When many things feel uncertain in life, one of the most effective ways to manage stress and anxiety is to focus on the actions that are in our control. 

In episode 32 of the Learning with Go1 podcast, our host Craig Hamill is joined by James Wann, Managing Director from one of our newest content partners, Assemble You. During this episode, the two discuss the impact that mindset plays in everyday life and practical ways you can adapt and manage a positive mindset to fuel growth in your career and personal life.  

Check out some of our favourite highlights below.  

Overcoming challenges with the right mindset 

Your mind is powerful. Your beliefs, your attitudes, and your feelings can all influence the way you think, act and make decisions in life. Below, James talks about how a healthy mindset can play a crucial role in how people cope with their daily life challenges, whether it's inside or outside of work. 

Overcoming challenges with the right mindset

Building better relationships through self-reflection 

 
Self-reflection allows us to connect the dots and facilitate a deeper level of learning which can then inform future mindsets and actions. It is only when we have this greater level of self-awareness that we can become better leaders and people in general, as James explains below.  

Building better relationships through self-reflection

To be able to use challenges as opportunities for growth, we need to be able to shift our frame of mind to focus on the positive. In the video below, James introduces the concept of antifragility and its interesting spin on resilience.  

Antifragility over resilience

If you haven't already, you can listen to the full podcast here to learn more.  

Want to hear more? Browse the full Learning with Go1 podcast library on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify to help expand your knowledge of all things L&D. And hear how other organisations are navigating through this ever-evolving landscape.   

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Episode 32 is live! Learn about the impact that mindset plays in everyday life and practical ways you can adopt and manage a positive mindset to fuel growth in your career and personal life.  

The importance of resilience and self-reflection 

🎧 Episode 32 is live! Learn about the impact that mindset plays in everyday life and practical ways you can adopt and manage a positive mindset to fuel growth in your career and personal life.  

People of all generations currently in the workforce have had their typical ways of work and learning change from what they once knew, and it certainly hasn’t always been an easy adjustment.

For one generation in particular, all these changes came at a time when they’d only just begun to enter the workforce. Or were in the throes of finishing formal education and  preparing to enter it. Gen Z, whether we expected it or not, have become unwitting test subjects as we navigate what works and what doesn’t in a world where remote working and learning has become the norm.  

While they have no doubt learned a number of valuable tech skills, many have missed out on learning other skills that previous generations had the opportunity to naturally learn while working in physical work spaces.  

Not only that, by having little to no experience in the physical workplace, members of Gen Z may miss out on opportunities to socialise with colleagues and team mates.  Whether employees realise it or not, these experiences often become important learning opportunities. As a result, a skills gap of non-tech skills has emerged for Gen Z learners. 

It’s not for lack of wanting to have those non-tech skills either. Gen Z are keen learners. We just need to develop the best strategies to help bridge this gap, that take into consideration the type of learners Gen Z typically are, as well as the way in which the workforce looks today.  

To do this, we need to ask two key questions: what exactly are the skills that Gen Z are missing? And how can L&D leaders take practical steps to help their Gen Z learners bridge that gap? 

In terms of what exactly this skill gap is, Dell recently conducted a survey of over 12,000 members of Gen Z (age 16-23) and found that 52% of Gen Z are more confident that they have the tech skills that employers want versus non-tech ones. Some examples of non-tech skills include communication skills, decision making skill and teamwork skills.  

Undoubtedly, these are extremely valuable skills that are applicable to any industry and Gen Z deserve to have the opportunities to hone these skills, just like previous generations. 

Gen Z are the first generation to not remember life before internet was a common feature in most homes and as such, are often labelled as ‘digital natives.’. Being digital natives, Gen Z are highly responsive to learning content, providing they have the right tools and methods. We can liken the idea to that of a marketing campaign. In order to reach the target audience (Gen Z learners) effectively, we need to meet them in their natural habitat (digital technology).  

Being digital natives also means that members of Gen Z can often have very short attention spans, which may appear to be a barrier to learning. However, by providing learning content through tools and formats Gen Z already use, Gen Z are far more likely to stay attentive - and therefore are more likely to remember and retain the content being taught.  

