A conversation with future expert Franz Kühmayer. Will digitization make people redundant in many jobs? For Franz Kühmayer from the Zukunftsinstitut the answer is clearly “Jain”. Because even if computers and machines can do many things faster and more efficiently, they are missing an important component: the human element.
The world of work has not only changed since Corona. Digitization and new developments have been on the job market for some time. The pandemic affects the future of work just like one Turbo accelerator out. We wanted to know more precisely from Franz Kühmayer which human characteristics will be in demand in the working world of tomorrow, how these will change and what signs are already there.
Mr. Kühmayer, you are an expert in leadership, the future of work and education. Do you think the coronavirus pandemic is a turbo accelerator in terms of the future of work?
She has definitely been in the last few months, at least in certain aspects of the world of work. However, I find it sad that under the total line, in many cases only the topic of home office remains.
The pandemic has an incredible number of strengths, but also enormous ones A lot of catching up to do in shaping the future of work shown. There is the realization of how crisis-proof employees: inside react to a massive disruption when they can work in an environment of trust and tolerance. There is the fact that over 70 percent of executives have identified some catching up to do in leading at a distance – so whether mobile working is successful is often not a question of technology, but rather that Corporate culture. There is the polarization of the labor market, which was further accelerated by Corona: Unrestrained growth and job demand, for example in the high-tech IT sector, while in other industries the question no longer arises of how things should continue, but only whether it can go on at all. There are the working conditions of people in systemically relevant professions that have had to perform at their best in recent months. There are millions of people who work in production, construction, education, care, for whom the home office discussion is completely irrelevant.
Corona is an accelerator of evolution if we have the Seize the opportunity and take up these issues and deal with them seriously, and do not brush them aside with the hope that the crisis will soon be over and then nobody will be interested in such substantial questions anymore.
How do you see the current role of people in the digitized world of work?
I find it astonishing that digitization is often viewed from the perspective of which professions it will destroy. I have a lot there more positive perspective: First, technology allows To make work better for us humans. It can relieve us of boring routine tasks, it can take on dangerous activities for us or it can make stressful work situations easier. And it can help to make the labor market easier for people with disabilities.
All of this has long been the case today, and we would do well to acknowledge that – then it will also be easier for us to resolve the justified doubts and worries associated with digitization.
What will change in this role in the future?
In the long term, an almost paradoxical development will emerge: It is precisely the cool logic of machines that will consolidate human existence in the world of work. To do this, however, it is crucial to let us know from the To say goodbye to thoughts of racing against the machines.
If we compete in the same disciplines as computers, we have lost from the start: Robots never get tired, algorithms calculate faster and analyze better than we could ever do. So trying to outbid them is pointless.
On the contrary, computers drive us closer to our humanity in the world of work. We are social beings and we are creative – neither computers are and neither will be. Therefore, precisely those professions and activities in which a sense of community and creativity are required, i.e. those qualities that make us human, will be particularly in demand. If the machines become better machines, then we humans have to become better humans. That’s good news!
You yourself worked for a long time as a top manager for international corporations, how have the requirements for executives changed as a result of Corona?
The demands on leadership are high, they are constantly increasing and this demand has now increased again due to Corona. And at the same time, the crisis also brought some kind of relief. All the elaborate plans and strategies were wrecked overnight by a tiny virus.
This leads us, as managers, into uncertain terrain: How can you create orientation, stability and alignment when you feel helpless even in the face of a global pandemic? The key lies in one fundamentally changed understanding of leadership. The demand on ourselves, as a board member or managing director: in, it cannot be to be omniscient and to always have the right answer ready in the most difficult situations. Our claim can and must be to be constantly curious, to learn and above all to learn with Dealing with complexity, dynamics, surprises and contradictions.
What demands do you see for the employees?
I am convinced that the successful working world of tomorrow and the role that the individual plays in it will be characterized primarily by three letters: P, as in Purpose, meaning creation of meaning for the individual but above all for society, an orientation towards sustainable common good E, as in Education, i.e. education, and above all competence-oriented education; and P for participation, i.e. active and responsible participation in mutual advancement. I call the “PEP principle”.
As the requirements change, so does what the graduates have to bring with them from the university or from their training. Is education prepared for the future of work?
No. And that is not a teacher: inside bashing and even a marginal question of budget or equipment, but above all one structural criticism. We confuse training with education, and are panting after developments that are more and more short-term. What is the point of adapting curricula to the most sought-after job profiles of 2021 when we can be sure that precisely these professions will no longer exist in 10 years? In both school and university we have to stop educating people to prove themselves in the current system and instead Empowering people to create future-oriented systems!
When it comes to the future of work, how important is the aspect of creating meaning?
Extremely important, and from a double point of view. Work must be meaningful for the individualOtherwise we are merely exchanging lifetime for income – that cannot be in anyone’s interest in the long run. Hoping that real life will finally come after work, with the weekend or with the entry into well-deserved retirement, seems to me to be a very sad prospect.
But sense does not only arise from an egotistical point of view, but above all in the contribution to society. Doing meaningful work means doing it World is getting a little better, because I work. That is a high standard, but one that hundreds of thousands of people already meet today, and incidentally often under deplorable working conditions and with poor pay – or even completely without pay. Work is not just paid employment, it is also Family work, social work, volunteering!
What role does the recognition of the individual play in this?
Recognition is good and important. We have known how since the early works of sociology the feeling of being needed is crucial for our well-being. But it can’t stop with a well-intentioned pat on the back: Applauding the hero from the balcony inside everyday life is a nice gesture, but it doesn’t pay the rent. It is important to give credit, but we must also work to ensure that the Improve working conditions for all people.
How important is or will the health aspect be for the future of work?
The topic of health has come into focus in the last few months, socially, but also in the workplace. I am quite sure that successful companies will distinguish themselves by staying on top of the topic, even if the need for hand disinfectants and plexiglass barriers no longer exists at some point: Corporate health is becoming a differentiator as an attractive employerin a comprehensive sense that also includes mental and psychological stress!
What does the ideal future of work look like for you as an expert?
Self-determined. Responsible. Human. Creative. Learning.
Franz Kühmayer is an expert on the subject of “The Future of Work” with a focus on leadership, the future of work and education. Between trend research and management consulting, he combines his exciting perspectives with very specific solutions. He brings his experience as a top manager of international corporations and takes a fresh look behind the scenes and thus into the future of work.
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