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A NEWSLETTER OF SIM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

AUGUST 2018MCI (P) 060/04/2018

pd.sim.edu.sg

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HIGHLIGHTS

Singapore Management Festival

GLOBAL SPEAKER – BEN HAMMERSLEYThink your job is safe from the robo-uprising? Think again.

This article was written by Ben Hammersley and first published in the WIRED magazine. Ben is one of the global speakers at the upcoming Singapore Management Festival 2018, September 20 & 21. For more information, please visit festival.sim.edu.sg

capabilities of digital systems - machine learning, big data, all the good AI buzzwords - and the changes wrought by a digital society.

It’s weird to think, given the normalisation of the way we live today, that with some professions, only certain people with a particular knowledge are allowed to do certain work and getting access to these, people are limited by where you are and who you know. Naturally, in this world, all sorts of dodgy power relationships evolve, but this has been the case for so long that it seems natural.

Such thinking, however, ignores the artificial nature of these restrictions. What if the actual function of those jobs could be done by someone or something whose expertise wasn’t controlled by a guild? What if you could employ someone or something directly, and someone or something could fulfil their function from anywhere on the planet? If that were to happen, it would give all comers access to the same level of professional services.

It would rapidly plunge traditional professions into a new economic reality. It would drive the price of professional services down rapidly and irreversibly. The power given by academic and geographic rarity would be neutralised.

You see, it turns out that the professions have a dirty secret: most of the things

Ben Hammersley

they do aren’t that tricky. A good deal of law, accountancy, even medicine can be aligned to a flowchart. Start at the top and work down: is the patient alive or dead? If dead, stop. And so on, and so on. A high proportion of rarefied professional work is actually entirely diagrammable in this way.

And if you can do that, you can make it into a computer programme. A complex one, for sure, but if a modern AI can beat a Go grandmaster, it can fight a traffic ticket in court, do your accounts, check your contracts, organise your diary, or invest your money. And all of these are specific examples of tasks that, in 2016, have given rise to companies whose digital systems have replaced humans. Where they are located is utterly irrelevant and they are only getting smarter.

Task by task, certificate by certificate, AI-powered companies are doing the jobs that have traditionally been expensive solely through artificial means. Computers were built to manipulate data. In 2017, we’ll find they’re really good at it. Perhaps learning to make things would have been a better idea.

To read the full article, please click here.

When I was a boy, watching the news on the telly, waiting to use it to plug in my 8-bit home

computer, I’d be told to concentrate on the stories from the nearby towns: car workers were being laid off as robots took their jobs. Don’t make things, be a knowledge worker, I’d be told. Not goods, but services. Information is the new oil. Today, around 80 per cent of the UK’s economy is services. In 2015, the latest figures show, the UK exported more services than goods. We don’t make much stuff, but we’re really good at moving information around. The most valuable and well-paid jobs in the UK create value by changing meanings. The bankers, lawyers, accountants and so on, are allowed to do their jobs because they have proven to someone that they understand the secret knowledge and words they need to intone to get their jobs done.

The rarefied position of the specialist professions is coming to an end because change is driven by both the increasing

For enquiries, please contact CHRISTOPHER TAN on 8200 3882

“ “ Robots don’t steal jobs.

Robots steal tasks.— Ben Hammersly

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Improve judgement, awareness and insight. Set yourself apart with that extra sharpness in reasoning and analytical skills.

Edward de Bono’s Power of Perception™90 per cent of errors in thinking are errors of perception rather than of analysis. Learn to accurately identify the issues in question vis-à-vis clear definitions of goals and desired outcomes. Learn the 10 tools to broaden your thinking and provide insights to help you make better decisions.

Linda Low has been key to the popularity of the guru’s thinking techniques for more than 28 years.

October 2 & 3

Sustainable LeadershipWhen sustainable leadership prevails, organisations and people prosper. This developmental leadership group coaching programme is specifically designed for senior executives to build sustainable leadership capability through thought provoking, emotions discovery and behavioural modelling.

