MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors

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.

Rising through the ranks in the professional world can too often be viewed through the prism of “years of experience” or earned credentials. This is a misconception. The best credential for climbing the ladder is demonstrated leadership, which can be performed by any member of the team regardless of rank.

Becoming an influential leader begins with shifting your perspective and mindset. You can adopt a wider vision for your company or teams’ future, and then making colleagues believe in and work towards that vision. Here are three steps to doing so:

1. Devote time to daily growth: You have to help yourself before you can help others. Seek out mentorship, and ask questions of those who have achieved what you want to achieve. Actively learn outside of work, and study psychology to understand human the forces that inform group motivation, safety, and cooperation.
2. Discover and embrace your personal strengths: While it can be productive to attack your perceived weaknesses, building influence can be better advanced by discovering and developing your innate strengths. These strengths are what set you apart from others. By highlighting these strengths, superiors will know how and when to trust you to add value in those specific areas. This trust will make you feel empowered and valued.
3. Improve your ability to connect with people: Not all leaders need to be charismatic public speakers, but they do need to be adept interpersonal connectors. This often involves direct, clear communication and– in turn– active and intentional listening. Communicating in a way that feels accessible and relatable to others will ultimately increase your ability to influence. To do this, be as vulnerable and authentic with others as you can. In listening, be as empathetic as possible.

As you build these qualities, your influence will grow and your career trajectory will improve. By focusing on personal growth, embracing your unique strengths, and forging deeper connections, you will shorten the path to reaching your goals.

Advances in technology and increases in the severity of global problems have elevated the importance of inquiry as a hard skill. Asking the smartest possible question can offer pathways to innovative, unforeseen solutions. So how do we sharpen our inquiry skills?

It is a leader’s job is to flush out information, insights, and alternatives, unearthing critical questions the team has overlooked. The greatest problems can arise from leaving the most important questions unasked.

Thus, these researchers analyzed their survey of business executives and found that strategic questions can be grouped into five leading classifications. Each unlocks a different aspect of the decision-making process. Together they can help you tackle key issues that are all too easy to miss. These 5 types of inquiry are:

1. Investigative: Good leaders begin by clarifying their purpose and identifying what they need to learn; often using successive “Why?” questions to uncover deeper insights. Additionally, driving at “How?” can help groups move beyond generic solutions.
2. Speculative: Speculative questions, such as “What if…?” and “What else…?”, enable leaders to reframe problems and explore creative solutions. The global design company IDEO uses the prompt “How might we…?” to overcome limiting assumptions and foster innovative problem-solving.
3. Productive: Productive questions, such as, “How can we get this done done?” aid in evaluating the available capability, talent, time, and other resources. These questions drive the discussions in which action is explored and execution plans are honed.
4. Interpretive: Interpretive, or “sensemaking” questions, enable action by continually redefining the core issue or probing deeper into the problem at hand. They follow up on investigative, speculative, and productive questions to draw out new conclusions, such as considering the impact of trends, exploring opportunities, and understanding the implications for scaling up.
5. Subjective: The final category of questions addresses allows us to take reservations, frustrations, tensions, and hidden agendas that can derail decision-making into account. You have to emphasize the emotional aspects of a decision. Neglecting to do so can cause well-crafted solutions to be undermined by subjective reactions, despite solid analysis and plans.

By pinpointing strengths and weaknesses in your question-asking and considering the five types of questions outlined above, you will be more empowered to ask better questions- and create an atmosphere of smarter strategic inquiry.

Though it may not feel natural to some, research shows that the art of networking can be learned and developed. A recent study surveyed 450 professionals from various occupations to determine the most important factors for developing networking skills. They found that the development of network skills– regardless of age, gender, career stage, or level of extroversion or introversion– can be developed through these five important points of focus:

1. Cognitive Flexibility – building the ability to adapt your thinking swiftly in response to changing situations will help you in networking situations as you navigate different personalities, and effectively respond to social cues. You can build cognitive flexibility by making changes to your daily routine, like taking a different route to work or working from a new location. Video games have also been shown to help with cognitive flexibility.
2. A Promotion Focus– a “promotion focus” is about going for positive outcomes, rather than a “prevention focus” which is about avoiding negative ones. Going into conversations being afraid of rejection or awkwardness is self-defeating. Take a deep breath and remember that every conversation need not be a home run. Be excited for the possibilities that arise from networking, even if it is somewhat uncomfortable at times.
3. Perceived Prowess– Work to build self belief. If you believe you can network, it’s more likely that you can. Replace negative thoughts with positive self-talk, such as “I can do this,” “It’s okay to be nervous,” and “I have prepared and I’m ready.” Ask for feedback from those you trust to enhance your sense of preparation.
4. Persistence– The more persistently you network, the greater your chances of success. The method— be it in person, by phone or email, or via LinkedIn — depends on personal preference, but what matters is that you follow through.
5. A Future-Focused Temporal Orientation– Rather than focusing on the past or present, envision the future. Contemplate upcoming events and think about the possibilities ahead. This will create a sense of excitement for networking, and add intention to your efforts.

Even incremental improvements in these areas can have a substantial impact on your willingness and ability to network!