Coaching for the Future of Work
As coaches, we’re tasked with meeting clients where they are. However, we find often that the client is focused on his or her present situation and objectives at the expense of looking toward the future. As coaches, we can support our clients in increasing their awareness of future trends and developing strategies to remain relevant and fulfilled, both personally and at work.
The 11 ICF Core Competencies assist us in developing a consistent and structured approach to our coaching assignments. They are particularly relevant when we coach clients to continue to be relevant for the future of work in the face of ever-present and fast-paced demographic, socioeconomic, geopolitical and technological changes and trends.
The following Core Competencies are particularly useful to ensure that we focus on the potential impact of these issues:
- Active Listening
- Powerful Questioning
- Creating Awareness
- Designing Actions
- Planning and Goal Setting
With these competencies in mind, it is relevant to examine the commentary that has been presented in recent years around general megatrends and the future of work.
World Economic Forum Future of Jobs
The January 2016 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, focused extensively on what is being termed the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” and the future of jobs and skills. The WEF addressed various drivers of change under two broad categories, demographic/socioeconomic and technological, with the top five drivers under each being:
Demographic/socioeconomic:
- Changing nature of work, flexible work
- Middle class in emerging markets
- Climate change, natural resources
- Geopolitical volatility
- Consumer ethics, privacy issues
Technological:
- Mobile internet, cloud technology
- Processing power, big data
- New energy supplies and technologies
- Internet of Things
- Sharing economy, crowdsourcing
While technology is an important driver of change, the above highlights that as coaches we need to attend to wider trends in order to provide an all-around context for conversations with our clients.
Megatrends
Consistent with the WEF approach, various advocacy bodies, think tanks and professional associations are now addressing megatrends (i.e., trends extending out five to 20 years) with relevance to particular countries, industries and/or professions. One such example is Tomorrow’s Digitally Enabled Workforce, a 2016 report from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
The CSIRO report outlines six megatrends that will impact the work force:
- Exponential growth in technological change
- Porous boundaries as a result of digital technology and the rise of platform economics
- The increased need for an entrepreneurial mindset among workers
- Greater diversity of cultures and generations in the workplace
- A rising bar for skills
- Continued growth in service industries
The implications of these megatrends will be significant for individuals, companies, communities and government. The CSIRO report articulates that new skills and mindsets will be required for the future with a greater focus on education, lifelong training, digital literacy and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills. Personally, I have also have observed that some commentators are suggesting there should be an “A” in STEM (making it STEAM) to reflect the importance of the arts.
These megatrends will require changes in attitudes and mindsets for coaches and our clients to remain agile and relevant in a dynamic labor market. The CSIRO report outlines several areas to focus on, including:
- Changing perceptions about job types as demographics and consumer needs and tastes change
- Addressing new business and employment models
- Reflecting the rise of the sharing and freelancing economies
As coaches, we need to be aware of these trends and implications to ensure that we are asking our clients the right questions.
Competencies for the Future
In 2014, Korn Ferry released its updated Leadership Architect model with a new suite of 38 competencies required in the world of work today. These competencies can be used to design employment roles from entry-level individual contributors to senior executives in any organization.
Korn Ferry undertook significant research to identify the correlations between competencies and promotability by position level. At more senior levels, the top six competencies identified by Korn Ferry are:
- Cultivates innovation
- Nimble learning
- Builds networks
- Resourcefulness
- Decision quality
- Manages complexity
Korn Ferry is among several organizations that have identified learning agility as a key predictor of future potential, promotability and performance. We should design coaching programs and prepare for engagements with this in mind.
A range of changes and megatrends are impacting organizations and the individuals within them. As coaches, it is imperative that we stay abreast of these changes and their implications for our clients. By applying this knowledge within the framework of the ICF Core Competencies, we can support our clients in ensuring their future relevance and ongoing professional and personal success Competencies, we can support our clients in ensuring their future relevance and ongoing professional and personal success.
Peter Black
Peter is the Executive Coaching partner based in Sydney, Australia, of ALCHEMY Career Management, a firm of coaches and business psychologists who support individuals and organizations with career transition, Executive Coaching, Wellness@Work ™ and change management programs. He undertakes numerous coaching programs both face to face and remotely with many senior and emerging leaders.
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