Another point to consider when helping Gen Z to bridge the skills gap is the value of experiential learning (learning by doing). In fact, 51% of members of Gen Z, learn best through hands-on learning, while only 12% learn best through listening.  

Some excellent formats that combine both the tools Gen Z are familiar with and experiential learning are games, simulations, case studies and challenges. These formats allow for reflection, analysis, testing and experimentation, all of which assist with information retention. When we pay attention to the needs and concerns of Gen Z learners, it’s much easier than we may think to help them gain the non-tech skills they may have missed by joining the workforce during a time of major change.  

Furthermore, when L&D leaders teach them not only what to learn but also how to learn, they are providing Gen Z learners with the tools they need to help them become successful in both their career and community. 

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s (including Gen Z) learning needs.

Gen Z have become unwitting test subjects as we navigate what works and what doesn’t in a world where remote working and learning has become the norm. We need to ask two questions: what are the skills that Gen Z are missing? And how can L&D leaders help their Gen Z learners bridge that gap? 

Bridging the skills gap for Gen Z learners

When your business offers employees the opportunity to learn, it can be a challenge to keep on top of everything. This especially applies if there are multiple employees within different departments taking courses in a wide variety of subjects.

This is where a learning management system comes in, and provides businesses with a simple solution for keeping track of employee training.

But what exactly is an LMS, and how do they work? Here, we’ll explore everything you need to know about learning management systems, including why they’re so important, who they benefit, as well as their many advantages.

A learning management system (LMS) is a piece of software that allows a business to store, manage, provide, and track all training-related materials.

An LMS makes e-learning not only easier for an organization, but also for its students, and can increase enrolment rates and engagement.

There are hundreds of quality programs available on the market, so it’s important to consider your business's goals and objectives, and how serious you consider employee learning and development. Because if you take them seriously, then you may find that an LMS is exactly what you need.

What does a learning management system do?

Learning management systems allow HR personnel and business owners to:

Oversee training and e-learning throughout the business

Identify students who may need additional support

Three major differences apply to learning management systems, which will affect how you operate your LMS and how much it costs:

Free or commercial - a free version may have limited features or functionality when compared to a commercial version

Cloud-based or installed - a cloud-based LMS stores data on an external server, while an installed version stores data within the organization

Open-source or proprietary - A proprietary LMS will require you to pay a subscription fee, whereas open-source LMS software is free and customizable, but is maintained in-house

Learning management systems aren’t to be confused with a learning management content system (LCMS). While an LMS is used to manage existing training materials, such as ebooks, videos, and quizzes, an LCMS is used to create learning materials. An LMS and LCMS can be used together, but unless your organization plans on creating a large number of training courses, then you will only want to consider an LMS.

While frequently used to manage employee training, learning management systems aren’t only used by businesses. Other organizations that utilize the features of an LMS include educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities.

Why use a learning management system within your business?

As well as making the learning process more accessible and simpler for both the organization and the students, there are plenty of other ways to take advantage of a learning management system’s features:

Save time and money training students and employees using pre-designed courses provided by an e-learning platform, such as Go1 - and Go1 is compatible with a wide range of learning management systems

By offering training via an e-learning system, you ensure that all students receive consistent opportunities, despite learning at different paces

Use analytics to track performance and monitor how students utilize and engage with training materials

Ensure students undertake mandatory courses such as fire safety, first-aid, and onboarding training

If you’re unsure whether or not your business would benefit from an LMS, discover more in our post, Is your organization ready for a Learning Management System?

What makes a good learning management system?

The best learning management systems will:

Paid and open-source software will allow you to customize your LMS, enabling you to use your logo, colors, and fonts, as well as other options to keep it on-brand.

Ensure the LMS system you choose is quickly and effortlessly compatible with other software and systems, including content hubs (such as Go1), CRM, payroll, HRIS, and more.

Not every student learns at the same pace. That’s why a good LMS allows you to personalize the learning experience for students, and identify when additional support is needed.

Even with a simple LMS you should expect certain features that improve and streamline the learning experience, including:

While it’s important that an LMS is user-friendly from an administrative point of view. It’s also vital that there isn’t a steep learning curve for students. Learning is already challenging enough, without additional and unnecessary obstacles.