Wade Azmy has focused on coaching and mentoring as a means of developing and progressing the management capabilities of his managers.

October 3 – 5

Communicate with purpose and efficiency, leading to happier staff and customers.

Skills for Supervisory ManagementThis programme is designed for employees who have been newly-promoted to a supervisory or managerial position to improve their people management skills and, more importantly, be equipped with practical ideas to optimise the most important resource in the organisation – its people. It’s also suitable for existing supervisors and managers.

Michael Lee is a ‘master motivator’, a stimulating and entertaining speaker, trainer and presenter.

October 10 – 12

NLP for ProfessionalsNLP is used worldwide today by millions of people wanting to take charge of themselves and their results in a short period of time. It provides a proven methodology to model outstanding performances achieved by geniuses and leaders in their field. Be self-motivating and self-correcting!

Meenakshi Sarup is an experienced trainer and facilitator in business presentations and communication, NLP, EQ, positivity and leading change.

October 11 & 12

Influence at all levels and situations that will win outcomes.

Charismatic Influence & LeadershipBe someone who is unforgettable! Negative people do not attract or rouse any enthusiasm. Cultivate the intangible quality of charisma that makes people admire you, want to follow you and be part of your team.

Mika Swee is well-known for her dynamic and engaging training.

September 27 & 28

What Drives Behaviour & PerformancePersonality versus character versus attitude – once you know the difference, you will know the strategies to improve relationships with customers, peers, subordinates and peers. Learn techniques that really work!

Lim How is a recognised expert in critical thinking.

September 27 & 28

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Adopt systems thinking to appreciate the big picture and beat life’s roadblocks.

The Conflict & Emotional Literacy Workshop©

A Gallup survey revealed that 14 per cent of workers wanted to hit their co-workers due to stress (but they probably didn’t). 29 per cent of workers have yelled at their co-workers because of stress. Be a better person. Get on this workshop and deal with your emotions and conflicts competently.

Peter Nixon has helped thousands of senior executives and teams in over 50 countries manage difficult dialogues and achieve winning strategies that have transformed their careers and organisations.

October 25 & 26

The Job of the Manager (JOMAN): Essential Managerial TechniquesIs your role as a manager frustrating? Are you experiencing roadblocks? Walk through a journey of self-discovery, development and evaluation that influence your role as a manager. Shift from being a frustrated manager to an effective one, who can achieve team success and drive bottom-line performance.

Michael Tan specialises in personal enrichment programmes and organisational development topics.

Sanjay Mehta has a wide facilitation and coaching experience in the areas of leadership, management, innovation, change, project management, process and technology.

September 13, 14 & 21 (Funded) | September 26 - 28

CORPORATE T R A I N I N G

HAVING DIFFICULTY TRACKING YOUR ORGANISATION’STRAINING EFFECTIVENESS?WE KNOW HOW TO HELP

Why SIM PD Corporate Training Customised L&D requirements Covers all areas of competencies Pre- and post-programme analysis to track training effectiveness Trainers are practitioners with relevant industry knowledge

Consult with us today atpd.sim.edu.sg/corporate

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The 7 Laws of the JungleCollaboration. Innovation. Survival.

After a tragic separation from his friends, one man is lost and alone with no food or supplies for weeks in the heart of the Amazon jungle, and in the midst of the worst rainy season in decades.

This inspiring keynote experience is based on Jungle, an international bestseller by Yossi Ghinsberg. The book has also been made into a documentary produced by the Discovery Channel and a feature film, directed by Greg McLean and starred Daniel Radcliffe of the Harry Potter movie franchise.

A key insight from Yossi’s harrowing story is that the law of the jungle itself relies on collaboration. Working cleverly with changing conditions, he was able to think of innovative ideas vital to his survival. Yossi challenges organisations to think about how they can apply collaborative thinking to move out of the limiting mindset of pure competition where teamwork can thrive.

