Skills for shaping the digital enterprise

In the world of digital transformation happening, how do we see the roles emerge? Does the old definition still hold good? Here is a brief view.

Most organization will become “digital” in some way or other. When they change from a monolithic to a digitally agile unit, usually a saviour is recruited and he or she is called CDO (Chief Digital Officer). But things do not end there. Rather it is a start. The entire organization should become digitally nimble. For that, we also need to see how the roles encompass some of these aspects. Mind you, today’s world will not be strict 1-1 mapping. We will find that CHRO and CMRO should work together in incubating labs and the would be their joint KPPs.

CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer) - Starts with identification of digital gap and engages in acquisition of such talent to fill the gap. Target is for the CHRO to own the “digital experience” and initiate a culture of “incubation labs” that foster and nurture talent closely allied to business as the enterprise becomes digital throughout.

CMRO (Chief Marketing Officer) - Starts with setting up marketing related digital aspects. Target is to own the “digital experience” along with CHRO. All start up labs / eco-systems for building products and experiences should be the mainstay.

What about CTO (Chief Technology Officer)? The vision of CTO means a nice team of geeks who set the enterprise architecture standards for the organization. Of course, the starting point is development of digital architecture. Target will be to own digital product labs.

The all-pervading CIO (Chief Information Officer) will be responsible, initially, for defining and managing digital infrastructure as part of the enabling function of IT. The entire portfolio including the actual digital infrastructure of the organization as well as the target channels of interaction should be governed in the end.

The CDO (Chief Digital Officer) is the digital evangelist at the beginning. He or she should lead the digitalization initatives as well as the incubator labs.

Chief Data Officer is responsible for modelling digital standards and driving data access. All the development of data-driven products and usage of digital to fuel more data and innovation will become de rigueur.

In summary:

1. Culture will change form strict compartmentalization to porous boundaries. Roles and KPPs will impact each other and will require working together not only across functions but also with various service providers and other technology partners.
2. A common set of traits will form the bedrock of digitally nimble organizations. They will include digital thinking and lean principles. The mindset will move from a generalist to digital generalist taking into account the “domain” knowledge specific to the industry.
3. Finally, every one in the new era cannot be a risk avoider. No reward for such a strategy. They will be encouraged to take calculated risk, try out new things rapidly harnessing data from different channels, discard things that do not work out but in the process go towards what is likely to work.

No takers for philosophy?

Have you ever wondered when dictators arise, the first thing they tend to do is to silence the “Philosophers”! Why? For it is they who seem to bubble with ideas and ensure the thirst for continuous inquiry continues. Yes, the dictators and autocrats fear the philosophers and their influence on the thinking of common men and women.

What do you think studying philosophy means? This is one area where there is no set of defined answers to issues. The act of thinking deeply and critically, inquiring constantly and arriving at one’s ideas i.e. the sheer journey itself is so special. This is one subject you can be sure that those who take it up are at least interested in that subject with no other expectations.

LSE (London School of Economics) has a department – “Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method”. According to LSE, “Studying philosophy is an excellent opportunity to think deeply whilst developing important transferable skills. Choosing Philosophy as your subject will prepare you for the kind of careful thinking, critical analysis and persuasive writing that is critical in many different areas of work.”

Philosophy has multiple dimensions and aspects of inquiry. It covers ethics, politics, economics, law, metaphysics etc. Challenging questions are constantly debated and explored in philosophic inquiries.

A few examples are:

• What is good?
• Is it ok to sacrifice a few for the greater good of the society?
• Is there something called “Free will”?
• Does God exist?
• What is an opinion, a belief? What are the types of knowledge?
• How should the society be grouped?
• What can we know?
• Why should we obey the law?
• Can we every state anything with absolute certainty?

If you are curious and has an open mind, philosophy is the subject to turn into.

Let’s go to the next topic. What can I do with a philosophy undergraduate degree? In other words, “Does it really pay?”. Very pertinent question that cannot be ignored in today’s world of survival.

Many studies have pointed to the fact that the philosophy graduates work in various departments starting from finance, science, NGOs, Government, Law and business and consistently earn well above the median average.

The students tend to do well in tests that require thinking, writing and critical judgement. Take the GRE or GMAT exam. Philosophy majors seem to get to the essence and ace the exams as entry to graduate studies.

One of the most sought-after skills in the 21^st century is critical thinking, working in a team and analytical/logical bent of mind. Studying philosophy prepares one for such a rigour and it can play a role in the general life too.

