The 1920’s was the first decade ever to have a nickname… The Roaring 20s, a decade of prosperity and over-indulgence, full of Jazz bands, bootleggers, raccoon coats and bathtub gin…
Sounds belting doesn’t it. Call the Doctor… and fetch me his Tardis….
Bet you resaid that at least 3 times, ending in an American gangster accent!
This post however, is not geared at bringing back The Charleston, instead it is about looking forward to our next decade… The one I have coined the Talking 20s.
Let me explain Harry Kane…
Over the last couple of years, we have seen the rise of virtual assistants, primarily Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Siri. Probably like you, I have multiple of each and they are great pieces of equipment.
You simply ask them a question and they give you the answer. Hey Presto!
You can link them to other home devices, and they will turn your lights down, your heating up, shuffle your favourite Spotify playlist, all faster than a babysitter’s boyfriend, when the car pulls up.
To build, we will see exponential growth in AI driven chat-bots, who will get cleverer at understanding your responses. All this will support us to spend less time dealing with routine mundane task.
And to that I say… Hurrah!
All this new tech will certainly makes life easier, especially after a taxing day at work checking your social media. Simply flap your weary gums, and get whatever you fancy on tap.
The 2020’s is certainly going to be a decade where Talking becomes King of the Castle… My worry, and the essence of this post, is whether Writing is going to become the Dirty Rascal?
This post is therefore not about criticising new tech, I am all for it. Nor is it about a sexy tool you can add to your toolbox for the challenges ahead.
It is simply a post to get you to think about the importance and competitive advantage of Writing in the Talking 20s.
Thought I would start by asking Google the following…
Here is what it replied….
Jeepers creepers, a bit heavy but thanks Google…. it agrees with my view!
With virtual assistants and chat bots taking all the mundane task away for the general population, my view is that the biggest career currency will be emotional intelligence and critical thinking capability.
These skills are massively linked to Writing. Why?
The main reason I started this blog earlier in the year was to take all the great learnings I have had over my career and journal them. By forcing myself to put my thinking onto paper, I have to really think hard to make sure the message is clear.
The fact is… Clear Writing is a sign of Clear Thinking?
Time for a Silly picture to bring this post to a close…. I have some moonshine to brew!
Have a think… Is your natural style is to throw the javelin or pass the baton?
Throwing the javelin takes one big herculean effort, and you are never sure where it is going to land, or in your fervour, whether you will get a red flag for overstepping the mark.
Passing the baton, lets you explore 4 parts to the solution, each playing its part. It involves reading and writing, so when you start talking or explaining, there is much better clarity.
So, for easy routine stuff, barking out commands like Lassie with an canine behavioural problem, works fine. Use the tech and hurl that javelin.
For more complex challenges you face, my advice is to pass the baton, taking time to research, think and clarify before communicating. It is actually more time effective in the long run, not having to unpick ill-thought, brain fart solutions.
- Is you default approach to challenges to throw a javelin or pass the baton?
- How are you using technology at present? If it is removing mundane task, how are you utilising the additional time?
- How much are you writing at the moment? What is the long term impact? How could you start?
- Have you got a challenge at present that you could pause and resolve through the pass the baton approach?
- If you are struggling to write my advice is to write badly? Start with 5 minutes a day and you will get better!
