Expertise Thursdays: The Future of Jobs

The Future of Jobs

The World Economic Forum released their 2020 Future of Jobs Report. Covid-19 is pushing companies to scale remote work, expand digitalization, and accelerate automation.

The Future of Jobs Report projects that by 2025, the hours of work performed by machines and people will be equal.

The most in-demand roles in future job markets include Data Analysts and Scientists, AI and Machine Learning Specialists, Robotics Engineers, Software and Application developers.

The most in-demand skills include working with people, problem-solving and self-management skills such as resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility.

Employers are convinced in the value of building human capital – with 66% believing they will get a return on investment from training employees within a year.

The current moment provides an opportunity for leaders in business, government, and public policy to focus common efforts on allowing workers to thrive in the new economy.

Source: weforum.org

Expertise Thursdays: Sustainable Development Goals

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.

At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership.

They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth.

In June 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, more than 178 countries adopted Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan of action to build a global partnership for sustainable development to improve human lives and protect the environment.

Today, the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) provides substantive support and capacity-building for the SDGs and their related thematic issues.

Source: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Expertise Thursdays: Business AR/VR

AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality), MR (mixed reality), and XR (extended reality) are finally experiencing traction as an alternative to in-person experiences.

The design community has embraced these new technologies in solutions for new consumer needs.

Usage has increased in retail as VR hardware has become higher quality, less expensive, and less bulky.

AR has become more sophisticated and widely adopted. It is now used for try-before-you-buy experiences for products like glasses and makeup.

The physics and lighting built into XR visualizations allows consumers to explore products in highly dynamic ways.The combination of fit, feel, and scale makes exeriences from clothing to automobiles real.

Source: https://www.thedrum.com

Expertise Thursdays: Zero Waste Grocery

Innovators like Lauren Singer of Trash is for Tosser's fame and owner of the profitable and VC backed Package Free Shop in Brooklyn have inspired others in the package-free or zero waste space.

Anamarie Shreeves founded Fort Negrita to increasing awareness by offering opportunities for marginalized people to make a livelihood while living and giving gently on planet Earth.

Zuleyka Strasner says she first saw, on her honeymoon, the ways in which plastic use destroyed the environment. That experience culminated in the creation of Zero Grocery.

Bea Johnson became a social media celebrity for her work reducing consumption and living waste-free, and launched Zero Waste Home.

As effects of climate change become reality we expect contunied innovation from startups and demand from investors for elimination of plastic in supply chains.

Source: https://techcrunch.com

Expertise Thursdays: Preventing Burnout is About Empathetic Leadership

Burnout and fatigue are equally concerning for employees working remotely (43%) and those in a physical workplace (43%). Overall, 3 in 5 (59%) employees and business leaders say their organization has taken some measures to guard against burnout.

Nearly a third (29%) of employees wish organizations would act with more empathy. We must rethink the definition of empathetic leadership — particularly as it pertains to preventing burnout.

Leverage data-based decisions to quickly assess what is at the root of the stress. Then employ upstream strategies to tackle the problem.

“...the first thing our staff wanted to know at the outset of the pandemic was, ‘Can you keep me safe and can you keep my family safe?’...” said Dr. Ellison, a medical doctor and co-CEO of The Permanente Federation.

Leaders must meet different needs for the individuals we serve. If there’s one more lesson we can take away from the pandemic, it’s that burnout was always there, but in times of real stress, it explodes.

Resilient leaders make quick pivots and remain nimble. Empathetic leaders dial in to the needs of their employees and adjust to the moment. And human-centered leaders give their companies a fighting chance to flourish in the middle of a global pandemic.

Source:

Jennifer Moss https://hbr.org/

Expertise Thursdays: Evolution of the NBC Logo

NBC has used many corporate logo variations since 1926, when its radio network began transmitting programs across the country.

From 1926 to 1946, the graphics speak to the network’s identity as a radio station, showing a microphone “broadcasting” sound waves as little zipzag untis radiating outward.

Notable versions include the 1953 NBC keys, the 1954 12 color peacock, and the 1959 snake.

Other notable versions include the 1975 trapezoid N, the 1979 proud trapezoid N with peacock, and the 1986 6 color peacock.

The 1980s version of the NBC logo is still in use. Of late, its tail has seen additional treatments - gradients, glass-like transparency effects- to render it dimensional for HDTV.