Kathleen Drum explains the skills that Executive Support Magazine will be focussing on for the next 12-24 months
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international organization made up of approximately 1,000 member companies. It includes some of the biggest and most influential organisations in the world and is a good barometer for how big business is thinking. Earlier this year, the WEF released “The Future of Jobs Report 2023”. One part of the report that stands out, and is particularly relevant for Assistants, is the top 10 skills which organisations are prioritising in workforce development from 2023–2027.
These skills include:
- Analytical thinking
- Creative thinking
- AI and big data
- Leadership and social influence
- Resilience, flexibility and agility
- Curiosity and lifelong learning
- Technological literacy
- Design and user experience
- Motivation and self-awareness
- Empathy and active listening
Many of these are already part of an Assistant’s makeup, so you are well-placed to be highly influential in this next phase of work. Beginning with this issue, Executive Support Magazine and our authors will be focussing on these skills over the next 12 to 24 months to ensure you are in a position to highlight the skills you already possess, clearly articulate the value you bring to your organisation and set yourself up for ongoing success.
In this issue, we have two articles looking at AI – our cover story by Donna Gilliland entitled “AI: What’s Here, What’s Coming, and How It Will Boost Your Career” – and one by Rhonda Scharf teaching us “How to Use ChatGPT”. Liz Hardwick shows us how to “Create Your Best Start to 2024 With Digital Productivity Tools” whilst Richard Arnott looks at why Assistants need to assess their impact and tangible results with his article “Measure my Output, Not My Input”.
For those of you looking to move into new roles, Robert Hosking provides an update on the “Top Hiring Trends for Administrative Professionals in 2024” while Julia Schmidt focuses on “Mastering Learning and Growth”.
Of course, nothing beats learning from the experts alongside your peers, networking, and celebrating success in real life. To facilitate this, we have ES LIVE conferences happening in both the Southern Hemisphere (Wellington, New Zealand, 8-9 March) and Northern Hemisphere (Seattle, USA, 8-9 November) in 2024. Europe and the UK haven’t been forgotten, though! We have a new, two-day deep-dive training course, “Powerhouse”, coming to Vienna in November 2024 – keep an eye out for more information on that in our newsletter. Remember, as a subscriber to the magazine, you save money when buying any of our training products – make sure you log in to your account at executivesupportmedia.com to get the correct pricing!
And, most importantly, as we enter into the holiday season, take some time to rest and relax, and spend time with family and friends.
Wishing you all a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year.
I look forward to meeting you in person at one of our events.
Kathleen