In this powerful presentation, you will:• Move away from competition into a collaborative mindset, into one that fosters innovation and ultimately,

survival.• Explore how adversity is part of life; being a victim is a matter of choice and following your business survival

instincts will often lead to success.• Adapt to your changing circumstances and roles to forge teamwork.• Be co-creators within the wider team and organisation.• Face your fears and look for innovative ways to embrace change to achieve your desired outcomes.• Be motivated to become an everyday hero in your life and at work.

Yossi Ghinsberg is a master storyteller with an epic story to share. Lost and alone in the midst of the Amazon rainforest for three weeks, he not only survived, but found a new meaning for his life and work.

Each of his messages is wrapped in riveting and original stories of adventure and resilience. Yossi recounts his tales and life’s learning so vividly and authentically that audiences feel as if they are right there with him.

Yossi is the author of the international bestseller Jungle. He was recently rated as one of the top 10 business speakers. Years of experience as a business keynote speaker has honed his topic that inspires and sows seeds of growth and positive transformation. Over the years, Yossi has shared the stage with many of the world’s eminent public speakers, most notably Wayne Dyer, Richard Branson and Bill Clinton.

TRANSFORMATION SERIES

SKILLS ALIVE!

SEPTEMBER 14 (FRIDAY)

2.30 PM – 5 PMREGISTRATION FROM 2 PM

SIM MANAGEMENT HOUSE

$15 STUDENTS$35 SIM MEMBERS$40 SIM GE & SUSS ALUMNI$45 NON-MEMBERS

REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 7

2018 SIM Membership e-Event Pass is applicable.

OCTOBER 26 (FRIDAY)

2.30 PM – 5 PMREGISTRATION FROM 2 PM

SIM PERFORMING ARTS THEATRE461 CLEMENTI ROADBLOCK D, LEVEL 1SINGAPORE 599491

$30 SIM GE & SUSS STUDENTS$120 SIM MEMBERS$150 SIM GE & SUSS ALUMNI$180 NON-MEMBERS

REGISTER BY OCTOBER 19

2018 SIM Membership e-Event Pass is applicable. Limited to the first 20 event passes on a first-come, first-served basis.

Supercharge Your Success by Boosting Your BrainpowerIn this fun, fast-paced and interactive workshop presented by Nishant Kasibhatla, Guinness Record Holder (2011) and the only Grand Master of Memory in Singapore, you will improve your powers of memory, focus and learning. You will also learn simple exercises that you can do every day to rev up your brainpower.

WORKSHOP OUTLINE:• Witness a mind-blowing demonstration of brainpower• Discover ways to become a lifelong learner by accelerating your speed of learning and rate of retention• Outperform your competition and be at the top of the game by learning to master anything in a quick, fun

and easy way• Effectively conquer information overload• Practise research-based exercises you can do every day to improve your memory and focus

This workshop is designed for business people, professionals and executives from all levels, departments and functions, and anyone who wants to achieve peak mental performance.

Nishant Kasibhatla is a Guinness Record Holder (2011) and the only Grand Master of Memory in Singapore. He is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP). The CSP designation is the speaking industry’s international measure of professional platform skills. Nishant is also an author of six books.

In the last 21 years, in his speeches and workshops, Nishant has empowered thousands of people in 23 countries across five continents, helping them challenge their limiting beliefs and achieve greater heights of effectiveness.

Nishant delivers speeches and workshops on peak mental performance, focus, information and memory management, speed-reading, motivation and success.

Millions of television viewers have experienced Nishant on the Discovery Channel, South China Morning Post, Channel News Asia, VTV, Zee TV and Vasantham TV networks.

“Fear is an opportunity to be courageous.”– Yossi Ghinsberg

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SKILLS ALIVE

OCTOBER 25 (THURSDAY)

2.30 PM – 5 PMREGISTRATION FROM 2 PM

SIM MANAGEMENT HOUSE

$15 STUDENTS$35 SIM MEMBERS$40 SIM GE & SUSS ALUMNI$45 NON-MEMBERS

REGISTER BY OCTOBER 18

2018 SIM Membership e-Event Pass is applicable.

From Confusion to ClarityThe Art of Questioning

Sometimes communication – verbal or written – makes perfect sense to us but confuses others. You may have noticed this when communicating in a cross-cultural, cross-department or even a cross-border context. Two people with different perceptions and from differing cultures, departments or even organisations may not be able to communicate at work effectively, even if they are both speaking the same language – English.

