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The requirements for specialists have changed since 2020 – this applies not only to ordinary employees, but also to top managers. It is not talent or experience that comes forward, but adaptability, communication skills and the ability to solve problems
About the expert: Alexander Savitsky, author of the Skillbox course “Operational Management and Continuous Improvement”.
The Age of Uncertainty
As the ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder wrote, “in this life, only that nothing is certain is certain.” This saying is the best description of reality, given the pace at which changes have taken place over the past couple of years. The period of uncertainty, which began in winter, dragged on. Under these conditions, no one undertakes to build long-term forecasts even in the range of several months, and businesses increasingly have to act blindly. And this applies to all companies – both those who found themselves in a winning position, and those who are experiencing a crisis.
However, we found ourselves in a situation of uncertainty long before the pandemic thanks to technological progress. What seemed impossible yesterday, today instantly penetrates our lives – and changes it. Technologies are transforming not only markets, but also the structure of work and the organization of work processes.
Machines and algorithms are constantly improving, becoming more and more autonomous. As a result, the demand for routine manual labor is decreasing, while soft skills are becoming more and more in demand. It is already clear that the need for physical labor and low-skilled labor is steadily declining, while the demand for specialists with developed communication skills and emotional intelligence, on the contrary, is growing.
The new requirements also apply to managers – to manage a team today, it is not enough to have experience and expertise, it is important to communicate competently, be flexible and find creative ways to solve a problem. But such top managers are still very rare, so the market is in dire need of leaders of a new format. There are four key properties that will be useful for managing a company in an era of turbulence.
Ability to solve problems well
In Russian, the word “problem” has a negative connotation, so companies try to avoid mentioning them at all costs. At the same time, they often forget that it is problems that become points of growth and open up new opportunities. The ability to turn vulnerability into advantages and find non-standard solutions are the main principles of a competent approach to problem solving. How to cut costs, how to enter a new market, what kind of product to develop – these problems are usually addressed by managers.
The solution always starts with understanding the situation and structuring the task, followed by detailed analytics and synthesis of potential courses of action. This helps to identify the key levers that will work most effectively and bring the most value to the company.
At this stage, it is important for a top manager to ask the right questions and clearly articulate the problem. At the same time, context, macrotrends and the overall agenda need to be constantly considered.
At the same time, problems must not only be analyzed and solved, but also competently communicated. The whole team must act in concert, clearly understanding what steps and why should be taken at any given moment. Good communication from management also helps employees learn by example and improve their problem solving skills.
Both the manager and employees can master this skill without necessarily having innate talent or many years of experience. You can start by reading Charles Conn and Robert McLean’s Bulletproof Problem Solving.
Other specialists also need to be involved in the process: it is important for a manager to maintain a pluralism of opinions, and not to make all decisions individually. The book “Principles. Life and Work by Ray Dalio. He is considered one of the most successful hedge fund managers in the history of the financial markets, and his hedge fund Bridgewater Associates has become one of the largest in the world, managing a $2019 billion portfolio as of 160. Within his company, Dalio has built a culture of open discussion of key decisions : thanks to her, everyone had the right to speak, which contributed to the development of creativity and allowed to work through problems in more depth in high-risk conditions.
Mastery in agile
There is an opinion that the volatility and unpredictability of the business environment can be overcome if you create several scenarios for the development of events – from pessimistic to optimistic – and prepare in advance for each of the options. In practice, most forecasts do not come true, and unforeseen events literally knock you down. Former trader and risk manager Nassim Taleb called such unpredictable events “black swans”.
Practice shows that an iterative approach and the ability to experiment helps to successfully survive in a changing and unpredictable world.
The task of the leader is to create an “anti-fragile” company that does not fall apart at the first crisis, but learns to make profit from it.
It is impossible to completely avoid risks and shocks; it must be assumed that unforeseen events will occur anyway. The question is how to minimize the consequences and avoid major losses.
No matter what industry you’re in, you’ll need agile management tactics from the IT industry. A modern leader must understand how to build an agile structure, quickly create an MVP (minimum viable product, minimum viable product) and test hypotheses.
Horizontal communications
One of the most underestimated skills of a modern top manager is the ability to build communications. Usually, this means diplomacy, the ability to confidently speak to the public or delegate tasks. But in 2020, this is not enough.
Now it is important to build a large-scale communication system that will allow you to quickly identify problems, accurately convey the vision and goals to employees, and make decisions just as quickly.
Previously, the manager worked within the standard hierarchy according to the top-down model. Now, such communications are being replaced by horizontal and cross-functional methods of interaction. They make it possible to exchange information faster and quickly build strategies. It is on its quality that depends on how quickly the leader adapts to changing circumstances and changes the course of the company if necessary.
At the same time, employees must understand that they do not just follow commands, but follow the set goal, work for the benefit of the common cause. This is especially true in highly intellectual areas. Therefore, when delegating tasks, it is necessary to first explain why the company does this and not otherwise, and how this relates to the overall agenda of the company.
To do this, the leader needs to develop framing skills, that is, the transfer of meanings. How does a manager formulate thoughts? How identical is the understanding of the picture of the world between him and his subordinates? Does he carry a positive or negative message in the process of communication?
It is important not to stop there and constantly improve your communication skills, because usually the most valuable insights come from interpersonal communication.
A fast and unpredictable world poses new challenges for leaders that require a new set of skills to overcome. In order to maintain positions in the business and create value, a top manager should not rest on his laurels – he needs to constantly grow and improve, following global trends. What used to be considered a leadership superpower and talent, such as the ability to effectively solve problems or quickly respond to change, is now considered a flexible skill that anyone can develop. The main thing is to realize the need and accept the fact that soft skills can and should be mastered. And it is better to act as soon as possible in order to maintain your competitive advantage.