The Future of Work

The cover story for the May 25 edition of Time is on The Future of Work. Here’s the summary:

Ten years ago, Facebook didn’t exist. Ten years before that, we didn’t have the Web. So who knows what jobs will be born a decade from now? Though unemployment is at a 25‑year high, work will eventually return. But it won’t look the same. No one is going to pay you just to show up. We will see a more flexible, more freelance, more collaborative and far less secure work world. It will be run by a generation with new values — and women will increasingly be at the controls. Here are 10 ways your job will change. In fact, it already has.

The ten changes they discuss are:

  1. The fall of finance
  2. Bringing ethics to management
  3. Employee benefits
  4. The change from a career ladder to a lattice, and the growing role of flexible working arrangements
  5. Postponing retirement
  6. The rise of green jobs
  7. The role of women
  8. The leadership transition to Generation X
  9. US manufacturing
  10. The last days of cubicle life (by Seth Godin)

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May 18, 2009 | Filed Under Career | 3 Comments 
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3 Responses to “The Future of Work”

  1. Brian Current on May 18th, 2009 2:55 pm

    2 questions:

    1.) right now, in my view, millions of people get paid to “show up.” In light of this TIME article, all of those people will be out of a job in the next 10 years. Do you think unemployment will just continue to rise and rise?

    2.) what is meant by “managing a tribe” and “organizing fans”? – what is that and who is paying them?

  2. Matt on May 20th, 2009 2:56 pm

    Brian,

    I think that, rather than unemployment rising and rising, people will change the way they do things. Less people will want to just show up and more of them will want to make a difference. That’s my view, at least.

    In regard to what it means to manage a tribe and organize fans, I would recommend Seth Godin’s latest book, Tribes. (As well as his blog and other books, as well.) Essentially, marketing now is not about a top down “we speak, you listen” approach, but about equipping your users/customers to tell the story of your product. Godin is very helpful on this.

  3. Brian Current on May 21st, 2009 10:51 am

    Thanks, Matt. I’ve heard of Tribes and remembered you posted something about it a while back. I’ll definitely check it out.

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