The result: lots of back-and-forth emails and conversations leading to frustration, which in turn leads to delay. We now officially have a breakdown in communication and trust.

One very helpful fix would be the power to question. To notice vagueness in language quickly and being able to question respectfully will help uncover key information that reduces confusion and increases clarity on both sides.

NLP has a tool for this and we call it precision questions (or the Meta-model)

Precision questions are used to recover deletions, distortions, and generalisations that happen naturally when a person uses language to communicate. Precision questions can be used to challenge vague words and statements, to understand what someone actually means, decoding their perceptions or map of the world. This can create a lot of efficiency in communication, reduce unnecessary back and forth, and clarify expectations or instructions.

WORKSHOP OUTLINE:• The NLP Communication Model• How the brain deletes, distorts and generalises data it sees and hears• The Typical Questioning Model• Precision Questions (The NLP Meta-Model)• Identifying VAGUE words• How to apply the precision questions to actual situations to gain clarity – when you are a recipient• Applying the tool when playing the role of the sender.

This session will include activities and videos to ensure understanding and key take-aways for participants.

Roshini Ganesan has been in the corporate training business for over 17 years. She has trained in over 10 countries (including United States, Australia, China, India, Japan, UAE, Mozambique), skilling people in the areas of business presentations, customer service, EQ, NLP, and leading effective change. She has also been actively involved in the design process of workshops in the areas of optimism and resilience, customer service and communication.

OCTOBER 5 (FRIDAY)

2.30 PM – 5 PMREGISTRATION FROM 2 PM

SIM MANAGEMENT HOUSE

$15 STUDENTS$35 SIM MEMBERS$40 SIM GE & SUSS ALUMNI$45 NON-MEMBERS

REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 28

2018 SIM Membership e-Event Pass is applicable.

The Bridge to Digital TransformationThe greatest development and challenge businesses face today is the Digital Revolution that is sweeping the world. Traditional business paradigms are becoming obsolete as firms race to compete in the digital economy. New business models capitalising on areas, such as big data, predictive analytics, cloud and many others, offer numerous benefits.

This workshop will provide key insights into digital businesses and demystify concepts. Rather than focus on any specific industry, it sheds light on extremely effective principles, tools and techniques that are universally applicable and can be adapted to an array of business environment.

WORKSHOP OUTLINE:• Understand the importance of a digital business view• Learn techniques and tools to better assess, manage and embed digitisation across businesses• Strategise and create new innovative products and services• Protect the organisation and the customer• The importance of securing the organisation from cyber-threats• Do not forget people. Employees, customers and stakeholders are at the heart of any business – digital or

otherwise

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:This workshop is a must attend for all new managers, managers, senior managers, directors and decision-makers who are planning on digital initiatives in their organisations. They would benefit from the knowledge of crucial insights and critical success factors to ensure their firms are future ready.

Salman Ali Hyder is a globally accomplished interim management and business transformation specialist. He leads organisational initiatives on enhancing corporate performance and has a track record of successfully executing projects across a wide range of mission critical areas. This includes digital transformation (financial services, banking, sales), strategy (development, validation and deployment), change management (people, process and culture), business enablement (enhancement of productivity, efficiency, capability and competency), quality management (Lean & 6-Sigma deployment and BPR), human capital management (talent management, learning & development and cross-cultural leadership), enterprise risk management, private equity and venture capital project Advisory.

