It is already starting to peek through every crack and in every direction.
And Forbes has finally written about it.
“Job roles are breaking apart.” The pressure is rising. Burnout is just around the corner.
“Traditional job positions are gradually breaking down into individual tasks that can be carried out by different types of workers – employees, external specialists, or the technologies themselves.” *(Forbes)*
I agree. But at the same time, I keep thinking – what is no one saying out loud?
Until now, most of the conversation has focused mainly on AI, automation, and new technologies.
On tools. On productivity. On the future of work.
On early adopters eagerly jumping into the new.
But the most important part has stayed in the background for far too long:
What is all of this doing to people?
Very few people stop to think about the 70% who need time to accept change.
And yet Forbes itself writes:
“Many employees are facing growing pressure to perform, alongside a higher risk of burnout. According to a number of studies, low employee engagement is among the main factors reducing company productivity.”
Companies invest in tools.
In processes.
In technologies.
Very few invest in how to actually help people move through that change.
This is not a side issue.
This is reality – and it is already affecting companies, teams, and individuals.
So far, I have seen very little discussion about
what these changes are doing to people’s mental wellbeing,
their confidence,
their identity,
their sense of direction in life.
Forbes mentions adaptability and soft skills as part of the answer.
“Companies are also increasingly pointing to a lack of soft skills, such as collaboration, adaptability, or critical thinking.”
And I would add one more capability that is still talked about far less than it deserves:
The ability to go through change in a healthy, conscious, and supported way.
Not only for employees.
But also for managers.
And yes, at C-level too.
Because:
→ Adaptability does not develop from a workshop on growth mindset
→ The ability to handle change does not appear automatically in a job description
→ Working with emotions during transition is not “soft” – it is a hard business issue
Change in work is inevitable.
How people handle that change – that is a choice.
People need to learn how to deal with change.
How to work with uncertainty.
How to understand their own emotions.
How to maintain their value in a world where work is being rewritten in real time.
What about you – is your company investing in people’s ability to navigate change, or only in the change itself?