For those of us
who are members of generations X and Y, (see note) the future I always
dreamed about is coming up fast. Our careers are relatively young, and
for those still in college, they haven’t even begun yet. But already,
technology is changing so quickly that we can easily imagine future work
lives that barely resemble the ones we lead today. As our baby-boomer
parents age, we will become the leaders in an increasingly complex
world.
If we want to
create thriving, sustainable careers that will easily withstand the
turbulence of the next few decades, we must anticipate the qualities of
the future work world. Here are a few ideas based on my own experiences
and my conversations with other workplace experts.
•
Who we’ll be working with: In the coming decades, the baby boomers
will start retiring from their management positions in droves. We will
have to contend with the “brain drain” from those who leave the
workforce, boomers who remain employed underneath us for money or
personal fulfillment, and a large influx of immigrants.
• Who we’ll be working for: In the
last decade, as American companies have laid off millions of workers,
the ideals of job security and employee loyalty no longer apply. In the
knowledge-driven economy of the future, large organizations won’t be
needed to create value and our livelihood won’t be connected to a single
corporation. We’ll work for much smaller organizations that outsource
everything but the business’s core area of expertise, and more than half
of us will eventually become contingent workers, employed part time or
as freelancers or consultants.
• Where we’ll be working: We’ve
already seen the model of everyone at the same place, at the same time,
begin to disappear. Now that we can be connected regardless of our
physical location, work activities will be distributed across central
offices, remote locations, and community locations. The typical
eight-hour workday will be spread across a 14 plus-hour window to allow
us to attend to needs at home and work with colleagues abroad.
• How we’ll be working: Our future
workplace will be one of constant change, innovation, and skill
upgrading. Work projects will begin with one set of goals, but will
reinvent themselves over and over again, so we’ll be forced to think on
the fly. Workers at all levels of the organization will be responsible
for devising creative strategies, and cross-functional teams will be
assigned for individual projects.
• What we’ll be working on: Future
employers will rely on individuals who are willing to work the flexible
hours and can leverage the latest technologies associated with an
Internet-oriented, nonstop marketplace. Technical skills will only
increase in importance, and as organizations continue to flatten, people
in all areas of the business will be responsible for administrative
skills like budgeting, hiring, and operations. From Generations X and Y,
the leaders, organizations will expect individuals who understand human
behavior, can engender cooperation, and can bring out the best in
workers.
Sounds like an
exciting time, doesn’t it? I think I’m going to look forward to “going
to work” in 2025.
Pues me da que va a haber que improvisar mucho de aquí en adelante. Los que pertenecemos a la generación X crecimos en una sociedad no demasiado tecnologizada, hemos tenido que aprender a trabajar en una sociedad fuertemente digitalizada y acabaremos nuestros años "productivos" ;) en vete tú a saber que modelo de sociedad. Mucho cambio para tan pocos años, ¿no?
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