Imagine yourself lying on a sunny beach, with not a care in the world. It’s summertime, so you can sit back and unwind. The day passes you by like a warm, summer breeze and not once do you notice the passing of time. Or care, for that matter. Yes, you’ve noticed the sun moving around in the sky, changing the color of the landscape, but it’s merely background noise. At that very moment, you are the centre of the universe.
Once you’re back home, that all vanishes. You’re no longer the centre, no sir. You have to plan your days around your work schedule. Around your social and private life. You have obligations. And you do it, because hey, that’s life. At least that’s what we think. We’ve been living this way for so long, this must be the right way, right?
Perhaps, but think about Copernicus for a minute, if you will. For those who’ve slept through the history lessons, here’s the gist: Back in the good old 1500’s, everyone in the world thought that the earth was the centre of the universe. And why wouldn’t we? We were the chosen ones. Specially selected by an almighty god to rule the universe. We, the people of earth!
along came a scientist to ruin the party
Everything was going great. Sure, some discoveries didn’t exactly fit this geocentric worldview, but the almighty church, in absence of the omnipotent deity himself, said that it was good. And if it wasn’t good? Let’s just say that The Bloodhound Gang weren’t the first ones who liked to burn stuff. Ah yes, those good old days. But, as what seems to be some kind of trend in human history, along came a scientist to ruin the party. That scientist was Nicolaus Copernicus and he suggested that the world and our universe would make a lot more sense if the sun was the centre, instead of the earth.
Breaking Boundaries
Of course, no one believed poor old Copernicus. It was like saying that the earth was round instead of flat. Which, surely, is absurd. And if he was right, that would mean that people, and the planet we live on, aren’t that special after all. From being the centre of the universe to just being the third rock from the sun. I definitely would fight such a suggestion and so would you. But eventually people started seeing that Copernicus actually did have a solid point after all and from that moment, the world started making a lot more sense.
This makes you wonder how people could have worked for so long with a faulty scientific model. But that’s the thing, models don’t have to be right in order to work. The geocentric worldview worked just fine, until it didn’t and someone came along with a better alternative. By simply rearranging the pieces of the old model, Copernicus fundamentally changed our worldview and offered a far more logical explanation of our place in the galaxy.
And for a while now, we’ve seen something similar happen in the way we work. Yes, I know. Work is always changing and technology has been changing it for a long time, nothing new there. But the funny thing is that we still hang on to the old model. The old ways have worked so far, so this must be the right way, right? Nobody seems to care that a lot of things don’t add up anymore.
New technologies have broken down the boundaries of the need to work in one place or at the same time, yet most of us still work in the same shifts, in the same office. Studies have shown that it’s not healthy nor natural to sit at a desk for eight hours a day and that people work more efficient when they work shorter days, yet we still waste precious time sitting at that same desk for the same hours. The internet has made us rethink possession, yet companies remain hesitant to share their employees and their knowledge.
Out with the old, in with the new
So, like old Nicolaus, we took another good look at this old, flawed model of work and rearranged the pieces to see if we could make them click in another way. In a way that’s more suitable to our modern way of life and hopefully in a way that embraces new technologies. The old model was centred around organisations. You used to work for the same company your whole life, so it made a lot of sense. But those days are long gone. It’s now possible to choose a life of learning. To put yourself and your own development in the first place. It’s now possible to share your skills, to work for different clients and in different teams, so you can help others and they can help you.
That’s why the new model shouldn’t be centred around organizations, but around people. Think about it. Modern organizations and teams can work more efficiently and with less manpower for routine tasks by embracing new technologies. They want to hire specialist knowledge and expertise when they need it and don’t mind if that knowledge and expertise is shared with others. Sure, every organization always needs a core team to keep its identity intact, but around that core should be a network of teams, all working together. Some will be a part of a core, while also sharing their knowledge and expertise with other teams. Others will work only for different teams, seeking challenge and development. It’s a far more logical approach to working in this digital age.
around that core should be a network of teams all working together
We don’t think you should plan your life around your work, just because that’s the way we’ve always done it. It should be the other way around. Let life revolve around you again. Everyday should be like that warm summer day where you didn’t have to worry about time. Let software and machines worry about time for you, while you focus on developing your own skillset. Turn the tables and let organizations and teams plan their schedules around your availability, if they want to use your skills.
You might think that this optimistic worldview reeks of utopia. You might even believe that machines and automation will damage our world, instead of creating a place where humans are freed of repetitive and dangerous tasks. But if you haven’t learned anything by now from Copernicus, maybe another great mind will let you come away with a different point of view:
“Is this Utopian? A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing. And when Humanity lands there, it looks out, and, seeing a better country, sets sail. Progress is the realisation of Utopias.” - Oscar Wilde
This article was originally published on Floown Blog.
