This article is written by Helen Caldwell, Campaigns & Communications Associate at Apolitical, with contributions from Abe Greenspoon, Dr. Jean Kunz, Jane Liang, Lauren Hunter, Chad Hartnell, Mark Schaan, Jacky Tweedie, and Sarah Hoy.

In a rapidly changing world, it’s vital to evolve, upskill, and change with it. So we asked public servants across Canada: What are the future skills that public servants really need to succeed? Here’s what they told us.

1. Make friends with complexity

Some new key skills are emerging: Managing ambiguity and complexity (files are increasingly multi-sided and iterative); soft skills and social capacities, particularly around the mental wellbeing of staff and the complex environments we are increasingly working in; support for multi-stakeholder processes; and navigating and displaying/presenting information and data.

— Mark Schaan, associate assistant deputy minister, Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

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2. Develop your self-awareness

Whether you're working in a back office job or on the front line with citizens, in tech or in policy, you need to develop a mindset of citizen-centric service delivery. This means becoming familiar with user-centred design concepts (no — you don't need to become an expert!).

You also need to develop a strong sense of self-awareness. As we move towards more and more human-to-automation interactions, our own uniqueness as humans will become increasingly important. And that means knowing who you are, what you bring, and what you need to work on to make your interactions with others as positive and outcome-focused as possible.

It's all about those we serve when we're in the public service, and that means having the modesty and awareness to adapt our behaviours to benefit others the most, even when these changes are hard-learned.

— Lauren Hunter, director of Talent Cloud, Treasury Board Secretariat, Government of Canada

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3. See the whole system

Almost every challenge that our society will face in the immediate and long term is going to require the participation of all sectors of society — the public, private and non-profit sector. Every sector has a role to play. In that context, public servants would be well served to develop their partnership and collaboration skills. In addition, as data becomes more integral in government operations, public servants should gain experience in statistics, data analysis and integration of this intelligence into policy, program and service strategies.

— Chad Hartnell, director of operations, Impact and Innovation Unit, Privy Council Office

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4. Stay attuned to what’s changing

A key skill will be developing an understanding of how service delivery (internal and external) is transforming itself — not just to digital, but also in how “users” are framed as key co-developers. In addition, the GC policy suite is transforming, with many new policies and directives that should inform everyday work.

— Jacky Tweedie, senior manager, Service Modernisation and Delivery Unit, Fisheries and Oceans

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5. Understand the human element

Many public servants work on teams giving advice about how to solve complex problems. Being able to work well in dynamic team environments is essential for these kinds of jobs.

This requires public servants to be collaborative, creative, curious, team-oriented and agile. Even public servants who work in more operational roles should spend time trying to influence the nature of their work by thinking creatively about ways they can improve how it's done. Knowing how and when to speak up about opportunities for improving our work can really help people be successful in their jobs.

— Abe Greenspoon, manager, Statistics Canada

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6. Develop your technical skills

  • Systems-thinking
  • User-centric design
  • Foresight
  • Digital literacy

— Dr. Jean Kunz, Director, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Persuasive storytelling tops everything. It's helped me sell ideas, obtain buy-in, secure alignment, and deliver results together with multi-level, multidisciplinary stakeholders.

— Jane Liang, Project Lead, Ontario Financing Authority, Toronto, Canada

  • Adaptability skills
  • Advanced computer skills (being able to utilize computer applications in more of an advanced way (beyond basic features)
  • Ability to work independently and efficiently
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Strong communication skills
  • Project management skills
  • An ability to continuously learn
  • Relationship management skills
  • Strong writing skills
  • Leadership skills
  • Teamwork skills

— Sarah Hoy, Program Analyst, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, Ontario Public Service

— Helen Caldwell, Abe Greenspoon, Dr. Jean Kunz, Jane Liang, Lauren Hunter, Chad Hartnell, Mark Schaan, Jacky Tweedie, and Sarah Hoy

Which skills and competencies do you think will be crucial for public servants in the next 5-10 years?

Write your perspective in 200 words or less and send it to discussion@apolitical.co with “Future skills submission” in the subject line. We will publish the top answers in an article for Apolitical’s readers.

(Photo credit: UnSplash)