At the National Workforce Conference, Daniel Pink developed a case for shifting our workforce education from linear, logical and sequential thinking to artistic, inventive, and empathetic thinking. His case rests on three major trends in the economy – abundance, Asia and automation. Computers can replace a lot of the logical, left brain thinking. Routine work is either being shipped to Asia or other global markets or being done by computers. Last year 1 million tax returns were done in India and 21 million on Turbo Tax. The abundant lifestyles that Americans live have encouraged product and service designers to look towards product aesthetics and new functionality. Three questions businesses need to ask in order to compete are 1) Can someone overseas do it cheaper?, 2) Can a computer do it faster?, and 3) Is what you are delivering in demand in an age of abundance?
 
The six abilities that matter most, according to Pink, are design, story (communicating differently), symphony (capacity to step back and see the big picture and patterns), play (importance of collaboration and invention), empathy (good customer service) and meaning (working on fulfillment, not just abundance).
 
He quoted General Motors Executive Robert Lutz as saying, “We are in the arts and entertainment business.” Proctor and Gamble Board Chair said, “It is all design.” He suggested that the education and workforce systems need to develop these new abilities in quite a different way than we are currently doing.
 
For more information: http://www.danpink.com