For this, it would be better to see what can one be able to do after studying philosophy major:

• To understand and articulate issues – public or otherwise clearly drawing upon philosophical learning
• To develop an inquiring and investigative mindset
• To attain research skills, approach any issue logically and reason it out
• To recognize fundamental questions on life, knowledge, rights, living, society etc.
• To hone skills in analysis, interpretation and proof
• To apply formal techniques of logic
• To identify central issues/messages/concerns and get to the core of the debate/text

John Campbell, a renowned philosopher, says “Philosophy is thinking in slow motion. It breaks down, describes, and assesses moves we ordinarily make at great speed.... It then becomes evident that alternatives are possible.

Starting from Socrates, Plato, Aristotle to early modern and latest era of Machiavelli, Sir Thomas More, John Calvin, Michael de Montaigne, Francis Bacon, Descartes, Boyle, Spinoza, Locke, Voltaire, Hume, Kant, Bertrand Russell, Gödel and Camus have contributed to a better understanding of the fundamental questions, thought process and knowledge.

India has its own philosophers who have written treatises on metaphysics, materialism, justice, law, soul and body etc. Yajnavalkya was one of the earliest in the Vedic age. Many others followed including Kapila, Gautama Buddha, Mahavira, Chanakya, Patanjali, Bodhi dharma, Adi Shankara, Ramanuja, Basaveshwara, Madhvacharya, Vallabhacharya. In the modern times, Rabindranath Tagore, Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Jiddu Kirshnamurti are notable ones propounding and exploring in various aspects of the discipline. In addition, the Upanishads and other treatises serve as philosophical and scientific inquiries.

If you are keen to enjoy such a rigorous subject, go out, fall in love and find joy in the learning process itself.

Bertrand Russell said “"Philosophy is to be studied, not for the sake of any definite answers to its questions since no definite answers can, as a rule, be known to be true, but rather for the sake of the questions themselves; because these questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation; but above all because, through the greatness of the universe which philosophy contemplates, the mind also is rendered great, and becomes capable of that union with the universe which constitutes its highest good."

15^th November is celebrated as “World Philosophy Day” all over the world. UNESCO introduced it in 2002 with the following objectives:

• to renew the national, sub regional, regional and international commitment to philosophy;
• to foster philosophical analysis, research and studies on major contemporary issues, so as to respond more effectively to the challenges that are confronting humanity today;
• to raise public awareness of the importance of philosophy and its critical use in the choices arising for many societies from the effects of globalization or entry into modernity;
• to appraise the state of philosophy teaching throughout the world, with special emphasis on unequal access;
• to underline the importance of the universalization of philosophy teaching for future generations. In establishing World Philosophy Day UNESCO strives to promote an international culture of philosophical debate that respects human dignity and diversity. The Day encourages academic exchange and highlights the contribution of philosophical knowledge in addressing global issues.

References

http://opcentral.org/blog/why-studying-philosophy-matters/

http://www.lse.ac.uk/philosophy/why-study-philosophy/

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/10/is-philosophy-the-most-practical-major/246763/

https://philosophyisagreatmajor.com/

https://www.apaonline.org/default.aspx

http://www.physicscentral.com/buzz/blog/index.cfm?postid=5112019841346388353

https://qz.com/1016900/tracy-chou-leading-silicon-valley-engineer-explains-why-every-tech-worker-needs-a-humanities-education/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/05/why-philosophy-majors-rule_n_4891404.html?utm_hp_ref=tw&guccounter=1

Skills relevant for the 21st Century and the role of Universities

What are the skills relevant for the coming decades? Are our institutions imparting them? Two important observations stand out especially in our Indian context:

1. There is a growing feeling that more and more focus, especially in India, is given to STEM at the cost of all other subjects. In fact, we can go on to say that those taking up humanities are frowned upon.
2. How relevant are the skills being imparted? Do they help the students fit into the society better and prepare them for solving the problems of tomorrow?

Assuming the key focus of education, amongst many others, is to prepare students for the job market, there is an inherent assumption that how the job market will look like and what skills would be necessary are well known. Sorry to throw a spanner in the works!  The rate of change is so fast that a research suggests that 35% of the skills necessary to thrive in the job market today will be different 5 years now. Former HCL Technologies CEO Vineet Nayar, once, remarked that 50% of revenues, 5 year thence, would come from services that did not exist in the present. Though the statement was made in the context of a specific industry, it applies equally well. Is this alarming? Yes and No.

Mr Bullrich, Education Minister of Argentina, succinctly summed it up:

Argentina is making rapid progress. In Finland, the “teachers” are the best paid and command a huge respect. Self-discovery, team play and soft skills dominate.