As well as learning while at work using a desktop computer or laptop, it’s important that students can access an LMS on other devices such as a smartphone or tablet - this makes remote learning far more accessible.

As technology advances, you need to be comfortable that your LMS will update to ensure it continues to improve, operate, and keep up with the latest trends.

To determine the impact of e-learning and how successful it is, administrators need to be able to produce thorough, easy-to-understand data and reports on-demand.

By offering surveys, an LMS allows students to provide feedback and therefore give more insight into how they want to learn in the future.

Automated updates allow users to track progress and encourage students to continue with their learning, especially as deadlines approach.

For more information, check out our blog post on Nine things to consider if you’re new to the LMS world.

What are the 7 benefits of a learning management system?

An LMS not only streamlines an organization's training and e-learning processes but offers many other benefits to both employees and business owners.

While an LMS may cost - either via subscription fees or in resources if managed in-house - it will save your business money. Training can be expensive and time-consuming to orchestrate in person, while e-learning is far more cost-effective.

E-learning is self-directed, which means students can learn as and when it’s convenient for them, all easily and quickly accessible via an LMS. It also saves time for administrators organizing training courses.

An LMS allows for streamlined management and provides administrators and managers with all the tools they need to support the learning process.

4. Ensure mandatory training is completed

Managers can ensure that mandatory training, such as first aid and fire safety - and other industry-specific training - is completed thoroughly and to a high standard.

Being able to collate accurate data in an easy-to-understand format allows businesses to prove to stakeholders that their training is effective and offers a return on investment.

By ensuring all training courses and materials are located in one central location it improves the learning experience for students, meaning they’re far more likely to engage with and complete courses.

An LMS makes communication between students, teachers, and employers simpler. 

What are the best learning management systems?

As we’ve already highlighted, there are hundreds of options, but below are just a few of the best learning management systems available:

A few of the best proprietary learning management systems:

A few of the best open-source learning management systems:

Go1 is compatible with a wide range of learning management systems

By choosing an LMS right for your business, you empower your employees and give them the tools they need to be the best talent in your industry.

Are you ready to elevate the learning experience within your organization? Take full advantage of an LMS by utilizing Go1’s huge range of training courses, perfect for beginners and professionals.

For more insights, subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

What exactly is an LMS, and how do they work? We explore everything you need to know about learning management systems, including why they’re so important, who they benefit, as well as exploring their many advantages.

7 benefits of learning management systems | Go1

7 benefits of learning management systems

Go1 is excited to announce the next phase of the partnership with Subscribe-HR. This partnership will provide an all-in-one Cloud HR and eLearning solution to Subscribe-HR’s customers in the Australian and New Zealand markets. 

Go1 is excited to announce the next phase of the partnership with Subscribe-HR, a cutting-edge cloud HR software provider for medium-sized enterprises. This partnership will provide an integrated, all-in-one Cloud HR and eLearning solution to Subscribe-HR’s customers in the Australian and New Zealand markets.  

Subscribe-HR is Australia's only Codeless HR Platform. Their HR software is built on a Platform model that has been designed to offer maximum flexibility so that the customer can get up and running quickly, realising a rapid ROI. If business needs change, customers can reconfigure the system without the need for code, saving time and money on development costs related to customisation. Subscribe-HR delivers the benefits of HR technology to HR specialists and business leaders through their unique Enterprise Cloud HR Software Platform.  

Subscribe-HR has partnered with Go1 to bring to their customers the world's largest digital learning library - fully connected and integrated into Subscribe-HR. The Go1 Content Hub provides Subscribe-HR customers with a diverse range of learning content, whether it be compliance, hard skills, or soft skills development.   

“It’s fantastic to be able to extend our partnership with Subscribe-HR,” says Basem Emera, VP of Partnerships at Go1. The integration provides a frictionless experience for users to attain high quality, in demand learning - resulting in more engagement, and better learning outcomes for their customers. With only a few clicks Subscribe-HR users gain access to over 100,000 learning items from the best providers in the world.”  

Go1’s content focuses on key areas that have maximum impact for HR Managers and Business leaders. Subscribe-HR’s customers can benefit from the opportunities for ongoing employee professional development and upskilling with Go1’s business training content. Plus, customers can ensure they remain legally compliant with Go1’s superior content and eLearning capabilities. 

