Time is the only changing constant and with time, everything changes. Emotions, people and markets. Every now and then in our lives, there comes a time of disruption. Where routines are rattled and we are introduced to new things. 

While this often sounds exciting, what these sudden changes put an end to are existing conventions and practices. 

We are living at one such time. 

This is when new skills are hitting the market, newer work cultures are being introduced and a whole new spectrum of operational policies are being strategized.

A lot of skills that were in-demand a few years back are now extinct. Or to be precise, they have evolved into something more specific, challenging and mostly rewarding. With tech advancing by the day, it is indeed hard for businesses like yours to keep pace with it. 

More than keeping pace with it, businesses that adapt to changing trends and demands are the ones to seamlessly ride the way and consistently manage to sustain their spots. The perfect metaphorical example comes through our very own Apple iPod.

Photo by Christine Sandu on Unsplash

iPod Becomes Irrelevant After 20 Years Of Launch

If you’re as old as we are (not revealing the numbers here), we would all agree that we come from a generation that grew up flaunting a device dedicated to just music. It wasn’t the Walkman or portable music players that allowed us to listen to a maximum of 10 songs. This was different. For the first time, we were introduced to a new format called MP3 and unbelievably, we could store over 50 songs at once and have a digital interface to select preferred songs as well.

Futuristic it was. Iterations and variations followed and in 2007, a new and advanced music player hit the market from Apple. Arriving as a game-changing phenomenon in the consumer tech space, it redefined aesthetic and functional conditions with its features and sort of foreshadowed the onset of a whole new generation of smartphones called the iPhone.

It’s been 20 years since its launch and with its introduction, our auditory experience has never been the same. However, Apple recently announced that it’s shutting its shop of iPod Touch forever and that it will be available only till stocks last. This is the dusk of an era most of us grew up in. This announcement marks the end of a 20-year-old pioneer that will now move on to attain the status of vintage.

What’s The Takeaway Here?

When something new hits the market, it garners attention and probably commands respect if it is exceptional. It puts an end to previously existing entities and becomes a benchmark and competition.

Being a market disruptor or a game-changer is good but the attention fetched is short-lived. To stand the test of time, one needs to consistently adapt to changing trends and demands. We could draw parallels from the lifespan of the iPod and connect it to the skills of your workforce. It could be true that once upon a time, your talent pool’s skills were phenomenal and in demand but have they upgraded to stay relevant to cater to the dynamic needs of today?

The existing skills of your workforce could be similar to iPod Touch, where without their knowledge, they are getting a step closer to fading away from the market.

It’s on us stakeholders to enable talent transformation in our talent pool and ensure their skills and new competencies evolve. Just like how iPhones were spiritual sequels to the iPod Touch, the new skills of your workforce should evolve into something more to serve larger purposes and become future-proof.

What do you think?

Check out our talent transformation programs today or get in touch with us to personalize your journey in emerging technologies.