Salman holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BSc in Electrical Engineering and BSc in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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SEPTEMBER 7 (FRIDAY)

7 PM – 8.45 PMREGISTRATION FROM 6.45 PM; REFRESHMENTS FROM 8.15 PM

SIM MANAGEMENT HOUSE

$30 SIM MEMBERS$35 SIM GE & SUSS ALUMNI$40 NON-MEMBERS

REGISTER BY AUGUST 31

2018 SIM Membership e-Event Pass is applicable.

SIM || TOASTMASTERS CLUB

SEPTEMBER 15 (SATURDAY)

2 PM – 5 PMREGISTRATION FROM 1.15 PM; REFRESHMENTS AT 3.30 PM

SIM MANAGEMENT HOUSE

$25 TM I MEMBERS$50 SIM MEMBERS$55 SIM GE & SUSS ALUMNI$60 NON-MEMBERS

REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 7

2018 SIM Membership e-Event Pass is applicable.

SIM | TOASTMASTERS CLUB

Exclusive!

AUGUST 29 (WEDNESDAY)

2 PM – 4.45 PM

MEETING POINT AT TAXI STAND NO. J15 AT BOON LAY MRT

$30 ITG MEMBERS$35 SIM MEMBERS$40 SIM GE & SUSS ALUMNI$45 NON-MEMBERS

REGISTER BY AUGUST 8

2018 SIM Membership e-Event Pass is applicable.

Visit ITG website at sim-itg.org for our articles, reviews and more.

‘Like’ our Facebook page at facebook.com/simitgroup

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GROUP

A Visit to E-Waste Recycling PlantTES (Singapore) Pte Ltd

TES is a trusted leader for technology deployment, recovery, re-marketing and recycling. It has global coverage in 34 owned and operated facilities around the world. Their e-waste recycling plants utilises state-of-the-art equipment and processing techniques aimed at delivering the lowest possible environmental impact for recycled equipment. They have pioneered many of the industry’s best-practice processes and work

with industry and government to develop national and local guidelines.

Hear from one of the world’s largest e-waste recycling companies on how they adopt a complete approach to IT asset disposal and how data is effectively removed from retired media – from logistic services to tracking assets, to the disposal of each asset and the serialised audit trail.

PROGRAMME OUTLINE:2 PM Registration at taxi stand no. J15 outside Boon Lay MRT (opposite Bank of China)2.30 PM Arrival at TES facility2.45 PM Presentation by TES and Q&A session3.15 PM Facility tour4.45 PM End of visit

Note: All participants will be subjected to clearance from TES (Singapore) Pte Ltd and are required to provide the following information: name, designation and organisation name.

For more information, please call Michelle Tan on 6248 9450 or email michelletan@sim.edu.sg

Leading Consciously: Overcoming Stereotypes & BiasOpen New Possibilities for Yourself & Others

The pace of change does not let up. Those charged with leading others through it often feel pressured to make decisions quickly. In those moments, we look for shortcuts, and that is when our biases kick in. But judging without adequate reasoning brings unintended consequences and we risk undermining the very change we are trying to achieve.

This interactive workshop will focus on strategies to strengthen your efficacy as a change agent or leader. It explores the function and impact that bias has on team and organisational effectiveness, and working through two frameworks for eradicating unproductive biases. Come prepared to learn and share!

WORKSHOP OUTLINE:7 PM Workshop by Denise M. Morris Kipnis8.30 PM Q&A8.45 PM SIM II Toastmasters Club’s Chapter Meeting

Denise M. Morris Kipnis heads ChangeFlow Consulting, a global organisation development consultancy that specialises in transformational change. The firm’s mission is to build agile and inclusive organisations. Systemic disruption or alignment and leveraging the power of inclusion lie at the heart of the firm’s approach.

Denise believes in co-creating practical, culture-specific solutions: developing new or existing capabilities by transferring knowledge and skills, leveraging employee leadership and participation, and fostering inclusion to build trustful working relationships. She has led change projects across various sectors and countries; her clients include multinationals as well as SME’s, non-profits, and government agencies. She has been based in Singapore since 2010.

Power of Visual Impact55 per cent of your first impression comes from your appearance. Before you have a chance to speak, people have already judged you based on what they see. That is the power of visual impact.

How do you create a powerful visual presence in today’s highly competitive business world in congruence with your company’s image and brand value?