Subscribe-HR is Australia's only Codeless HR Platform. Meaning you can adapt Subscribe-HR to your HR automation needs quickly and cost effectively. 

Not only does Subscribe-HR come pre-loaded with out-of-the-box, pre-configured content like recruitment and onboarding workflows, contracts, letters of offer, reports and performance reviews; the new Team Dashboards system includes a one-of-a-kind Activation Hub. The Activation Hub is a Dashboard that provides self-activating features that enable free trial users and customers to set up and configure the entire Subscribe-HR system themselves. Everything you need to get your very own Cloud HR Software up and running quickly and easily, all in one spot. 

You can then use the powerful Subscribe-HR configuration tools to easily and cost effectively adapt your unique business requirements into Subscribe-HR to automate your people management. That’s how HR Professionals and Business leaders everywhere can say goodbye to the burden of administration and paperwork, connect with employees and do more of the things that make a difference in the workplace. 

Go1 is excited to announce the next phase of the partnership with Subscribe-HR. This partnership will provide an all-in-one Cloud HR and eLearning solution to Subscribe-HR customers and the Australian market. 

Go1 now bringing workplace training to Subscribe-HR clients

Go1 is excited to announce the next phase of the partnership with Subscribe-HR. This partnership will provide an all-in-one Cloud HR and eLearning solution to Subscribe-HR’s customers in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Go1 now bringing workplace eLearning training to Subscribe-HR clients

It's no secret that there is always room for improvement in every workplace. But how do we ensure that it's a continual process? And what are the steps workplaces can take to kick start continuous improvement? 

Episode 31 of the Go1 podcast sees Go1's Craig Hamill and Head of On-Demand & Digital at Process Management International, Lauren Miles, join forces to take a deep dive into the topic of continuous improvement in the workplace.

Check out some highlights from their discussion below.

Many of us will have heard the saying, "it's about the journey, not the destination" but for continuous improvement in the workplace, it's actually both. In this section of the podcast, Lauren explores this idea further and discusses the value of a 'repeatable method' so that the improvement in the workplace isn't just a one hit wonder. 

She then continues by mentioning that there are two very important perspectives to consider when it comes to effective continuous improvement: the organisation and the individual.

Both a journey and an outcome

Stepping off the operational rollercoaster

Whether we're prepared to admit it or not, it can be so easy to become swept up in the incredibly fast pace of the modern workforce. Craig  takes a moment to encourage us to step off what he calls, 'the operational rollercoaster' and how by taking the time to go through the refinement of processes, our workplaces can be better, faster and stronger, and therefore, provide a great deal of business value.

In this section of the podcast, Lauren explains that the development of a common language is absolutely essential when it comes to supporting a shared vision for improvement within the workplace. She then goes on to explain the performance improvement concepts of Lean and Six Sigma and how by combining the two, you can improve efficiency as well as effectiveness.

Developing a common language

If you haven't already, you can listen to the full podcast here to learn more.

Want to hear more? Browse the full Learning with Go1 podcast library on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify to help expand your knowledge of all things L&D. And hear how other organisations are navigating through this ever-evolving landscape.

There is always room for improvement in every workplace but how do we ensure that it's a continual process? And what are the steps workplaces can take to kick start continuous improvement? Find out in Episode 31 of the Go1 podcast.

Understanding the importance of continuous improvement and being lean

If you were born this century, digital literacy might be a skill you take for granted. You’re a digital native, after all. However, digital literacy isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone. As such, it is important to be aware of the varying digital literacy levels within your organisation and continually strive to improve your team’s digital literacy.  

Even younger generations can always upskill their digital literacy. Remember, nobody’s perfect. There’s always something new to learn, and, in many ways, digital literacy is no different to traditional conceptions of literacy. It is a skill that can be continually honed throughout your career, playing a significant role in your ongoing professional development. 

Unfortunately, many organisations overlook digital literacy when crafting their learning and development strategies, meaning it is a skill that can stagnate quickly. 

