Why do we want to learn our whole life –and how do we do it? Exciting answers to these questions were given at the digital panel "Learning for Digital Transformation" of the TUM Institute for LifeLong Learning at the Human Resources Management Congress 2021.

In his keynote speech, which preceded the panel, Prof. Dr. Helmut Krcmar advocated learning not in spite of the pandemic, but with ("con Covid"), shaping change and dealing with it in coexistence. In combination with the central topics of sustainability and climate change, this results in an "exciting mix," explained the internationally recognized economist, Founding Dean and representative of the president of the TUM Campus Heilbronn. 

According to him, the "new normal" also means that people's productivity time is expanding due to longer working lives. In this situation, he said, it is important to take advantage of the opportunities offered by digital transformation, to keep trying out new things and to enjoy the practice of self-transformation. This would result, for example, in different leadership behavior, but also in the shifting of activities within occupational groups. The more confidence grows in artificial intelligence activities, the more opportunities would arise to confidently shape the future with its help.

In this context, Olivia Pita-Gonzalez of the Santander bank highlights the ethical question of the professional future of many employees whose jobs will be transformed, for example, by the practice of the platform economy in banking. "It is a challenge to prepare people for this." This requires a good exchange among each other – especially in times when colleagues rarely meet and are collaborating remotely.

Birgit Oßendorf-Will, Ströer, a company which is active in the marketing of online and outdoor advertising, sees this process already in full swing in her company. She attaches importance to the fact that mistakes are also allowed to be made while learning, so that something changes for the future. "We want to do pilot projects, test whether something works – and if it doesn't, then we change the whole thing. That's how a different, new creativity emerges." 

The fact that this procedure can be exhausting should be addressed openly, emphasizes Jessica Richter, Infineon Technologies. Infineon has had good experiences with one-hour learning impulses on specific topics – following the mantra: "What you need to know about hybrid leadership now