Each is left to lead the way

The hype around The Future of Work and what is left unsaid

Liisi Toom
Aug 31, 2018 · 3 min read

One of the most popular hashtags around HR, recruiting and work is “future of work”. Meaning that everyone is trying to hop on the future train by being “there”. Being the company with leading HR systems (no leaders, free coffee, open space, not open space, remote working — all that is considered a part of the future of work).

The fact is, this future of work was “future” back in the beginning of the millennia, when it was considered a new thing that nobody risked to promote. But it was there already. The White Collar revolution, as Tom Peters said. The time, where individual had to re-wire their brains about what worked means, because one could be without a job in a day. So the individual had to make the best of it — make use of his/her dreams, skills, expertise — personal branding was (and still is) the key that helped him/her. It was already back then a Free Agent Nation. Nobody called it “future of work” back then, because it was unrealistic, different. Today, having personal contracts with companies, freelancing, remote working and setting your own time schedules is more common, and the companies have learnt to reap the benefits and use this new freedom in their HR campaigns. Yet there is something that is hardly mentioned in the future of work that requires you, each and every person to re-frame their mindset, decisions about their career and how they commit to a company or a client.

The truth: Nobody knows

One thing that we all know today is, that we have no idea what is going to happen. What skills are necessary? What traits? Are humans required to do work? What work? Intellectual or mechanical or service based? Innovators or followers? Some hype about IT and programming, some about soft skills, creativity, people skills.

When a person starts studying tech today, by the end of fourth year what he/she learnt in the first year may be old news. Many experts are schooled on site. So being able to work in teams and collaborate and to be a great person to party and chat after work might be more relevant than a certain skill per se. That makes it difficult to apply for any job, by the way.

So where’s the opportunity in prepping for the future of work?

As we don’t know what skills are needed, it creates an opportunity. It poses a possibility that it is you with your dreams, ideas, innovations and personal traits that IS the creator of HOW the Future of Work really looks like. What you value, what you want to do, what influence you want to have? Personal branding has long shown that with focus on your own skills and aspirations you can create a niche and change the course of a field. Thanks to social media it is easier than ever to get your message across and be that influencer in science, sport, literature, entertainment, being a teacher or a cleaner. You can create a suitable lifestyle, pay, location and clients around your skill and cause. And many have done it, creating new field, new titles, creating values and creating work for themselves and many others.

So whats your work in the future?

What do you want it to be? You are the CEO and developer of the new economy. Your future of work is in your hands. Make it good! Be the lion, the leader of the pack.

Liisi Toom

Written by

Personal branding and PR consultant, performance coach, entrepreneur. Speaker for personal empowerment.

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