With this in mind, we’ve decided to look at the digital literacy skills that your team will need to succeed in the future world of work. We’ll start by asking what digital literacy is and why it’s important, before offering tips on how to improve your team’s digital literacy. 

This is the fourth and final article in our future skills series, stemming from our recent deep dive into the foundational skills you’ll need in 2022.  If you haven’t already, check out the first three blogs in this series on interpersonal skills, self-leadership, and cognitive skills.

Digital literacy is similar to traditional forms of literacy. The medium may change, but the basic skills remain the same. Where we traditionally think of literacy as the ability to read, write, interpret, and critically evaluate the written word, digital literacy asks us to apply similar skills to digital mediums. 

According to Common Sense Media, “digital literacy is part of media literacy. They're both included in the idea of ‘information literacy’, which is the ability to effectively find, identify, evaluate, and use information. Digital literacy specifically applies to media from the internet, smartphones, video games, and other nontraditional sources.”

Developing Employability expands on this definition, adding that digital literacy is the ability to “identify and use technology confidently, creatively and critically to meet the demands and challenges of life, learning and work in a digital society.” 

Finally, McKinsey defines digital literacy as “the ability to handle digital data, use popular software, access digital services, and interact with AI.”

As such, a few key indicators of digital literacy include being able to:

Confidently identify and operate different technologies

Access, interpret, and critically evaluate information in digital spheres

Communicate with others using online tools

Manage your online identity while being conscious of security, safety, and privacy

Create digital content, not just consume it

Digital literacy is important for many reasons. For starters, digital literacy is important because we live in an increasingly digital society. From social media to Zoom meetings to online payments and more, much of our society is now filtered through a digital lens.  Further, the widespread move to remote work has demanded an increase in digital skills for many employees. 

According to the Digital Skills Organisation, 87% of jobs in Australia now require some level of digital literacy. What's more, they find that 61% of Australia's training needs include the digital upskilling of the general population. 

Similarly, a recent report by McKinsey identified digital literacy skills as one of four ‘distinct elements of  talent’ (DELTAs) that will be vital to the future of work. Forward-thinking workers would be wise to recognise this and focus on developing their digital skills. 

McKinsey also found that proficiency in their digital literacy DELTA had the highest correlation to education (32%). Plus, they noted that "a respondent with higher digital proficiency across all digital DELTAs was 41 percent more likely to earn a top-quintile income."  

Despite this, digital literacy expert Elizabeth Marsh recently found that 88% of organisations have not taken any action to tackle their employees’ lack of digital skills. On the other hand, 44% of workplaces have some form of digital program in place. Additionally, teams now use 16 SaaS applications on average, up from 8 in 2015. While this may come naturally to some, jumping from application to application can be a lot to get your head around if you’re not as digitally literate. Clearly, there is a disconnect here. Many organisations expect their employees to switch fluently between digital platforms. However, they take no action to upskill employees' digital literacy.

To reiterate this disconnect, Adecco finds that 80% of leaders believe their company has a clear strategy to train employees in the new digital literacy skills they will need in future. However, just 46% of non-managers think the same. 

What’s more, Ms Marsh finds that “the digital skills deficiency in the workforce is impacting on performance, with lost productivity and decreased customers the main negative impacts." These deficiencies should be highly concerning and could serve as a wake-up call for organisations to provide better digital literacy training.

Along these lines, Emerald Works finds that 29% of L&D teams are concerned about the pace of technological change, with 39% adding that they are overwhelmed and under-equipped. 

To put this into perspective, The Australian Digital Inclusion Index tracks and measures the rate of digital literacy in Australia. In 2020, the report saw a slight increase in Australia’s ADII score, from 61.9 in 2019 to 63 in 2020. While it is encouraging that this score is trending in the right direction, this was a lower increase than in previous years. 

To underscore the importance of digital literacy and inclusion, the ADII explains some of the factors that contribute to digital literacy, commenting, “across the nation, digital inclusion follows some clear economic and social contours. In general, Australians with lower levels  of income, employment, and education are significantly less digitally included. There is consequently a substantial digital divide between richer and poorer Australians.”

In addition, older people, Indigenous Australians, people with disabilities, and people who live in rural areas are all more likely to be digitally excluded. 

