Master these skills to build fast-moving, future-ready teams: Siemens CEO Roland Busch
Oct 12, 2023
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Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens, is at the forefront of digital transformation and sustainability. He discusses the urgent need for reskilling in a rapidly changing job market. Roland emphasizes empowering managers to make decisions closer to frontline teams to stay competitive and shares his journey of reshaping leadership through inclusivity. He draws from his physics background to simplify complex challenges and highlights Siemens' commitment to carbon neutrality by 2030. Tune in for insights on adaptive workforce strategies and the future of team dynamics!
The digital transformation emphasizes the need for reskilling, as companies must adapt their workforce to leverage new technologies effectively.
Empowering teams at all organizational levels fosters a culture of lifelong learning, crucial for navigating the challenges of a rapidly changing job market.
Deep dives
Digital Transformation and Sustainability
Digital transformation is significantly reshaping industries, making sectors like healthcare and manufacturing more efficient and sustainable. This transformation allows companies to shorten cycle times and enhance resilience, particularly as demographics shift in aging societies. Innovations such as the Internet of Things (IoT) are essential, enabling real-time data connections and smarter operational decisions. Manufacturers are required to adapt their processes and workforce skills to meet these changing demands, with the goal of reducing energy footprints and ensuring long-term viability.
Addressing Labor Scarcity through Technology
As global populations age, labor scarcity is becoming a pressing issue, particularly in mature markets like Europe and Japan. Companies are turning to technology to optimize productivity, enabling workers to focus on tasks that require human skills, while automating routine activities with robots and AI. Examples include automating healthcare workflows to allow nurses to spend more time with patients rather than managing equipment logistics. The implementation of autonomous transportation solutions also alleviates labor shortages in sectors such as public transport.
Empowering Workforce Reskilling Initiatives
Siemens is committed to reskilling its workforce to meet the demands of new technology-based roles through programs like its Digitalization Academy. The company emphasizes hands-on, prolonged training rather than brief classroom sessions, ensuring employees are well-equipped for future job requirements. This approach not only retains talent but is also more cost-effective than seeking new hires. Empowering workers at all levels fosters a culture of lifelong learning and adaptability, essential for thriving in a rapidly changing job market.
The Importance of Interoperability in Technology
Interoperability is a crucial factor for the future scalability of technology solutions, allowing different systems and devices to communicate effectively. By developing modular solutions that can be adapted for various clients' needs, companies can avoid starting from scratch with each client. Open APIs and customizable platforms enhance the capability to scale operations rapidly across different industries. Without robust interoperability, efforts to innovate and improve efficiency may stall, hindering progress toward addressing global challenges such as emissions and resource management.
The digital transformation is shifting more than technology - it’s changing the skills workers will need, the mindsets required to tackle big challenges, and the nature of business itself. Roland Busch, Siemens CEO, shares how tech is reshaping Siemens and how reskilling will evolve, and how managers especially will need to empower teams for the changes ahead. He shares why more decisions should happen near the bottoms of organizations (to compete in a fast-changing world), the corners leaders will be tempted to cut for short-term gains in tough quarters (but shouldn't) and the ingredient that's critical for building agile and accountable teams. He also shares the skills he depends on most after 30 years at the company, including how his PhD in physics shaped his approach to problem-solving, and a key turning point that changed how he delegates.