It is worth recalling the following comment:

“We prepare children to learn how to learn, not how to take a test,” said Pasi Sahlberg, a former math and physics teacher who is now in Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture. “We are not much interested in PISA. It’s not what we are about.”

India has started opening up recently with a view to discovering the long lost “Liberal Arts and Sciences”. Universities like Ashoka, FLAME, Jindal, Shiv Nadar University and Krea are some examples where attempts are being made to help the students discover their true passion. It is true that data is going to be the oil of this century. That doesn’t mean that everyone should aim to become data scientist. A combination of analytical, technical, linguistic skills will be required. No problem of today can be understood and analysed within a single dimension. To solve the poverty problem, economic, data, sociological and technical skills will be required. It is all the more reason that team work will dominate.

Take a step back and go into our own old system. A student was expected to learn from a variety of areas starting from philosophy, logic, math etc. Then they were encouraged to discover the areas they would like to delve deep. Our very own interwoven system of learning was forced into oblivion and the western influence came. Instead of taking relevant aspects, we completely immersed ourselves into the new system and rewarded rote memory. In the process, we also encouraged people who take up science subjects look down on those who are passionate about history or literature!

Let’s take a look at the skills that are going to be required to survive and grow:

-          Complex problem solving
-          Critical thinking
-          Creativity
-          People management
-          Coordinating with others
-          Emotional intelligence
-          Judgement and decision making
-          Service orientation
-          Negotiation.

These skills also have a common characteristics i.e. they cannot be easily done by machines and would still be relevant in the artificial intelligence dominated world.

Coming back to the universities and institutions of learning, there is a rush to get higher and higher in the rankings. Common rankings include QS, ARWU etc. Singapore set up a target, pumped in resources, hired super star professors, increased throughput and systematically moved up higher. NUS (National University of Singapore) and NTU (Nanyang Technological University) are well in the top consistently. China’s Tsinghua, along with Korea, Japan and HK universities are in the top. We have our very own IITs/NITs and other eminent institutes. We bemoan the fact that we don’t have top ranking universities yet. There is a renewed thrust. Does this really mean the teaching is good and the students are churned to be future ready learners? We don’t know yet. One thing that these ranking may not take into account significantly is the effectiveness of teaching at the undergraduate levels. The ranking may not reflect this adequately. It may reward research or Post-graduate academics much more. This is where our institutions can make a big difference. This is not to say that we should stop aiming for high ranks!

How do you impart the quality of “Learning never stops”? Learning is not a reflection of what has happened so far. If that were the case, there would be only one way of doing things right. Today’s problems require not only analysis from multiple perspectives but require tools from different fields to solve. In Argentina, the new changes ensure the youth are provided opportunities to learn and practice in their community. We don’t see many Scandinavian universities in the top 50. I was speaking to one of my Swedish colleague. His words were to this effect – “There are no elite universities in Scandinavia and all are equal in terms of quality. Of course, some are known in specific areas of research. But students go to those universities not based on the rank but on a host of other factors including fellow students, teaching quality, opportunities for practice etc.” Their system of education has been ranked very high. Formal schooling starts at 6 or later. By that time, in India, we may have enrolled him/her in a coaching class!

Does this mean a student is allowed to roam around for 3 or 4 years of bachelor program tasting and sampling different courses just letting time fly? Not at all. If, at the end of the bachelor studies, a student cannot get up and articulate his or her basic understanding in a well-grounded context and mastery in a chosen area, the program may not have met its purpose! This is where I feel that the world is crying out for “specialists” who are grounded generalists. A biologist with love for poetry can only make the world richer. The same biologist can take up a lead role in a specific problem involving endangered species rehabilitation but prepare to take a secondary role in striking a balance between deforestation and controlled tourism perhaps allowing a environmental scientist take up a prime position. The world needs such people who can work in a team and take up varying positions that the problem demands and allow other perspectives to complement. 

Let’s allow our students to experiment, to make mistakes, to learn from others, to cultivate ability to live in the society and above all “have an appetite to continue learning”.

References:

1.       https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/the-most-important-skills-of-tomorrow-according-to-five-global-leaders/

2.       https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-10-skills-you-need-to-thrive-in-the-fourth-industrial-revolution

3.       https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/opinion/sunday/the-decline-and-fall-of-the-english-major.html?smid=pl-share

4.       https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130625075243-2259773-why-learning-the-humanities-is-a-key-to-success

5.       http://www.teachercertification.org/a/role-of-education-in-the-21st-century.html

6.       https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/call-action-marketing-and-communications-higher-education/it-time-say-goodbye-liberal-arts

7.       http://time.com/4920389/bowdoin-college-liberal-arts-education/