Given these findings, digital literacy is essential on three distinct levels. Firstly, a foundational degree of digital literacy is necessary to participate in an increasingly digital society. Without this, people may struggle to access employment and other basic needs. 

Secondly, from a business perspective, a team that lacks the necessary digital literacy skills is likely to be less productive. It is incumbent upon L&D teams to ensure employees have access to robust digital skills programs, which will lead to both a high-functioning business and more productive, engaged employees.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, improving digital literacy is vital from a diversity and inclusion standpoint. As the latest ADII report reveals, Indigenous Australians, people with disabilities, and Australians from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds are disproportionately affected by a lack of digital literacy Therefore, improving access to digital literacy for these traditionally marginalised groups should be a priority to help bridge the digital divide. 

For more insights on digital literacy, see our articles on identifying your skill gaps and digital transformation. 

Tips to improve your team’s digital literacy 

With these factors in mind, the question becomes, what can I do to improve my team’s digital literacy? 

The good news is that many L&D teams have recognised that digital literacy is a growing priority and have taken steps to address this issue. According to LinkedIn's 2022 Workplace Learning Report, 26% of L&D teams see digital upskilling as one of their primary focus areas in 2022, making this the second-highest priority for L&D teams behind leadership and management training. Likewise, 30% of L&D teams plan to launch digital fluency or transformations programs in 2022. 

So, how can teams digitally upskill? To start with, McKinsey offers insights into the specific digital skills that employees will need in the future world of work. According to their research, the following digital literacy skills will be essential for high-performing employees:

To put these skills into action, an excellent place to start is by clearly communicating the value of digital literacy to employees. In other words: what’s in it for me? For example, you might explain that digital literacy can improve productivity, expand knowledge, offer new skills, and help people remain employable. You can also explain that digital literacy is vital to any successful professional development plan. For a closer look at that topic, check out our article on the benefits of professional development.

Once everyone understands the value of digital literacy, it’s time to assess your team’s current digital literacy levels. By doing this, you will be able to identify the specific areas that require improvement. The details of this process will vary from team to team. However, surveys that ask employees to assess their current level of digital knowledge, or even simple online tests, can be good ways to check your team's digital literacy.

Next, it is essential to set clear, measurable objectives to ensure you achieve the desired outcomes. These objectives will help you decide which digital literacy skills to prioritise. Collaborate with employees to design these objectives to ensure everyone’s goals and perspectives are reflected.

WeLearn provides an example of setting digital literacy objectives, explaining, “if you’re looking to build your digital skill set, you need to know what you are using technology for and if there are ways to use it more efficiently. Not everyone needs to know how to code to succeed at their job, but perhaps that’s an important element of your position. Whether it’s learning how to create a podcast or make an Instagram account, defining your objectives will put you on the right track to reaching your digital literacy goals.”

Finally, it is time to implement a training strategy to improve your team’s digital literacy. eLearning Industry recommends that hosting live events, encouraging learner-generated content, creating an online resource guide, and including digital literacy simulations can all be helpful steps in this process. 

It is important to note that creating training content to improve your team’s digital literacy will not be a one-size-fits-all process. Rather, this process will vary from business to business depending on your organisation, goals, existing learning infrastructure, and your learners’ specific needs. 

Need some help developing your team’s digital literacy skills? Go1 has you covered. Check out our playlist on Digital Skills: Are You Ready for the Future? to access world-class courses on digital transformation, virtual communication, data analysis, digital etiquette and more. 

Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can support your team’s learning needs.

In the final blog of our future skills series, we’ll analyse the digital literacy skills your team needs to succeed in the future world of work.

The importance of digital literacy for your workforce

Whether it’s a morning crossword, a daily brain teaser, or you’re joining the Wordle craze, it’s never a bad idea to keep your cognitive skills sharp. Yet, although we train our bodies through exercise and a balanced diet, it can be all too easy to overlook training your brain. 

However, neglecting your cognitive skills would be a mistake. With the demands of the modern workforce becoming increasingly fast-paced, well-developed cognitive skills are now vital. From empathy to creativity to attention span, it is essential to actively train your cognitive skills to stand out in a competitive workforce. 

