What 570 Experts Predict the Future of Work Will Look Like

Takeaways:

This article’s three writers conducted a survey of 485 of articles related to the future of work. Based on questions & conclusions formed from the survey of those articles, they then polled 570 experts from tech, economics, and writing/journalism about their views of the future. Specifically, they asked these experts to name the year that specific projections would finally become reality.

Here are their findings:

Further polling leads to a conversation about how three distinct groups (tech entrepreneurs, economists, and authors/journalists) relate to each other as they predict the future.

Tech entrepreneurs tended to be radical optimists about the future, while economists were more skeptical & cautious. Authors and journalists held more pessimistic attitudes. Importantly, these three groups were unshakably convinced that their predictions about the future of work were right and that the others were wrong — and even preposterous.

Why There Are Differences in Beliefs About the Future of Work: Groups tend to take in information from shared or similar sources, which insulates it from other perspectives. Being open to other group’s perspectives is important; embracing uncertainty and competing scenarios is in fact essential to long-term strategic planning.

The Future Is What We Make It: The article’s writers believe their study shows that the future is not yet set in stone, and that it is impossible to determine who is right about the future of work. The question is not, “What will the future of work be like?” but rather, “What do we want the future to be like?” This reframes the future-of-work question as an arena for values, politics, ideology, and imagination, instead of a set of trends that can objectively be predicted.

The article ends on a resonant note: it is important to be attentive to and active in discussion about the future of work. This ensures that the future of work will unfold within a social and democratic dialogue. Remember: the future is what we make it.

By Nicky Dries, Joost Luyckx, and Philip Rogiers for The Harvard Business Review
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Note: At the time of this posting Harvard Business Review offers two free article views per month. Four if you register for a free account.


This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself About Your Job Right Now

Five takeaways:

The desire to make a change can be a general one. Assessing the specifics of what you want to change in a profressional situation will help you take the most useful, beneficial action. The five questions below are designed by career development experts to help with this assessment:

  • “What do I want more or less of this year?” – creating a list of the things you no longer want to do in a new role, as well as the things you want to do more of, will help you refine your search for a new role. It will also provide a framework for conversations with your superiors about a role restructure, should you decide to try to evolve in your current position.
  • “How can I increase my visibility at work?”– people hire people, people promote people, people amplify people. Visibility to the right people creates a “career insurance plan” – a strong network that provides a safety net should a career change become necessary or disruption arise.
  • “What’s my one big win this year that will it a year to smile about?” – Look one year ahead, and imagine you’re still in your current role. This helps people clarify which commitments they need to make to themselves; the people they need to be and the mindset they need to have. The resulting action will certainly lead to positive career development.
  • “What’s my reputation at work?” – Those who get promoted or hired into good positions are known to be collaborative, strategic and analytical. You must think about how adequately aligned your reputation is with those adjectives in your current surroundings to know to best move forward.
  • “What fills my cup?” – make a conscious effort to have your work align with what nourishes, thrills, and restores you. Does being successful mean making a lot of money, or does it mean making impactful change? Is it somewhere in the middle? Knowing what fills your cup allows you to set yourself up for a year of wins– or refine your search for your next job.

By accounting for these questions honestly, you will put yourself in the best possible position to either grow in your current role, or take productive action towards your next one.

From Monica Torres for The Huffington Post
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This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

How to Make Your Best Vacation Memories Last, According to Science

Takeaways:

All too often, our memories of our experiences or vacations are shaped by the final impression they leave. This is called The Recency Effect.

The Recency effect stems from our short-term memory’s inability to hold on to more than a small amount of information at once. It is what causes us to remember the final moments of a memory more vividly than anything else.

Understanding the Recency Effect can help us harness it, and turn a good trip into an unforgettable one. As books and films finish on a climax, you too can look at an experience as a narrative and craft it into something that ends with a bang.

“Isn’t traveling like telling yourself a story?” says writer Lee Goldberg. “There’s a beginning, middle and an end. You know what you’re going in for, you have an idea of what to expect, and there are twists along the way. But ultimately you want the big payoff, the big finale.”

Experts say you can strategically trigger the Recency Effect, creating lasting memories throughout by breaking a trip into smaller segments. One source notes that when she and her husband divided their Italy trip into three parts—Rome, Tuscany, and the Amalfi Coast—it allowed for multiple “endings” and more vivid experiences.

However, the recency effect can backfire– you never know when you’re going to encounter an unexpected inconvenience or miscue in your trip’s final moments. One source has combated this with a ritual of collecting trinkets throughout the trip. At a trip’s end, she is able to spend time reminiscing about each experience on its own.

From Maggie Downs at The Wall Street Journal:

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This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

The art of giving good workplace advice

Three takeaways:

Even if someone asks you for it, giving advice can often be a counterproductive act. But it doesn’t have to be that way– and being great at giving advice can help you maximize the happiness and effectiveness of those around you.

Author and advice expert Michael Stanyay society falsely teaches us that giving advice is a sign of success, and that leaders in particular must prove their value by liberally dispersing it. While we might have good intentions, we often rush to give advice that serves our ego more than it does the person receiving it. A 2018 study found that giving advice helped participants overcome a lack of motivation or confidence more than receiving advice did.

When giving advice in the modern workplace, there are some important things to remember to make your advice the most effective while ensuring that it does not offend the person receiving it:

  1. Remember that no one has all the answers anymore: As technology transforms the workplace and required skills become more diverse, it is unrealistic for leaders to have all the answers. Know when a question goes outside of your expertise, and find those with specialized skills in the workplace who can be counted on to help with area-specific questions.
  2. Know the difference between advice vs. coaching: instead of offering advice, become a coach: help others devise their own solutions by asking them leading questions. This may be slightly more time consuming, but it can boost motivation and help people develop their problem-solving skills.
  3. Be conscious of your framing: To avoid offending the person receiving your advice, frame it in a way that allows them to ignore it without losing face. Adding a qualifier like, “These ideas worked for me, but they may not work for you. I’ll just throw them on the table and if there’s something useful – great. If not, that’s fine as well” can help assuage any potential ego hit to the recipient, and therefore make it easier for them to implement your advice.

Giving better advice will help you build trust and credibility in the workplace, positioning you as a valuable resource for colleagues– while offering the added benefit of better overall decision making and productivity among your colleagues.

By Jessica Mudditt, for The BBC
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This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.