"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn,” noted Alvin Toffler. As we gradually venture into the Sixth Wave of Technology Innovation, businesses face both a challenge and a compelling mandate: to realign and reskill their workforce to thrive in this new era. According to the World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs 2023 report, the surveyed employers estimate that 44% of knowledge workers’ skills will be disrupted in the next five years and that six in 10 workers will require upskilling training before 2027 (with Analytical Thinking and Creative Thinking named as most sought after training skills). Moreover, equipping employees with know-how in new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and green tech will become imperative to get them “Sixth Wave-ready." 

But as an individual, how do you know what training course suits your natural style? And as a Learning & Development (L&D) Manager, how can you identify what talent should be unskilled in what training program? Enter TIPS, Thinkergy’s Talent & Innovator Profiling System, which offers a smart, well-structured framework for identifying and nurturing the right talent for the right skill set.

Understanding the Sixth Wave’s Core Technologies

The Sixth Wave of Technology Innovation (ca. 2020-2045) unfolds through advances in three intersecting technology spaces: digital tech (such as AI, blockchain, robotics, big data, cloud computing, etc.), clean or green tech (think of electric vehicles, clean energy, circular economy, sustainable production, etc.), and human-centered tech (biotech, genomics, personalized health and nutrition, etc.). 

"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today,” noted the African American human rights activist Malcolm X. In the coming years, companies must continuously upskill and reskill their employees to fully embrace and utilize these new technologies in their business. This is similar to the early 1990s when organizations needed to train their employees to use software, computers, and the Internet. However, the big difference is that the Sixth Wave will likely unfold faster and be more disruptive than the Fifth Wave (driven by Information & Communication Technology and Digital Networks; ca. 1990-2020). 

What role can TIPS play in Talent Development?

With its four home bases (Theories, Ideas, People, and Systems) and its four cognitive styles (to think, work, interact, and live), TIPS provides an elegant framework to guide companies in identifying which of the 11 talent profiles can be trained in what kind of upskilling and development program. Each of the 11 TIPS profiles (the All-Rounder, Coach, Conceptualizer, Experimenter, Ideator, Organizer, Partner, Promoter, Systematizer, Technocrat, and Theorist) occupies a particular space of the TIPS Map, which is linked to a specific combination of natural interests and preferred cognitive styles.

One crucial tenet of TIPS is to make every profile play on its strengths while collectively compensating for each profile's weaknesses. Likewise, when it comes to Learning & Development, the basic idea is to upskill talents in those areas that naturally align with their interests and cognitive styles and thus are relatively EEE (easy, effortless, and enjoyable) for them to acquire. On the other hand, you want to avoid sending talents into training courses they find DDD (difficult, de-energizing, and drudging) as they don’t fit their innate cognitive preferences. Why? While you can nominate everyone for any training, the chances that a person openly acquires, deeply absorbs, and comprehensively applies the learned contents are significantly higher if the topic naturally resonates with their interests, talent type, and cognitive styles. 

So, by aligning upskilling courses with an employee’s inherent strengths and learning preferences, TIPS can become an invaluable tool for corporate Learning & Development Teams to individualize talent development initiatives in the emerging technological landscape.

Identifying different Upskilling Pathways for each TIPS Profile

To guide corporate Teams, we have curated a list of 100 upskilling programs currently deemed most critical to equip companies with critical skills needed to seize upon opportunities and new technologies of the Sixth Wave. We have broken these up into ten areas (with ten upskilling courses each): Foundational Skills, Technology-Driven Skills, Human-Centered Skills, Green and Sustainable Skills, Emerging Technology Skills, Business and Strategy Skills, Interdisciplinary Skills, Personal Development Skills, Industry-Specific Skills, and Digital Transformation Skills.

Based on their respective cognitive styles, we then make a recommendation for each of the 11 TIPS profiles if a particular upskilling program is:

• a “yay!” (EEE to learn), 
• a “nay!” (DDD to acquire), or 
• an “okay” (i.e., although cognitively not being an “EEE” home run, it is still comparatively painless for this profile to learn if they express an interest in the topic).

“If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid,” Albert Einstein once noted. And to expand on this insight, even if you send the fish to a tree-climbing training course, it will neither do it well nor enjoy it as it’s not a monkey. Likewise, sending a Partner to a Machine Learning course wastes time, money, and effort as they are cognitively not wired to learn such a technical, big-picture topic. So, know who’s who and who enjoys learning what. But how? By mapping TIPS profiles to specific upskilling paths, organizations can ensure that each employee not only understands their role in this new age but excels in it.

