40th SGO Autumn Conference on "The Future of Work
Work will be changed by digital automation, activities and tasks, but also interpersonal skills will shift. The drivers, effects and opportunities of the "Future of Work" were discussed by around 220 participants at the 40th SGO Autumn Conference.
New technologies, globalization, demographic change and geopolitical changes will change the way we work in the future, underlines Dr. Markus Sulzberger, Swiss Society for Organization and Management SGO.
The Swiss Society for Organization and Management (SGO) looks back on a tradition of more than 49 years in the field of management and organization. Established in 2000, the SGO Foundation promotes young talent and supports research and development in the fields of organization, business administration and leadership at universities and colleges in Europe.
At the 40th SGO Conference, the results of a survey conducted by the Research Institute for Work and Working Environments at the University of St. Gallen in collaboration with SGO among some 21 top executives in Switzerland were presented for the first time. According to this, the executives are convinced that change requires new competencies. Investments are needed in technologies, in the corporate structure and especially in the corporate culture.
CEOs still use little thought to change their own roles, but describe courage, agility and empathy as important qualities for the future of work.
New disciplines in demand
As the leading Swiss provider of organizational and management knowledge, SGO works on organizational topics and offers a variety of networking vessels (communities of practice) in which the exchange of experience among experts from the private sector and public administration is cultivated and thematic content is further developed.
For Marianne Janik, Country General Manager Microsoft Switzerland, using new technologies in a way that enhances people's strengths seemed central at the 40th meeting. Artificial intelligence, speech recognition and holographic computing are just a few examples that are being researched to enable a seamless connection between humans and machines, Janik said.
In the future, social and interpersonal skills will play an even more decisive role, also emphasized Peter Grünenfelder, Director of Avenir Suisse. Certain job profiles will become obsolete due to technological developments, overall job growth can be expected and the fear of widespread unemployment is therefore misplaced. Thanks to broad-based vocational training, Switzerland is well positioned for the future of work.
For the future, however, creativity, teamwork skills and leadership must be given greater consideration in training. Changes are also needed in labor law so that structural change is not slowed down.
For more details (all presentations) of the 40th SGO Fall Meeting, please visit this Link
