5 SKILLS YOU'LL BE NEEDING IN 2020

Changes are happening in the world we live in and they are happening faster than we imagined.

From self-driving cars, to Artificial Intelligence etc. these are no longer mere thoughts. Have you been paying attention to the changes happening in your workplace and how they are affecting you? How has your role evolved over the past one year or six months? Do you consider yourself skilled for the jobs of the future? Do you even know what those jobs might be?

The World Economic Forum reports that you need about ten skills to thrive in 2020. We’ve done you the honors of listing 5 of them.

1. Complex problem-solving

This is likely going to be the most desired skill to have by 2020. Complex problem-solving ability is the capacity ‘to solve ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.’

In a nutshell, it’s about having the mental flexibility to solve problems we’ve never seen before and being able to solve them in the shortest time. It’s about being able to see the big picture, and move things around to make a difference.

The complex problem solving skill is not a skill that anyone is born with. It’s something that gets honed over time and is built on a strong foundation of critical and lateral thinking.

Did you know that you can improve your problem solving skills by playing a lot of video games?

Give it a try!

2. Critical thinking

Being a critical thinker will still be a valued skill set in the next four years,

Critical thinking involves a lot of logic and reasoning.

You have to be able to use logic and reasoning to approach an issue or problem then consider various solutions to the problem before you weigh up the pros and cons of each approach.

This is definitely a skill you need to learn to take charge in 2020

3. Creativity

With the constant development of new products, new technologies and new ways of working, employees are going to have to become more creative in order to benefit from these changes.

Creativity is predicted to become a key skill in the future, so before you dismiss yourself as a ‘non-creative’ person, remember that creativity is not exclusive to only artsy people. If you’re able to connect the dots and throw all the ideas together to present something ‘new’, then you are a creative person.

4. People management

Irrespective of how many jobs get outdated and how advanced artificial intelligence becomes, employees will always be a company’s most prized resource.

Human beings are more creative, better at reading each other, and able to bounce off each other’s ideas and energy. However, being human also means that we get demotivated and distracted. So it’s vital that you know how to motivate your teams, maximise their productivity and respond to their needs.

It has a lot to do with emotional intelligence, knowing how to delegate, and developing your own management style. This is definitely a top skill that you will need in 2020.

5. Judgement and decision-making

The ability to make sound judgement calls and the knack for strong decision-making skills is a sure skills needed to move up the ladder in 2020. considering the amount of data that organisations can now amass, it is important to find actionable insights, and use big data to inform business strategy and decisions. this means you need to start getting a whole lot more comfortable with data. 

Depending on the career sector and profession you choose to work in, there could be very specific skills, abilities and knowledge needed to do the job.

These are the key employability skills – the core skills that will make you effective at work, whatever job you do. You need to develop them over time and take them with you as your career develops; think of them as your passport to career success.

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