So everybody is talking about the future of work. A lot of my clients are incredibly concerned about the mass extinction of a lot of jobs and roles out there in the market. But never fear because this isn’t the first or last evolution that humanity has or will go through. Which made me think about other lifeforms on planet earth that are masters at surviving and thriving through tough times and glean some key lessons that we can apply to the current climate.

1. Diversity like a JellyFish

Just like the famous jellyfish that has managed to survive 500 million years – that is even more than the dinosaurs. By being completely diverse, jellyfish are able to be creative and flexible. So no matter what the environment throws at them, they are open and willing to be flexible enough to change. That’s certainly something Australia needs right now as we move away from traditional mining and finance sectors and start diversifying our market into things that external and internal consumers need.

2. Collaborate like a Community of Amazonian Ants

Whilst these blind ants are quite martian looking, they actually live inside the Amazon. These peculiar ants have been around for 120 million years which completely blows my mind! Despite being blind, they have used their ability to collaborate and harness the power of community to get the job done and survive some of the scariest transformations this world has brought forth. Modern ants today can thank their ancestors for being so community focused and collaborative.

3. Let go like a Lizard

Our famous lizard is probably the closest relative to our friends, the dinosaurs. While the dinosaur didn’t quite make it through, lizards did and that’s because of their critical thinking. They are not afraid to take risks when risks are needed. And if their environment tells them it’s time to move, they get the hell out of there… even if it means losing a limb or a tail. Now wouldn’t that be good for us to do, instead of getting stuck in a story and wallowing in the problem. Instead, it’s about taking action, cutting our losses and moving towards a direction our customers and markets are demanding from us.

All in all, lots to be learned from these amazing critters. I hope you find a way to apply this in the future. If you are interested in continuing this conversation, please click here to contact me; and lets talk about how your skills can be transferred into the future.