Craig Comrie, CEO of Profmed
Welcome to 2020. We’re the first generation to begin to get to grips with the connected age’s lightning-fast pace of change. We understand that the world will transform beyond our wildest expectations in a far shorter time than we can predict. The fourth industrial revolution has ramped the speed of transformation up to a whole other level.
At Profmed, we #Believein a future where the new emerging professionals solve problems we have been battling with for years in innovative ways.
Here’s why we believe.
At 7.7-billion people on earth - last count - there are more of us than ever before. Paradoxically, the potential power of big data also means we are closer together and better connected to each other than ever before. The social scientist Stanley Milgram conducted actual “small-world” experiments with normal human beings to research how surprisingly small the number of degrees of separation between humans was.
The computational power of big data means it is easier than ever to drill into the long tail of the internet to find just exactly the interest group or niche expert you wanted, or never knew you needed. With all the world’s wisdom stored on the internet, knowledge is more democratic than ever before. This human interconnectedness poses an incredible opportunity for each one if us to tap into and harness the support, encouragement, knowledge and wisdom of those in our networks. People are more powerful than machines remain central to solving our own problems.
But, with great power comes great responsibility. How we respond to the challenges of artificial intelligence (AI), an environment connected via the internet of things (IoT), and a possible post-work world, depends on decisions we make now.
A professional’s job will look different. The power of AI will create a new industry of highly skilled entrepreneurs.
True innovators are not frightened by turmoil. They know that change is exciting. It is proven to keep our brains young. It also presents an opportunity for meaningful social change.
One need only look at the groundbreaking work done by doctors such as Prof Mashudu Tshifularo, who made world history last year when he conducted a middle ear transplant using 3D printed materials. There are others, medical professionals who are excited by impending change – and Profmed’s The Professional podcast series has featured a number, including integrated practitioner Dr Ela Manga, dentist-innovator Dr Alex Rawhani, and psychologist Nomfundo Mogapi, who believes the key to future success is in unlocking our responses to our past.
Co-creating the future is a matter of perspective, and choosing what to focus on. Our medical professionals are in demand globally, but we can seek ways to retain them and affirm their value. We also need to attract back those that have sought international learning and exposure.
Once we realise that we are co-creating the future, and it starts with us, we can start making changes, even at a micro-level, and watch the ripple effect of our behavior adaptations on the wider world.
As a simple example, if every single individual refused to use plastic, we would stop our plastic crisis in its tracks. Overnight. Each person who stops smoking, attains their healthy weight, drives responsibly, consumes goods in moderation, pollutes as little as possible, sources their food ethically, and watches their carbon footprint helps to co-create a better future. Every random act of kindness or instance of #payingitforward counts. Every stressed professional who turns to family and friends for the support offered by human connection – as the Profmed Stress Index survey 2019 shows they do in their numbers – or seeks help for mental suffering from a healthcare professional, helps mitigate the negative effects of their stress on others.
“As we enter a new decade, we need to reflect on some of the positive things that the country has produced in the last decade. As a young democratic country, we are still full of promise that can only be achieved if we work together,” says Craig Comrie, CEO of Profmed Medical Scheme. “With this in mind, Profmed is launching its #BelieveIn campaign in 2020. We will embark on highlighting and telling the stories of what connects us and collectively gives us purpose.”
We invite you to join us and recommit to positivity this year. It starts with each of us.
Get the latest issue of FAnews