Traditional Roles Are Hacked
By Susana von der Heide Founder & Thinking Partner at VON DER HEIDE
Suddenly, we are forced out of our comfort zone, despite the paradox that this “comfort” was never really comfortable. With that, all certainties and professional roles have come into question.
Classic business models are becoming increasingly digitalized. New questions are emerging—ones we cannot answer using old paradigms—because we must build the answers from a digital mindset. This is the time to look inward—or is anyone exempt?
All professional roles have been hacked!
And from that realization, thousands of opportunities arise for those willing to look in the mirror and reflect on what sets them apart. Through that deep dive, we come face to face with our light and our shadows, and formulate the key question:
What kind of professional would I be if I were starting today?
Every beginning carries expectation—and behind it, hope. Hope to close the gap between where we are and the self-actualization we seek. This gives new meaning to the concept of “employability”—beyond simply having a job.
It means being able to respond to the demands of the local, regional, or global market within a segment or vertical. Employability is built through openness to continuous learning, the courage to unlearn, and the will to detach from the status quo.
How much transformation is required to build a new personal value proposition?
As much as it takes to find your place in a future organizational structure that is fluid, evolving, alive, where digital tools may replace leadership roles or coexist with them.
As much as it takes to become a professional with both feet in this new reality—feeling, in your own body, the transition triggered by that internal “click” that leads to the transformAction of who you are and how you work.
To be “employable” is to design your value proposition as a continuous, ever-evolving process.
To be “employable” is not only to expand your options to choose, but also to increase the likelihood of being chosen.
Employability is tied to how quickly you can adapt your self-perception to align with business transformations and your ability to navigate change effectively.
It is the capacity for self-transformation. It’s not about identifying the new world that is emerging, but emerging with it, as a professional reborn.
What does the market look for when it demands talent?
The market is looking for professionals who have redefined their own value.
The ability to learn and unlearn is an irrefutable sign of talent.
Adopting diverse skills reflects an open mindset—what’s often called a “T-shaped profile.”
These are people with a core area of expertise (Technology, Engineering, Social Sciences, Business, etc.) and a horizontal layer of added dimensions, built through microlearning or personal interests. These additional layers don’t diminish their core skill but enrich it, allowing them to integrate new perspectives, take risks, and view mistakes as opportunities to learn.
Experience design environments—where products or services are born—are the spaces where this new mindset thrives. Imagine: will it be a Systems Engineer or a Linguist leading the design of a voice application? Or maybe a new specialization will emerge: Linguistic Engineering.
Do companies request or value this redesigned profile?
Yes. Cultural transformation within companies is revealing new paradigms aligned with emerging realities.
The need to install a culture of inclusion is growing, as is attention to new corporate values and ethics. A new worldview of work is being born—one where the growth mindset becomes central.
Professionals are increasingly focused on their purpose, their impact on the team, and building stronger human connections based on empathy, collaboration, and belonging.
What now matters most when identifying your value proposition in a professional journey?
1. Social awareness, communication, and solidarity.
Because heart and mind are now more united than ever. Resilience is key—the ability to recover from simultaneous crises (health and economy). Empathy and compassion will be non-negotiable traits of leadership.
2. Shared purpose culture.
Business sustainability depends on alignment. Everyone needs to be focused on the “why” of the organization and connected to its mission. It’s no time for distractions—clarity and focus on core issues will allow people and companies to survive and thrive.
3. Coming from abundance.
A vision of generosity and detachment fosters innovation and shared growth. It’s about choosing collaboration over accumulation, doing over knowing, and reaching collective goals through interconnected ecosystems.
4. Digital culture.
To implement technology, we must anticipate the increasing horizontality of companies and embrace self-management. The old power paradigm gives way to a culture of empowerment, one that includes external expert ecosystems.
5. Diversity beyond gender.
Diversity is now a fundamental value of this era’s mindset. Companies must reflect society, not just because diversity benefits business, but because the new world will not tolerate prejudice.
6. Remote and collaborative work.
This is the new foundation for safe work and financial efficiency (lower real estate, travel, and commuting costs). Work-life “balance” is now redefined—we must create new contracts and new team experiences. It’s not just about space and time—it’s about creating new systems based on purpose and impact.
7. EX and UX are the mandate of the New Normal.
All processes must be reimagined with the user at the center. Design is no longer just a process—it’s a mindset. “Design is a disciplined approach to discover, define, and capture value” (Design a Better Business). Agile methodologies place clients, users, and employees at the core of all decision-making.
8. Data-Based Management.
Objective criteria are essential to link human behavior with business performance. Data allows faster, better decisions, and in companies with a digital mindset, we now measure positive impact, horizontality, and abundance.
These are the new conversations that reveal your employability and your mindset as part of your value proposition.
“Work is being transformed” is a phrase we hear everywhere.
Many of us have opinions and ideas to contribute. We also hope to learn from the side effects of events, like the pandemic, that no one saw coming.
We know that robots will take on repetitive tasks, that office life may never return to what it was, and that we’ll continue adapting corners of our homes into workspaces.
But we, the professionals, will continue to be the indisputable protagonists.
The new normal is here to stay.
And it’s the perfect moment to ask yourself:
“What kind of professional would I be if I were starting today?”
