Learn to UNLEARN Gen Z
When 12 years ago Master Oogway said – “Believe, There are NO accidents,” even Shifu took time but we as kids believed. After all, it was the wisest Oogway. Those who have seen Kungfu Panda know what I mean. But we have come a long way, we no longer accept things in the way they are served, we question things and since we are eye witnesses of a pandemic, that started wiping off people, economy and careers just like Thanos, and not only in United States but in almost all parts of the world, this claim that there are no accidents, has started losing its meaning for us. Even though I can try to justify this by saying that accidents can be treated as a way that leads to undiscovered insights and provides a scope for potential reconstruction, you won’t believe me because Master Oogway is a fictional character and all my references are movies based. Still I want you to keep reading because I’ve something substantial to say. Corona, undoubtedly is hazardous but while we have ample time at home, we can discover the contours of new career simply by filtering the aspects that will become outdated in post covid world.
For that let us view the future from Recruiter’s point of view:
- Recruiters in future are going to seek for candidates with potential to adapt. Adaptability is driven by curiosity, insight, instinct to learn new things, determination & engagement. Knowledge will have a smaller role as compared to the adaptability.
- Trust will be the new currency. So make sure to learn the virtue of keeping up with the promises, be impeccable with your words and yes, speak with uprightness.
- One will be expected to have the competency to be structured, careful and disciplined in order to keep juggling between different activities, juxtaposing them & prioritizing them easily.
The difference between the career you have and the career you want is of just a couple of habits & abilities, and these are-
- To get a new insight from scattered pieces of information.
- To not beat around the bush but be crisp, clear and candid in communication.
- To execute fast, think creatively and act with courage.
- Assess your own performance and work on developing new skill set
- Have Social Intelligence. This is an umbrella term for flexibility, empathy and adaptability. It helps to get along well with others.
Gen Z, it’s high time to realize that Career advancement is the function of how you are perceived by others – not only as an individual but also as a team player. Hence, create your persona, in both real world, as well as in digital world and carry it as a brand.
And at last, here’s a bonus tip – “Learn to UNLEARN.” Unlearning isn’t forgetting, it’s choosing alternate mental model. Regain focus. Regaining focus becomes important when one is sculpting ones career and going through a transition. Discover, fail then Rediscover, have fun with the competencies you have.
Process of unlearning involves 3 main steps:
- Recognizing that old model is no more relevant
- Finding and creating a thoughtful new model
- Learning new skills. Learning shouldn’t be Single loop where one dreams to achieve the goal and just passively corrects errors without questioning underlying assumptions, in fact it should be double loop, where one questions the very essence of that goal, the errors he made, the relevance of all the dots he connected, no matter right or wrong, to gain an insight about the big picture.
Companies often face the learning dilemma which is ‘smartest people find it hardest to learn’, so if you think that you also possess such traits that are not stipulated by your work place then you can ask people (most preferably ask people who dislike you, chances are that they will be more authentic) about your displeasing characteristics.
In a nutshell, to excel in career you’ll have to consider the fact that yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, and today, well today obviously we are slowly unlocking things to revive so make the most of this wonderful opportunity and unlock the contours of new career. Carry what’s essential, drop what’s futile and always, ALWAYS REMAIN HUNGRY TO LEARN, AND PREPARED TO UNLEARN.