On the Future of More Fulfilling Work—John Hagel—Deloitte's Center for the Edge

John Hagel is the co-chairman for Deloitte's Center for the Edge, an organization researching the future of work in a changing world.

Tune in to learn the following:

• Why—contrary to what many people assume—the replacement of jobs by machines will be beneficial to humans and enrich our lives
• How the distinction between skill and capability is crucial to the philosophy behind the work being done at Center for the Edge
• How the current coronavirus pandemic will spur discussions about the future of work

Hagel brings to the table over 40 years' worth of experience as a management consultant, author, speaker, and entrepreneur. In this episode, he discusses ways to address the work-related roles of human beings in a rapidly changing world where technology is replacing highly standardized and routine tasks that were once carried out only by human beings.

Rather than a dystopian future where human-to-human connections are replaced by machines and human value or potential is diminished, Hagel sees quite the opposite; he sees a future in which technology allows humans to shape the future, redefine what it means to work, and focus on addressing unseen problems and opportunities to create more value and engage in more fulfilling work.

The philosophy at Center for the Edge relies in large part upon a distinction between skills and capabilities. Hagel explains that skills have value only in very specific contexts, for example being able to operate a specific machine under certain conditions. In contrast, capabilities have value in all contexts, and include curiosity, empathy, creativity, and imagination.

He argues that when companies and organizations focus on cultivating capabilities in their employees, human capital is increased, learning is accelerated, unexpected challenges are better addressed, efficiency is increased, and both employee and customer satisfaction improves.

Check out one of the many books published by John Hagel and visit https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/center-for-the-edge/topics/center-for-the-edge.html to learn more.