We are currently amid the end of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, ushered in by the pandemic, social revolutions all around the world, and increasing environmental-, economic- and financial challenges. The greatest contributor is most likely TIME. Those humans left behind or out of the loop had lots of time on their hands during the pandemic… Time to think about frustrations and issues related to being dehumanised… Time to reflect on the meaning of life… Time to think about CHANGE.
But how?
Enter the Fifth Industrial Revolution. Industry 5.0 invests in and focuses on what it means to be human and how human strengths can be leveraged to improve results. Not only because it is the right thing to do, but because businesses and organisations will reap the benefits of putting people first. In Industry 4.0, the focus was squarely on technological strengths. An ideal 5.0 organisation will have synergy between the humans and technology, leveraging the strengths of both while appropriately augmenting and compensating for the other’s weaknesses.
We are already witnessing signs of Industry 5.0 crystallising in organizations all around the world. Humans are being placed at the forefront with Positive Psychology, Psychological Safety, Work-Life Balance, and other aspects of the work experience getting more and more attention. Businesses simply cannot afford to be caught unprepared to cater for the human during this turbulent, yet important, time in the history of work.