Weekly With The Consultant — Issue #7
We’re at a point in time when we have a conundrum. We have good ideas but we need to embrace risk in pursuing those approaches. When we create the future we have to explain ourselves and reset expectations
The Myth About Generation Alpha
Current Influencers may claim the lion’s share of media attention, but another generation is nipping at their heels. We are talking of the generation which was and is being born from 2010 to 2030, even some of them aren’t born yet but they are already changing the future of social media and creativity, not forgetting the intelligence they have. This will lead to downplay of academic education and pave the way for soft skills as the successor in the spherical world of education. What are we going to learn from this generation of high EQ, AQ, IQ, and SQ:
1. They’ll be the most educated generation.
Generation Alpha is still in its infancy — both literally and figuratively — but by the time its members come of age, they’ll be the most educated generation ever.
2. Technology will be key.
This generation will be accustomed to the seamless and inextricable integration of technology into their lives on an unprecedented scale. They will surpass the technology skills of their parents before the age of 10.
3. AI will factor into the educational experience.
The presence of voice assistants and AI is a natural part of their existence, fostered by their early introduction to smart tools, will be more assimilated to AI robots and quantum computers than to human conventional reasoning.
3. Highly personalized learning is a must.
This generation will be used to the immediate accessibility of information, as such, highly personalized and targeted learning experiences will be a critical factor. It will be a point in time when we will have a conundrum.
4. They will require a “super education,” but not necessarily degrees.
Given Generation Alpha’s ability to quickly and easily find information on their own. By the time they reach the job market, a Bachelor’s in business administration will be as unique as having an Instagram account
5. Educators must adapt, too.
Universities will have to evolve to successfully court them. This generation will increasingly need to see a high degree of equilibrium between their worlds outside of school and how they interact and learn inside of school.
6. There’s no time like the present to start planning.
It may be years before they walk through the doors of institutions, and the time to start planning for the transition is now as it will require an overhauling of institutional cultures. We have to plan and think through what the next generation will look like because we can’t wake up and suddenly fix all that when they arrive.
7. They’ll be different kinds of employees in different kinds of workplaces.
They will impact the workplace in a multitude of ways, including working only for companies that align with their values; disregarding privacy at work; embracing diverse workplaces; choosing technology over the human connection; expecting technologically advanced workplaces; requiring mental health support at work, and having the confidence to make a change.
8. Innovation is imperative.
More than any youth generation before them Generation Alphas will seek the ‘latest’ and the ‘newest’ and they’ll have no qualms about switching products and services. The life cycle of brands and products will become shorter. Brands will have to invest to make sure they have a new product and service pipeline that continually delivers.
While much of Generation Alpha is still in diapers, the fact remains that this young generation already wields significant power, and will continue to do so moving forward. The more universities endeavour to understand them now, the better prepared they’ll be to meet the future educational wants, needs and goals of Generation Alpha.
Until then, Its bye for now