With this in mind, we’ll analyse the cognitive skills you need to focus on to get ahead in the future world of work. We’ll start by asking what cognitive skills are. Then, we'll look at how to develop your cognitive skills before exploring the specific skills you should prioritise.

This article is the third in our ongoing future skills series, stemming from our recent deep dive into the foundational skills you’ll need in 2022. Throughout this series, we’ll detail the interpersonal, leadership, digital, and cognitive skills you’ll need to get ahead in 2022 and beyond. If you haven’t already, check out the first two blogs of this series on interpersonal skills and self-leadership.

Ready to train your brain? Let’s get started.

Cognitive skills are the mental skills such as attention, prioritisation, adaptability, critical thinking, and memory that we use to assess, perceive, process, and act in various situations.

As Indeed puts it, cognitive skills are “the ways that your brain remembers, reasons, holds attention, solves problems, thinks, reads and learns. Your cognitive abilities help you process new information by taking that information and distributing it into the appropriate areas in your brain.” 

Similarly, Sharp Brains defines cognitive skills as “brain-based skills we need to carry out any task from the simplest to the most complex. They have more to do with the mechanisms of how we learn, remember, problem-solve, and pay attention, rather than with any actual knowledge.” 

Sharp Brains also provides a concrete example of cognitive skills in action in the form of answering a telephone. While this may seem like an everyday task, it’s easy to take for granted that answering the phone involves many cognitive skills. For example, you use perception to hear the ring tone, decision making to assess whether to answer the call, language skills throughout the conversation, and social skills to interpret the tone of voice and interact with another person. 

As such, we use cognitive skills daily — often subconsciously, without even realising it. Many cognitive skills are so ingrained that they become second nature like breathing. However, this doesn’t mean you can't train your cognitive skills. Quite the opposite. It is vital to continually develop your cognitive skills to ensure you remain mentally sharp. 

In a workplace context, well-trained cognitive skills are becoming increasingly important. In a recent report, McKinsey identified cognitive skills as one of four ‘distinct elements of talent’ (DELTAs) that will be vital to the future of work. Forward-thinking workers would be wise to recognise this and focus on developing their cognitive skills.

Cognitive skills can manifest in many ways at work. From quickly interpreting and analysing data to paying attention and retaining information during meetings to problem-solving and thinking quickly on your feet, cognitive skills are the backbone of any high-functioning team. 

Think of it this way: specific knowledge and facts are often updated and can always be taught and shared. However, strong cognitive skills such as agility and creative thinking are evergreen, allowing you to stand out. 

To find out more, see our recent blog on preparing your brain for learning. 

To start developing your cognitive skills, Indeed recommends taking three key steps. Firstly, it is critical to reduce stress and take care of your body. A clear, calm mind and a healthy body give you the best chance of developing your cognitive skills. So, focus on getting a good nights’ sleep, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and practising meditation to relieve stress.

Secondly, practice makes perfect. For instance, if you want to improve your focus, practise focussing throughout the day. Try timing how long you can focus on a task before getting distracted. Then, set achievable goals to help slowly increase this number and improve your focus. The same theory applies to other cognitive skills, such as memory and problem-solving. 

Finally, to develop your cognitive skills, you need to actively train your brain. Like any other muscle, your brain needs regular exercise. Training your brain to expand your cognitive skills can take several forms, such as reading more frequently, solving puzzle games like crosswords, Wordle, or Sudoku, or even downloading a dedicated brain-training app. You can also check out our blog on carrying the cognitive load of learning, which is packed full of tips from guest expert Lauren Waldman. 

For further insights on training your cognitive skills, see our blog on fixed mindsets vs growth mindsets. 

Which cognitive skills should I focus on?

According to Mind Matters, there are six distinct types of cognitive skills: long-term memory, working memory, logic and reasoning, auditory processing, visual processing, and attention. 

McKinsey offers further insights into the specific cognitive skills that employees will need in the future world of work via a survey of more than 18,000 people. According to their research, the following cognitive skills will be essential for high-performing employees:

That’s not all, as McKinsey also found that many of these skills correlate highly with employability, job satisfaction, and even income. For example, people with high proficiency in understanding biases are 10% more likely to be satisfied with their jobs. Similarly, those with high proficiency in work-plan developments are 27% more likely to earn a top-quintile income, making this DELTA the top indicator of a high income.

