The year 2020 was in complete chaos as far as social and work life was concerned and the uncertainty of the future led people to look at life afresh. The future of working style, many of us just talked about was no longer an eventuality. It became a reality. Remote work and the COVID-19 lockdown spurred us into upskilling ourselves – facing new challenges posed by the new work culture. We have to sharpen our learning agility to keep pace with the new normal.

Industries and organizations across the world are rethinking the working style, as we look towards 2021 and beyond. Accordingly, the following skills have been identified, which need to be honed by everyone.

Self-Mastery

To gain control over one’s own mind is the foremost skill everyone needs, to cope with the increased demand for productivity in a new environment. Stress management, resilience training, and anxiety management as some of the techniques for mastering one’s mind and taking control of one’s time.

Collaboration

The importance of collaboration in a remote work environment need not be emphasized more. Business communication, business writing listening skills, and business etiquette were some of the most sought-after training many corporates emphasized the need for. Conflict management and interpersonal skills are also high on any company’s wish list.

Data Literacy

Data literacy is another aspect that is of paramount importance and can be compared to computer literacy. It is required for Business Intelligence by the sales force as well as software skills to enable data visualization.

Automation

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Digital Transformation got accelerated  and automation skills were required to be scaled up by every employee. The skill was most sought after in the technology and software industry.

Cyber Security

During the pandemic, cybersecurity attacks were on the rise and organizations were prioritizing cybersecurity training as a skill needed for the employees. Providing a safe remote work environment was