APPMA staged its second in-person dinner event for 2021 in Sydney in May, where guest speaker Andrea Clarke, author and EdTech specialist, and founder of Future Fit Co, shared her wisdom on staying relevant and competitive in the future of work. (Scroll through our gallery above to see who attended).
In May, over 100 members of the Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) turned out to enjoy the company of colleagues in the spectacular setting provided by Pier One Sydney Harbour, and receive a crash course in how to pepare their businesses to face the workplace challenges of the future.
Setting the context, Andrea Clarke said that despite the pandemic, the FMCG manufacturing industry is thriving, and that for the suppliers in the room, this is a good time to consider how well their business is set up to sustain growth.
“The 'future of work' encompasses many things, but in really simple terms, the future of work is about talent and technology,” Clarke said. "It's about the way we negotiate change and deploy our human skills to create value."
Clarke spoke of the change to workplace norms since the pandemic, the emergence of a hybrid model of working and a workforce who wants more flexibility, and does not want their work-from-home days mandated.
If we consider the history of labour and working vs the scenario we face today and into the future, it’s clear our relationship with time, talents, tools, and the way we learn is changing dramatically.
Clarke said most business are straddling the information era and the augmented era, and are stuck in that position. The information era was marked by acquiring knowledge and skills, often through formal, tertiary education, and staying on the career ladder while continuing to deliver the knowledge. The augmented era, which is where we are today and what we need to embrace, is marked by adaptability and value creation, cognitive augmentation and continuous learning.
“Now, AI is not new to anyone in this room. But what you [the APPMA audience] know and what a lot of people don’t is how nuanced it is. It means different things to different businesses. So yes, we are going to lose jobs to automation. But that doesn't mean that we don't value talent.
“We value talent that can work with AI tools to deliver value. So, we need to focus on time, talents, goals and learning. And think about what that looks like for all of us.”
When it comes to learning, Clarke said businesses need to create a culture where learning is done on a job, it’s done fast and effectively. And it delivers the right content that really engages people.
We also need to rethink talent and recruitment. Clarke discussed the obstacle of a younger-gen workforce who have an attitude of entitlement, and refuse to undertake work that ‘doesn’t align with their values’.
She advises hiring for will instead of skill. “We've got to think about hiring people who are genuinely enthusiastic, who have a strong sense of identity and who believe in your business.”
And when you find those people, you need to retain them by upskilling them and keeping them excited and engaged by their work. Clarke said there’s going to be a shortage of talent, and businesses needed to create talent internally.
Speaking of leadership, she said that to innovate, and build on the incredible momentum in the manufacturing sector, we need leaders with an adaptive mindset, that recognise and engage with change. Successful leaders recognise that workers have an emotional response to change in many situations. “If we look at the change brought about by tech advancement, it’s not the technology driving social change. It's the way we respond to it,” she said.
So, in terms of organising our skills to move forward, Clarke said businesses cannot adapt to change if they can't see it coming. “We need to be engaged with what's happening in our industry. Make sure you know what is best practice, don’t let it get away from you. Always play the outside game."
