New role in 2016?

2016

Image: Adobe stock.

Happy New Year!

We live in a time of rapid change. The main driving forces are globalisation, digitalisation, increased demands on all businesses to become sustainable and, last but not least, a healthy balance between work and private life. More and more jobs are “certified” to include complex tasks and problem-solving with no given work instructions or obvious solution. Abstraction ability and capacity to collect and analyse a variety of different types of material, facts and impressions are becoming increasingly important.

I have in a previous blog addressed the challenge to attract and retain creative, talented people. One conclusion was that we need to create workplaces that are heterogeneous and with a culture that is open to diversity, tolerance, cross-culture, and different personalities.

Hence, the company’s organisation and management style must change. Creative people want to be able to develop and exploit their specific talents and gain recognition and appreciation from achievements. They, therefore, thrive better in a meritocratic environment with an informal, team and personalised leadership style compared to a classic hierarchical organisation.

When our companies find new ways to organise, new roles and titles will be introduced while others become obsolete and disappear.

Nordic Executive Survey

The consulting firm Hammer & Hanborg have reported its annual survey among more than one thousand Nordic leaders; the Nordic Executive Survey. The study focuses on the work situation for Nordic executives but also explores current issues affecting organisation structures.

One general conclusion is that successful companies create their structures to enable collaboration and network-based organisations. Based on the survey, Hammer & Hanborg also share a list of what they find to be the 2016 hottest new professional roles and titles (see below).

“To listen, analyse, and generate business based on insights and to be able to build content, relevant stories, are the keywords in this year’s list,” writes Hammer & Hanborg. To structure your business and organisation in silos is not the way forward. Successful companies build their structures to enable collaboration and network-based organisations.

“The world is changing, and customer behavior changes. Businesses and institutions need to adapt to the new conditions, and one key might be new organisational structures with entirely new roles and titles “, says Åsa Falkman, Founding Partner of Hammer & Hanborg.

New roles 2016

  • Data Visualiser: Data abound. Creates the structure and overview to visualise opportunities from various data sources.
  • Data Flow Analyst: A crystal ball is no longer needed. To interpret the data and understand trends, preferably before someone else does it.
  • Vlog Editor: Blog + video = true. Video is becoming more and more important in communication with customers.
  • Content Evangelist: Where and when we are visible is important — but when and, especially, what we convey is crucial.
  • Relationship Developer: Interaction and adaptation are the keywords in combination with a genuine interest in the customer.
  • Human Interaction Expert: Human to Human, and Peer to Peer — there’s no doubt that the more we digitize, the more important are human relations.
  • Scenario Builder: Can predict scenarios even before a new product or service is finished and launched.
  • Narrative Designer: A role taken from the video gaming world that will be introduced in other industries.
  • Loyalty Builder: The only way to get loyalty is to deserve it.
  • Network Explorer: Make sure to build the business with the help of the network and to evolve in conjunction with the business surroundings.

Hopefully, some of the titles above may come into play in your business. If you wish to read the full report from – click the link Nordic Executive Survey 2015 or visit Hammer & Hanborg’s home page.

I also recommend you to review and compare Hammer & Hanborg’s trend spotting for 2015 in Nordic Executive Survey made in 2014. Quite interesting.



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