In football the shift is obvious. Guardiola’s “play out from the back” style created a generation of defenders and goalkeepers who could pass, stay calm under pressure, and read the game.

But football does not stand still. Liverpool went more direct and won. Arsenal this season are going longer, faster, more vertical. Players who have only ever known short passes are suddenly asked to hit diagonals and win duels again.

The lesson? When everyone moves one way, the edge often comes from going the other. The players who can switch styles are the most valuable.

Workforce planning is the same game, just slower. Some people are still playing the game from 20 years ago. Some can only play today’s game. The ones you need most are those who can adapt to what is coming next.

What does this mean for workforce planning?

• Stop training only for today’s processes.
• Start looking at how adaptable your people are.
• Build confidence in experimentation and recovery when things go wrong.
• Make sure your team can switch styles when the context changes.

Do not just plan for the skills you see today – plan for the ability to change tomorrow.

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