Brent Colescott

Leading Innovation in Learning

The “Future of Work” is Now

The “Future of Work” is Now

There’s a book I’ve had on my shelf for quite some time, “The 2020 Workplace.”  I only recently picked it back up since we’ve all had a little “extra time” this year.  After a cursory re-read of it this past week, I’m left wondering where Jeanne Meister and Karie Willyerd hid their Time Machine.  If you have this book on your bookshelf, and I’m betting most who read my blogs do, you might want to pick it up again.  As we debate what the “New Normal” will be, it’s actually been documented to a certain degree in “The 2020 Workplace.”  The “Future of Work” is Now.

Now, keep in mind that this book was written 10 years ago.  Toward the end of the book Meister and Willyerd lay out 20 predictions for the 2020 workplace.  Even with this year being a bizarre as it has been, they’ve actually been quite accurate in a number of their predictions, some probably outlandish initially, but all the more real now.  There’s way too many to digest in just one blog, but I’ll share five that I think are shockingly accurate:

  1. Your mobile device will become your office, your classroom and your concierge
  2. Web commuters will force Corporate offices to reinvent themselves
  3. Lifelong learning will be a business requirement
  4. Work-Life Flexibility will replace work-life balance
  5. Diversity will be a business issue rather than a Human Resource issue

Let’s review the five above in the context of this year:

Your mobile device will become your office, your classroom and your concierge – True! 

It would seem this one could be considered an easy lay-up, but consider where the mobile device was in 2010.  The iPhone was only on it’s 4th generation device and the iPad version 1 had just appeared.  When you consider the role that the smartphone has played so far this year to support “contact-less” commerce, training and remote work, it is pretty astounding to think how much credit the authors gave this device back then. 

Web commuters will force Corporate offices to reinvent themselves – True! 

Again, this one seems part of the normal progression that has happened at an average pace, but never could one imagine how it would actually exist in 2020.  Large corporations such as Seimens, Twitter and Google have moved to permanent remote work or have deferred to mid-2021 to decide.  Downtown real estate is a ghost town in many of the largest cities in the world, unlikely to return to pre-COVID levels of occupancy.  In some ways, I see this almost as significant as when the First Industrial Revolution saw a shift from the farms to the cities, now in reverse.  The pandemic has proven that work can happen anywhere, which will have huge implications for talent (anyone, anywhere) and corporate real estate.

Lifelong learning will be a business requirement – True! 

In the early weeks of the pandemic organizations were reporting 10x increases in the consumption of learning.  In the absence of work routines and projects that were placed on hold, professionals sought to keep their edge through learning.  This hasn’t stopped.  One of the key skills for anyone moving forward will be the ability to learn, unlearn and learn again.  A never ending cycle to keep pace with changing times.

Work-Life Flexibility will replace work-life balance – True! 

Unlike the Boomers or GenX who wanted “balance” in our lives between work and home, the Millennials and GenZ have sought “Flexibility.”  While something most would desire, the office and workday made flexibility somewhat out of reach.  If anything you could say “Flexibility” has been one of the biggest wins out of the massive shift to working remote.  The impact across all levels of organizations has created a new awareness in judging an employee on their output versus their time and location.  Much like trying to get the Genie back in the Bottle, the presence of “Work-Life Flexibility” is more than likely here to stay.

Diversity will be a business issue rather than a Human Resource issue – True!

Tensions in race relations this year have highlighted the fact that there are still conversations to be had about the role race, gender and tolerance play in society.  Many organizations have had Diversity roles within their organizations for years.  However, in 2020 we have seen an increase in the number of Chief Diversity Officer roles throughout business.    

With all that we have seen and experienced this year, it’s hard to imagine anyone could have predicted any of this, let alone accurately.  Of course, the flip side to this is the running joke this year that any Hollywood screenwriter pitching a movie based on 2020 events would have been laughed out of town.  Well, if you think the five predictions above were impressive, hold on to your seat!

After the authors conveyed their Top Twenty predictions for the year 2020, they followed it up with some “Wild Card” predictions.  These were meant to be “what if” questions to test organizational resilience and adaptability.  What turned out was two of the most insightful, bold and accurate predictions for this year.

“There is a political upheaval in China or India that results in a shift in offshoring manufacturing and services to countries with stable governments…” Given the current eco-political trade issues between the U.S. and China impacting our supply lines, I’m going to say this came true. 

The second, and hold on to your hat, was this: There are disasters such as pandemics, terrorism, and mass climate change that will create an even greater focus on teleworking, a retreat from investments in corporate real estate, and a migration to all forms of virtual work.”

Wow, just Wow.  I had to double check the Copyright inside the book cover to confirm that this book was truly written in 2010.  I am surprised we haven’t heard more from the authors (that I can recall) this year.  I’ve attended multiple roundtables and panels with the leading thought leaders who, like most of us, are struggling to grasp the current state and project just a few months into the future.  This book projected 10 years into the future with hyper accuracy.  I imagine if anyone would know what “next” looks like it would be Jeanne Meister and Karie Willyerd.  I would highly encourage you to go grab their book off your bookshelf.  Their recommendations for work in 2020 read more like a manual than a speculative piece.  One thing is for certain, the Future of Work is Now.