LEARNING OUTLINE:• Create a powerful and positive impression• The importance of business etiquette in today’s corporate world• Poise & posture in interpersonal communication and the impact on others• Posture that reveals your personality and your attitude• How to dress and use colours to project credibility, approachability and authority• The importance and role of colours in corporate dressing• Create professional presence through harmony in colours• How to match and coordinate colours for maximum visual impact

Angelia Phua is a veteran trainer and consultant with extensive experience in fashion, style and image management. She has trained numerous individuals from various levels and diverse industries – from the government ministries to the private sector. She is also currently coaching aspiring individuals to become image trainers like herself. Her personal services for esteemed clients include style & figure analysis, wardrobe planning, customised designing and personal shopping.

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2018 SIM MEMBERSHIP e-EVENT PASS*Redeem your e-Event Pass before December 30 with our plethora of SIM Business Insights workshops and Professional Interest Group events that you can enjoy at pd.sim.edu.sg.

‘My Membership’ portal has your entitlement. Simply login to pd.sim.edu.sg/member with your User ID and Password to view your e-Event Pass details under ‘My Account’.

For assistance, please contactChung Ching Man | 6248 9442 | chungchingman@sim.edu.sg Membership Hotline | 6248 9489 | membership@sim.edu.sg

*SIM Membership e-Event Pass was issued to you in appreciation of your renewal of SIM Membership for 2018.

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CONNECTIONSALL THINGS MEMBERS

Please complete and return this registration form to Events ManagementSingapore Institute of Management, SIM Management House, 41 Namly Avenue, Singapore 267616

T: 6246 6746 • F: 6462 5751 • E: pdevents@sim.edu.sg

You can also register online by clicking on respective events on the membership events calendar at pd.sim.edu.sg/ms

All fields are mandatory and data will be used for event registration only.

Registration and Payment: A place will be reserved for you upon receipt of your registration. Please inform us in writing of any change in registration. Full fee will be charged if withdrawal is made less than one week before commencement. All fees are inclusive of 7% GST. All cheque/bank drafts must be made payable to ‘Singapore Institute of Management’, crossed and marked ‘A/C Payee only’, with the activity title indicated on the back. All registration and payment should reach us by the activity registration closing date.

Cancellation: SIM reserves the right to make any amendments, cancel and / or change the programme, speaker, date or venue if warranted due to unforeseen circumstances.

PDPA: During the course of your attendance at any SIM events, photograph(s) or video image(s) of you may be taken or recorded for news and publicity purposes. For detailed information, please visit http://www.pd.sim.edu.sg/personal-data-protection-policy

LEGENDSIM – SIM Members Uni – SIM GE / SUSS Alumni Non – Non-membersIG – Respective Interest Group members only

BUSINESS INSIGHTS DATE TIME FEE (MEMBERS)SIM | UNI | NON

The 7 Laws of the Jungle OCT 26 2.30 PM – 5 PM 30 | 120 | 150 | 180

Supercharge Your Success by Boosting Your Brainpower SEP 14 2.30 PM – 5 PM 15 | 35 | 40 | 45

The Bridge to Digital Transformation OCT 5 2.30 PM – 5 PM 15 | 35 | 40 | 45

From Confusion to Clarity OCT 25 2.30 AM – 5 PM 15 | 35 | 40 | 45

PROFESSIONAL INTEREST GROUPS DATE TIME

FEE (MEMBERS)IG | SIM | UNI |

NON

ITG A Visit to E-Waste Recycling Plant AUG 29 2 PM – 4.45 PM 30 | 35 | 40 | 45

TM IILeading Consciously: Overcoming Stereotypes & Bias

SEP 7 7 PM – 8.45 PM 30 | 35 | 40

TM I Power of Visual Impact SEP 15 2 PM – 5 PM 25 | 50 | 55 | 60

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9

HIGHLIGHTS

Singapore Management Festival

GLOBAL SPEAKER – BEN HAMMERSLEYThink your job is safe from the robo-uprising? Think again.

“ “ Robots don’t steal jobs.

