The Future of Work, As They Say

Recently, I was thinking about how our world is changing and what that might mean for careers of tomorrow. In my pondering, I stumbled upon some information and decided to share. 

Futurologists Jacob Morgan and Alec Ross have been saying for some time that the workplace is definitely going to be remodelled. Highlighted are the trends to notice. I have noticed a few sure you have also as well.

Globalisation

This first trend to be noticed is Globalization. It has been noticed how globalisation is breaking down the barriers of language, trade practices, culture and nationality. Globalisation is not all about large Global businesses. Small to medium-sized enterprises are still likely to continue dominating in many economies.

Demography

Then there is Demography. The workforce is continuing to become more diverse from both age and cultural perspectives, with potentially longer working lives too. Varied careers, along with lifelong development activities may become the norm.

New Attitudes & Actions

Also noticed is New Attitudes & Actions emerging. Social technologies are already affecting us. In the world today, we are living more publicly and communicating in-the-moment via social media. Social media is having a big effect on the world. Social media now has access to huge amounts of information, some of which needs to be filtered for accuracy. The continued pressure to create low carbon economies may lead to declining traditional industries but gives rise to ‘green careers’. There are moves towards corporate transparency and increasing investor interest in environmental, social and governance measured by ESG metrics. This may also result in changes to corporate practice and increased regulation.

Technology

We know that Technology doesn’t stand still. There is limitless innovation which has already led to new sectors such as big data, digitalisation, the internet of things, robotics, wearables, genomics, cybersecurity, alternative energies, nano-tech, advanced materials science and many more. Recently we have seen huge developments in collaboration software such as Zoom, which is also affecting the way we work. The technology is allowing us to connect and work anywhere for certain types of work and this was accelerated because of the Covid-19 pandemic with the widespread adoption of working from home.

Mobility and Agility

Frequent role and organization change will continue to be more usual than staying in the same role or doing the same sort of work for long periods of time. So, an expectation and opportunity for increased Mobility and Agility may increase.

There are contradictory ideas about what will happen to how we work in the future, the uncertainty, and unexpected disruption can have an impact. You can be prepared for the future by identifying the capabilities that are valued today in your part of the organization or professional field, and to anticipate those that are going to be needed in the future, and your readiness to respond.

You may be an expert in the work you and your team perform, but don’t forget to keep the bigger picture in mind, along with the need for continuous learning and the likelihood that you will shift and grow your career over many years.

I suggest you take a moment to reflect on the disruptive forces that will affect your career or business in the future. Also check the opportunities this might create.