Moreover, those with excellent adaptability skills are 24% more likely to be employed. Again, this cognitive skill was the highest indicator of employability. Overall, respondents with high proficiency across all cognitive skills were 30% more likely to earn a high income, per McKinsey’s findings.  

We’ve drilled down further, identifying the top four essential cognitive skills you should focus on.

4 essential cognitive skills you’ll need for the future of work

1. Attention: According to Indeed, attention is the most important cognitive skill to get ahead at work. As they explain, “strong cognitive skills can help you resist diverting your attention to something else and stay focused on the most important task.” Attention can be divided into three sub-skills: sustained attention (focusing on one task for a long time), selective attention (maintaining focus despite distractions, such as replying to emails or chatting with co-workers) and divided attention (attending to multiple ongoing tasks in a day without losing track of your progress). 

2. Adaptability: It should come as no surprise that adaptability is one of the most vital cognitive skills in 2022. After years of COVID-related disruptions, adaptability is now the norm in many workplaces. As a result, adaptable employees will be highly sought after in the future world of work. To learn more, see our blog on agile and adaptable teams. 

3. Agile thinking: Going hand in hand with adaptability, agile thinking is also an essential cognitive skill. As McKinsey puts it, employees who can “quickly and independently learn competencies beyond their area of expertise” will stand out to employers. In the modern workplace, agile thinking involves thinking laterally at a moment’s notice, always having a backup plan (and a backup plan for your backup plan!), and being willing to learn from past mistakes to grow.

4. Prioritisation: Excellent time-management and prioritisation skills have always been important. However, with adaptability and agility also at a premium, the ability to juggle and prioritise multiple tasks, often with short lead times, will be a vital cognitive skill to get ahead in the future world of work. For further insights, see our blog on the art of prioritisation. 

Need some help developing your team’s cognitive skills? Go1 has you covered. Check out our playlist on Cognitive Skills: Thinking Towards the Future to access world-class courses on mindful listening, critical thinking, problem-solving and more. 

In the third blog of our future skills series, we’ll analyse the cognitive skills you need to focus on to get ahead in the future world of work.

Cognitive skills to focus on for the future of work

The positive impact of eLearning has revolutionised learning in the workplace, improving workflow, efficiency and communication. Since education programs can be rolled out digitally and for teams all over the world, how has learning new skills online impacted employee life and wellbeing?

According to a recent report, demand for online education has soared during the pandemic. With this in mind, we surveyed people in the UK who have undertaken an online course to reveal the impact learning new skills online can have on a person’s career and personal development. 

Since the Coronavirus pandemic, health and safety has taken centre stage and businesses have raced to make workplaces COVID-secure to get employees back to work safely. But this has also heightened awareness of the overall importance of health and safety in the workplace. 

This may explain why health, safety and wellbeing are the most popular areas of interest when it comes to eLearning courses, with 24% of respondents taking a course relating to this topic overall. 

There was a slight disparity among men and women when it came to the most popular subjects of interest. Men opted for courses in IT software (18%), health, safety & wellbeing (18%) and leadership (14%), whereas women opted for courses in health, safety & wellbeing (30%), people & communication (15%) and IT software (10%). 

The internet has revolutionised learning, with schools, universities and businesses adopting eLearning to educate their students and employees. But how is eLearning impacting everyday life? Our survey revealed extensive personal benefits to learning new skills online, with more than 2 in 5 (43%) 16-24-year-olds saying their new skill has helped them start their own business. Not only that, nearly half of people aged 55+ (49%) said they want to learn more skills in the near future, proving it’s never too late to learn something new. 

The top 10 skills people most want to learn

The World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report suggested that by 2025, complex problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management and emotional intelligence would be among the most important skills required in the workplace. This may explain why 6 in 10 (64%) people think there should be more emphasis on schools to teach soft skills to students. But what are the most popular skills people want to learn?

Demand for online education has soared during the pandemic. With this in mind, we surveyed people who have undertaken an online course to reveal the impact learning new skills online can have on a person’s career and personal development. 