNUN0ddxRhbkDQ%3D%3D
[2] https://hbr.org/2024/01/the-new-rules-of-executive-presence
[3] Rock, David. Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long. NY: HarperCollins, 2020.
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
About the Author
Alex Mwaura
6 responses to “Skills for the present and future”
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Alex, I love your three takeaways from the book. How do you think we can manage knowing what information is essential and when. Following Rock, how do we know how long to hold each piece of information on our stage?
Also, has your work been affected by USAID. We have a hospital in Lugulu that dramatically changed after we lost USAID funding.
Great questions, Robert. I think it’s a learned skill. Rock speaks of developing new patterns that help with better decision-making. If we are able to have clarity when making complex decisions, then we can say that we are managing information well. The reverse could also mean we have information overload, a sign we need to keep the stage clear. What do you think? Regarding USAID, I am sorry to hear the hospital in Lugulu shut down. That will have a huge impact on access to healthcare and overall health outcomes. There are major projects that shut down at my former workplace as well and many others across the world.
Alex, I think that interpreting distractions is a critical skill for leaders. I say “interpreting” because I think the skill that is needed is the ability to know which interruptions are what God is actually doing that day (regardless of my plan) and I need to pay attention, and which are distractions that add no value and need to be eliminated.
About seven years ago, I turned off email notifications on my phone and have never looked back. These days I don’t keep my email window open on the desktop. I just open, check, and respond to messages a few times a day. Both of these broke habits of responding to a message as soon as I received it, which created an unrealistic expectation and an organizational culture I didn’t like, and they won me back not just the time, but the attention that was becoming, and still is, such a precious and, as Rock notes, expensive resource.
Great reminder of the need to interpret what information is necessary and discern what God would have us do in a day. Solid point, Joff. I’m also encouraged to hear you turned off email notifications. I have not managed to do that yet, but after hearing about your experience, I think I will take the courageous step and buy back my time. Rock’s book made me realize that email checking (all the time) is indeed a loss of precious time.
I found it helped a great deal for me. It also changed expectations and culture. If someone really needs me urgently, they can find me in person or call my phone. That completely disconnects email as a tool of urgency and is tremendously freeing. I hope you find what you are looking for too.
Alex, I wonder if we’ve gone past the point of no return. It seems the more “efficient” we make things the more we work chaotically and distracted. AI, smartphones, fast computers should have made the time to make smarter decisions, instead we are running down a million rabbit trails and exhausting our bodies, emotions and mind. I think it is important to cultivate strategies to prioritize the things we need or want to think about and get done.
What are some strategies you use to keep intentional?