"We are watching organisations lose 50% of their revenue in a year because they are not transforming."

It's a constant call to action that every organisation is aware of. But too many people are still putting the weight of change on technology, expecting the tech to lead transformation for us, says futurist Jason Averbook in the newest episode of Humanscope by People Matters.

In conversation with People Matters CEO and Co-Founder Pushkar Bidwai, Averbook talks about why we are viewing change through the wrong lens entirely. We know for sure that the world will change, but we are being too passive about it, he thinks - letting technology take the lead and expecting humanity to adapt to it, rather than humanity changing pro-actively and in tandem with the tech.

This conversation dives deep into the underlying assumptions of how work, the workplace, and the workforce are structured. Those assumptions may have held true in an earlier era, but today they are erroneous and outdated. And that is the case because the human element is not changing appropriately, Averbook believes.

"I don't know the exact recipe [for blending humans and machines together], but I know that it can't be static, and I know that it can't be based on the old school management principles that many organisations are still working off of."

Part of the problem is that too many people still don't grasp the full scale of the change. Organisations are not looking at outcomes and outputs sufficiently, and instead focus too much on very small user-facing aspects of the technology - the easy, visible, and ultimately irrelevant things.

Averbook argues that what is happening today affects the entire ecosystem of how humans are educated, trained, acquire knowledge, and use tools. But not enough attention is being paid to work design, and organisations that don't align themselves with the situation will have a nasty surprise a few years down the road.

The conversation is a wakeup call and a challenge, but it doesn't leave organisations hanging either. Averbook has a few suggestions about how to navigate the inevitable change, and many of his thoughts revolve around people: how to treat them, how to enable them, how to make them count rather than just counting them.

"Based on the way the world of work is changing, I guarantee that today I don't know at least 75% of what I'll need to know in five years. And that being said, what can I bring to create the right mindset, the right culture, the right outlook, the right empowerment or enablement?"

Tech will change, people will have to change, and processes will have to change. That's the one certainty.

Watch the full conversation on People Matters Youtube channel.

The next episode of Humanscope will feature Shayan Hazir, Chief Digital Officer for Southeast Asia at HSBC Singapore. Stay tuned to our new podcast series to explore stories that explore the limitless potential of human talent—the creativity, innovation, and leadership that drive organisations forward.