I recently blogged about three new workplace contexts in which we find ourselves plying our 21st century trades – Adaptive Enterprise Models. Of course the real stress test for new thought models is “Do they hold up against recent evidence from other sources?” On July 19, 2011, The Globe and Mail posted the following Five key trends likely to shape the world of work in coming years:
b. people opting to stay on the job
c. elimination of mandatory retirement 2. GOING GLOBAL a. desired overseas experience
b. familiarity with other cultures
c. multi-lingual 3. COLLABORATION a. usage of technologies (for social media and innovation) requiring multiple decision makers
b. internal and external work teams (within organizations, with suppliers, customers and competitors) 4. CONTRACT WORK a. accelerating to allow for a nimble work force
b. increasing flexibility for free-agents
c. increasing insecurity for free-agents 5. REMOTE WORK a. usage of mobile technologies
b. flexible hours
c. tele-locations (coffee shop, home or in transit)
Undoubtedly, these trends support the potential that our day-to-day work is in or with a hierarchically-integrated decentralized organization, a value realization network or a social ecosystem. In some cases, it may be all three. In my own case, these five trends are not likely to reshape my work world because I have been living them for over 25 years—particularly collaboration, contract and remote work. More recently, with the advent of my grey hair, I have reinvented my business to adapt to the global economy in which we all participate. And . . . I don’t see retiring any time soon.
Which of these five trends are you encountering in your work or workplace? What other trends do you see significantly impacting your working future?