Robots steal tasks.— Ben Hammersly

someone, that they understand the secret knowledge, the secret words they need to intone to get their jobs done. Those dudes, frankly, make a lot of cash.

But here’s the idea: the rarefied position of the specialist professions is coming to an end, a change driven by both the increasing capabilities of digital systems - machine learning, big data, all the good AI buzzwords - and the changes wrought by a digital society.

Let’s take those social changes first. The internet is good at two things: introducing people and making distance irrelevant. It’s weird to think, given the normalisation of the way we live today, but for the majority of human existence if you wanted to find an expensive professional to help you - say, a lawyer - you’d have to find one both through a specific type of introduction, and one that was local to you. There was no Googling it, and ordering something from a site hosted who knows where.

Futhermore, that specific introduction is sometimes even codified into the rules of the profession: you can’t simply hire a barrister, for example. There are rules, and it is just not done.

So here’s the deal with some professions: only certain people with certain knowledge are allowed to do certain work, and getting access to those people is limited by where you are and who you know. Naturally, in this world all sorts of dodgy power relationships evolve, but this has been the case for so long that it seems natural.

Thinking in this way, however, ignores the artificial nature of these restrictions: what if the actual function of those jobs could be done by someone or something whose expertise wasn’t controlled by a guild? What if you could employ someone or something directly, and someone or something could fulfil their function from anywhere on the planet? If that were to happen, it would give all comers access to

Ben Hammersley

the same level of professional services.

If that were to happen, it would rapidly plunge traditional professions into a new economic reality. If that were to happen, it would drive the price of professional services down rapidly and irreversibly. If that were to happen, the power given by academic and geographic rarity would be neutralised.

You see, it turns out that the professions have a dirty secret: most of the things they do aren’t that tricky. A good deal of law, accountancy, even medicine can be aligned to a flowchart. Start at the top and work down: is the patient alive or dead? If dead, stop. And so on, and so on. A high proportion of rarefied professional work is actually entirely diagrammable in this way.

And if you can do that, you can make it into a computer program. A complex one, for sure, but if a modern AI can beat a Go grandmaster, it can fight a traffic ticket in court, do your accounts, check your contracts, organise your diary, or invest your money. And all of those are specific examples of tasks that, in 2016, have given rise to companies whose digital systems have replaced humans. Digital systems whose location is utterly irrelevant. Digital systems that are only getting smarter.

Task by task, certificate by certificate, AI-powered companies are doing the jobs that have traditionally been expensive solely through artificial means. Computers were built to manipulate data. In 2017, we’ll find they’re really good at it. Perhaps learning to make things would have been a better idea.

This article was written by Ben Hammersley and first published in the WIRED magazine. Ben is one of the global speakers at the upcoming Singapore Management Festival 2018, September 20 & 21. For more information, please visit festival.sim.edu.sg

When I were a lad, watching the news on the telly, waiting to be allowed to use the set to plug in

my ZX Spectrum, I’d be told to concentrate on the stories from the nearby towns: car workers being laid off as robots took their jobs. Stay in school, son, and get into a profession. A degree and a place in a management trainee scheme was the preferred route. Don’t make things, be a knowledge worker, I’d be told. The future isn’t (one word, Benjamin) plastics. Not goods, but services. Information is the new oil. Bits, not atoms, the most valuable of commodities.

And that’s pretty much how it turned out. Today, around 80 per cent of the UK’s economy is services. In 2015, the latest figures show, the UK exported more services than goods. We don’t make much stuff, but we’re really good at moving information around. It’s what makes the City of London the financial powerhouse it is. It’s what gives British law its own special reputation. It’s what distinguishes British advertising agencies, architects and academic centres. Not a nation of shopkeepers, but a nation of knowledge pushers, data filers, accounts completers and money movers.

The most valuable and well-paid jobs in the UK create value by changing meanings. And at the top of that pile are the professions: the subset of jobs to which entry is controlled by specialist qualifications and social acceptance. The bankers, lawyers, accountants and so on, who are allowed to do their jobs because they have proven, to