Shrikant Vaze, Head of Asia Cluster GDCs, Fujitsu

Shrikant Vaze is the Head of Asia Cluster, Global Development Centers, Fujitsu. In his current role, he is responsible for leading Fujitsu’s India Global Development Centre as well as the Asia Cluster GDCs in China, Malaysia, Philippines, and Costa Rica. As part of his role, he is on the Board of all the legal entities in the Asia Cluster. Shrikant has over 25 years of rich experience in the IT industry spanning across Application Development, ERP implementation, Managed Infrastructure Services, Service Desk, and BPO. Shrikant has an in-depth understanding of global markets, as he has managed customers across telecom, banking, and manufacturing sector.

 

The traditional working structure is on the cusp of being replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). Robots could eventually become indispensable to human life. The World Economic Forum predicts that, over the next 10 years, artificial intelligence will have a significant impact on job trends, resulting in generating millions of new employment opportunities in software, engineering, design, support, and training powered by the technology. The coming decade will witness a rise in the value of human skills, such as persuasion and social awareness, which will become more important as AI and machine learning take over the majority of our daily work. Workers of the future will need to be able to adapt their abilities to meet the changing demands of the workplace.

Workplaces will become more agile, adaptable, entrepreneurial, and innovative, making the organisation into the most effective potential incubator for the growth of talent at the top. So how does one ensure a healthy workspace among our new AI colleagues? And what exactly can we anticipate from our robotic co-workers when we start working side-by-side? 

In a speech about the future of learning, renowned keynote speaker and author, Alan November, said we must “teach students how to learn”. For too long, students have been taught that there is only one correct response for any given question. To best prepare yourself for the future, you must acquire the perseverance to go beyond simple recall of knowledge and instead engage in creative struggle and greater levels of reasoning.

In the future, more and more jobs will revolve around solving complex problems that machines and AI will not be able to solve. There will be a rise in the number of people working in jobs that are more unusual and difficult, while more mundane tasks will be mechanised. In such a scenario, students with growth mindsets will have jobs, but fixed mindsets will be increasingly replaced by computers.

Students must begin to view AI as a collaborative partner rather than a possible threat. For instance, there is a lot of analyst labour being automated, but that provides MBA graduates access to higher-level jobs. Do not forget, humans have a distinct edge in the industry. Motivation, human interaction, and understanding will continue to be difficult for machines to replicate, thus, those who wish to remain competitive in their fields should work on developing these talents.

For instance, a doctor’s effectiveness at diagnosis and treatment recommendations may be surpassed by a computer algorithm. However, to sit down with a patient, understand their living situation (finances, family, quality of life), and help them decide the best treatment plan, one needs a human. In the same way, a smart machine may be able to diagnose and offer solutions to complicated business issues. However, it is still a human being’s duty to motivate the team, avoid conflict, and find the right people to lead the transformation.

While intelligence quotient (IQ) can be developed, emotional intelligence needs to be fostered diligently. Corporates must ensure that the importance of emotional intelligence should not go unappreciated; the ability to understand and manage emotions is the first step in realising the true potential of the workforce. An employee’s capacity for emotional intelligence is critical to achieving success in all aspects of their life, from personal relationships to work and social interactions, to making better decisions.

Without a doubt, emotional intelligence is an integral part of forming and developing meaningful human relationships. Corporates should invest in candidates who have refined their emotional intelligence. Developing this skill will encourage many positive traits, from resilience to communication, and motivation to stress management, all of which can be seen as conducive to effectively achieving occupational health, and success.

Key Takeaways

Dear students, let go of the traditional ways and open yourself up to the future. Develop the core competencies of unlearning and relearning on a regular basis. Seize the opportunity for growth and development that comes with the shift in your profession. Determine how well you can engage with, motivate, and evaluate others. Know where you are in terms of emotional intelligence and where you can improve. Developing emotional intelligence is something you should invest working on. While focusing on the essentials, move your attention to how you can lead others more effectively and connect with them.

What you, as a human, can do better than any smart machine is connect with the people in your environment. Invest in these skills in the same way that you have invested in your technical expertise. You will still have an important role to play in your industry if you are an excellent motivator, manager, or listener.

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