On Thursday morning, IEE hosted keynote speaker, author and futurist Jacob Morgan to talk about the future of work. Mr. Morgan presented to attendees why the future of work is changing and what it ultimately will look like. During the session, he explained that the current connected world, a pace of change and massive disruption are all factors leading to this future. With these factors shaping the future work, it is believed that instead of exhibiting a top-down managerial system, organizations will shift to focus on a bottom-up system. Because the future employee will approach their work in different ways, future managers will be forced to adapt, which in turn, will affect how organizations are operated and structured. Furthermore, Mr. Morgan defined 5 trends that will aid in shaping the future of work:
- New Behaviors Shaped by social media & the web
- Technologies Shift to the cloud; collaborative technologies; big data; the internet of things
- The Millennial Workforce New attitudes, expectations & ways of working
- Mobility Work anytime, anywhere & on any device
- Globalization No boundaries
The future employee will be characterized by 7 new behaviors: He/she (1) has a flexible work environment, (2) customizes own work, (3) shares information, (4) uses new ways to communicate and collaborate, (5) can become a leader, (6) shifts from knowledge worker to learning worker and (7) learns and teaches at will. These traits all stem from experience. People will want to show up to work to create experiences; they’re not just showing up because it’s utility anymore. The future of work will be based off of experiences throughout the cultural, physical and technological environments. These beneficial experiences emulating from each environment will leave employees feeling empowered, engaged and enabled, which are the experiences needed to create a successful work experience.
Interested in learning more about what Jacob Morgan has to say about the future of work? Visit http://www.thefutureorganization.com/ to find out more.