Exemplifying the unique Upskilling Interests of selected TIPS Profile

Now, let’s look at some example training courses for four of the eleven TIPS profiles. 

• Theorists are your deep, logical thinkers and evidence-based researchers. In the Sixth Wave, they should be primed with skills in AI, Blockchain Technology, and Big Data Analytics ("yay"). These areas cater to their strengths in abstract, analytical thinking, and deductive problem-solving. On the other hand, clear “nays” for a Theorist are courses in Emotional Intelligence, Negotiation Skills, or Conflict Resolution. While they might benefit greatly from acquiring such empathy-related skills, they won’t enjoy these courses and are unlikely to apply their content. 
• Ideators excel in creative and entrepreneurial thinking. Hence, developing skills in Design Thinking (or our equivalent, X-IDEA), New Product Development, and Sustainable Product Design allows them to tap into their zest to innovate and progressively think forward (“yay"). How about sending them to courses in Policy Understanding or Regulatory Compliance? Don’t even think about it! Ideators are way too impatient and dynamic for such serious and administrative topics.
• Organizers are the pragmatic doers, best suited for structured tasks and taking care of operational details. Upskilling them in Project Management and Logistics & Supply Chain Innovation aligns with their practical, down-to-earth approach to business (“yay"). However, resist the temptation to train them in Strategic Foresight Tools or Business Model Innovation as these topics are too “big picture” for them (“nay”).
• Systematizers are an organization's loyal, reliable backbone, ensuring that everything (and everyone) works efficiently. They will likely enjoy being upskilled in courses such as Cybersecurity, Resource Efficiency, or Robotic Process Automation (RPA), as these topics fit their natural focus on efficiency and risk avoidance. How about nominating them for Agile Methodologies, Advanced Creative Thinking, or Customer Experience Design training courses? You guessed it correctly — these courses are “nays” for Systematizers.  

Implementing a TIPS-Based Upskilling Strategy

Implementing a successful upskilling strategy using TIPS involves several steps:

1. Profile Assessment: Profile all your talents in TIPS. Ideally, consider conducting TIPS training sessions to give everyone a basic understanding of the TIPS profile, preferred cognitive styles, and strengths of themselves and others. 
2. Talent Alignment: Ensure that every talent works in a role that fits their TIPS profile. TIPS also offers opportunities to identify and (re-) align talents to new roles in line with the new Sixth Wave technologies (e.g., using a Technocrat as a FinTech Engineer, an Experimenter as a Sustainability Specialist, or a Promoter as a Social Media Strategist). 
3. Skill Gap Analysis: For each talent, match current skills against future skills needed in their role to identify skills gaps and highlight development opportunities. 
4. Tailored Training Programs: Develop training initiatives that cater to each TIPS profile's learning preferences and their role's skill requirements.
5. Continuous Evaluation: Regularly assess the progress and impact of training programs, making adjustments as needed.

While a TIPS-based L&D approach is sophisticated and effective, it's not without challenges. One major hurdle is organizational resistance to change, including the willingness of the Corporate HR Team to try out and openly embrace a fresh, 21st-century profiling tool. Moreover, leaders and L&D Specialists must communicate the importance of upskilling initiatives and foster an organizational culture that values continuous learning and personal growth. Additionally, the fast-evolving new technology landscape may require regular updates to training programs, demanding agility in training planning and execution. As the renowned management guru Peter Drucker noted in this context correctly, "Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes.”

Conclusion: Put the right person into the right training program with TIPS

"In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists,” said the American philosopher Eric Hoffer. As we gear up for the changes of the evolving Sixth Wave technology landscape, well-thought-out talent upskilling becomes not just desirable but essential. TIPS provides a structured yet flexible framework for corporate L&D Teams to harness the full potential of each individual talent and your corporate workforce. So, consider embracing TIPS to understand who should be trained in what. Then, upskill your talents for the future in a TIPS-tailored approach to stimulate growth in this new technological era.

• Are you ready to align your team’s potential with the technological demands of tomorrow? Explore how TIPS can transform your workforce development strategy. Contact us today to learn more about our TIPS workshops and consulting services and start your journey toward successful workforce transformation.
• Are you curious how you profile in TIPS? Take the TIPS test and unlock your unique talent type.

© Dr. Detlef Reis 2024.