The future of work is contemperaneously being shaped by rapid advancements in AI, shifting workplace and market dynamics, and evolving employee expectations. In the next five years we can anticipate an emphasis on skills-based hiring (becoming more valuable than traditional qualifications), the proliferation of data and analytics driving decision-making, and a growing demand for cybersecurity professionals.
Although the success of an organisation today still hinges hinges on the performance of its teams, the truth is that many teams are ill equipped with the essential skills required to achieve consistent positive performance and sustainable growth, despite the abundance of training programs and coaching initiatives. Why ? Because traditional approaches overlook the underpinning and essential skills that drive collaboration, innovation, and results.
Research from the World Economic Forum and Deloitte highlights that some of the most in-demand underpinning skills for the future will include adaptability, emotional intelligence, collaboration, and resilience.
At The Open Mind Institute (TOMI), we recognised this gap and found that most programs focus on generic leadership traits or broad behavioural frameworks, overlooking the specific, essential skills that drive high-performing teams. So we decided to do something about this and developed our own Essential Skills Assessment (ESA), a unique future preparation resource designed to identify and develop the critical skills that will empower teams to thrive in the next 5 years.
To unearth these skills, our research journey began with a deep dive into organisational psychology, behavioural science, and performance metrics. We analysed studies from the Journal of Organisational Behaviour, which highlight collaboration and adaptability as linchpins of team effectiveness in dynamic markets, and cross-referenced them with data from the Harvard Business Review, which found that teams with strong communication and emotional intelligence outperform peers by up to 20% in productivity and innovation.
Layering in our own fieldwork of over 500 hours of client workshops and interviews with Australian and International executives—we distilled these insights and leveraged our research to extract the 12 most essential skills for leaders, executives and their teams to possess in the 2025 - 2030 period; giving birth to the ESA’s framework. So unlike off-the-shelf assessments, the ESA is bespoke, relevant and grounded in real-world evidence; designed to pinpoint where teams need to excel with surgical precision.
Why These Skills Matter Now More Than Ever
The state of team performance in 2025 reflects a market under pressure. A 2024 McKinsey Global Institute report revealed that 68% of organisations are struggling with team cohesion amid hybrid work models, rising automation, and economic uncertainty. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report predicts that critical thinking and emotional resilience will rank among the top skills demanded by employers by 2027, as AI reshapes workflows and human ingenuity becomes the differentiator.
Studies also consistently show that poor communication, lack of emotional intelligence, and ineffective collaboration are among the top barriers to team performance. The McKinsey & Company report for instance, revealed that 70% of transformational change initiatives fail due to people-related issues, including misaligned teams and inadequate leadership skills.
In short, in the absence of mastering these essential skills, teams risk stagnation—or worse, costly misalignment that drags down future organisational targets and objectives.
Proven Results:
The ESA forms an integral part of TOMI's ATAR Program, a robust results-driven training program delivered to the leadership and high-performance teams of our professional services clients. The ATAR program embodies the Assessment, Training, Assessment, Results model that sees teams take the ESA prior to the training, then receive the high impact 12 hours of training (addressing each of the 12 skills, delivered in either fortnightly or monthly one-hour sessions), before the ESA is taken again to reveal the positive increase in results. Some of which include:
A 33% increase in effective communication and team cohesion
A 35% increase in resilience & stress management
A 36% increase in emotional and social intelligence.
This is echoed in a recent case-study; one of our clients, a multinational tech company, struggled with siloed teams and low morale. After completing the ATAR Program and leveraging the ESA findings, they experienced a dramatic transformation. Teams became more cohesive, communication improved, and the company achieved its highest-ever quarterly revenue, with consistent positive performance ensuing
In summary, organisations that have implemented the ATAR program have reported significant improvements in team performance.
TOMI’s Credibility: Built on Expertise and Impact
Since its inception in 2016, TOMI has established itself as a trusted name in professional services training and coaching across Australia. Led by Paul Pitsaras, a behavioural science expert with a legal background, our team brings a hybrid coaching system that’s earned accolades for its measurable impact. We’ve partnered with organisations from SMEs to multinationals, delivering over 1,000 coaching hours annually and consistently achieving client retention rates above 90%. Our work aligns with broader research—like the Deloitte 2024 Human Capital Trends report, which notes that organisations investing in team skill development see 17% higher revenue growth—reinforcing our position at the forefront of performance innovation.
The Call to Action: Invest in ATAR for Your Team’s Future
Decision-makers, the message is clear; in a market where team performance defines success, the status quo won’t cut it. The ATAR Program, with its ESA backbone, offers a strategic edge—unlocking your team’s potential with data-driven clarity and actionable growth. Imagine your teams hitting ambitious targets, adapting seamlessly to change, and collaborating like never before. That’s not a pipe dream—it’s the ATAR result.
Ready to elevate your organisation in 2025? Contact TOMI today at info@tomi.org.au, 1300 582 033 or organise a call with Paul to explore how the ATAR Program can propel your team’s performance and drive your business forward.
Follow The Open Mind Institute on LinkedIn for more insights on team coaching and performance optimisation. Let’s build the future of work together.
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