How should we prepare for the future of work? This question is crucial as it influences both our current actions and future outcomes. The future of work brings together diverse opinions from students, employers, educators, researchers, consultants, and more, all contributing to a broad range of strategies and perspectives. Yet, much about the future of the workplace and workforce remains undetermined, making our decisions today critically important.
My commitment to leadership, education, and service, particularly in healthcare management, drives my curiosity about the future of work. In healthcare, where quality, safety, and teamwork are paramount, the importance of a broad inter-disciplinary approach is evident. This approach fosters inclusivity and collective intelligence and is foundational for meaningful change.
Here are three principles to consider as we look to the future:
- Person-Centric Work Environments: Prioritizing the human experience is essential. From students to staff to patients, ensuring that our strategies center around the people we serve is crucial, especially as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent. Adopting a person-centered approach allows for co-creating personal and professional development plans, emphasizing personalized experience and care through roles like CXO and PXO.
- Humanities-Based Leadership Development: Balancing technical skills with the deep, enduring qualities of the humanities, such as literature, philosophy, and history, can foster empathy, ethical judgment, and critical thinking. Inspired by the Medical Humanities, we can integrate these elements into healthcare management education to enhance research and practice. Leveraging partnerships across disciplines is the way of the future.
- Cross-Sector/Discipline Competency Practice: Embracing cross-sector competency building is vital for future success. Building a flexible career portfolio that integrates diverse competencies allows for developing skills as well as reskilling and upskilling, and affords career flexibility. It also encourages innovation and lifelong learning, essential in today’s and tomorrow’s dynamic healthcare systems.
By focusing on these principles, we can build a workforce that is not only prepared for today’s challenges but also adaptable to tomorrow’s uncertainties.