The Future of Work (As We See It)

What’s here, and what’s to come

It’s 2022, and there’s a whole lot of chatter about the future of work. You already know why: the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted existing systems and brought to light a lot of changing priorities.

But not everyone has the same view on what the future of work actually means. Some might say upended power structures. Some might say remote work is here to stay. Some might say it involves the metaverse.

Groove was founded as a response to our own shifting expectations and desires, and because of an understanding that we need a new way of connecting and working.

So, we decided to sit down and ask ourselves, how do we see the future of work?

We see a near future where…

Paid work is not what governs:

• Where we live
• Who we know, and who we meet
• When we wake up, go to sleep, and eat
• How we manage our time
• Where and if we commute somewhere
• Where we sit during the day (or even if we sit, and in what space)
• What we wear
• Where the entirety of our income is from
• Where we find meaning in our lives
• How we see ourselves

We imagine a future in which we find purpose in our work, but it’s not our entire purpose.

Or rather, work is a part of our lives, but not the entirety of our life structure. Our entire way of living does not revolve around whatever is the paid job that we have at that moment.

We envision a future in which we have more independence from our employers.

Emotionally, we don’t feel dependent on one employer, or loyal to them for sustenance.

Employers who abuse the autonomy or dignity of workers are less likely to be tolerated.

Work in the future relies on a global talent pool. This pool is bigger, wider, more diverse, and offers more opportunities for companies and workers than exclusively local pools.

Work in the future is not a lifetime sentence, not always full time, and not always all-the-time. Not all or nothing, and sometimes repeating engagements. More fluid, maybe something we leave and return to.

Be believe not only paid work is recognized as real work.

Caregiving, creative pursuits, anything of sustained or satisfying effort is recognized as valid ways to be “working”. We are more likely to intentionally take time and do these things with others, sometimes at the cost of more profitable paid work. Or, alternatively, are more likely to demand payment for them.

We have multiple avenues and options for getting paid for our (ever-evolving) skills or expertise.

We likely also have diversified income, perhaps from assets or investments, side businesses and projects, other jobs, or even a partial Universal Basic Income.

Personal (as opposed to professional) achievements will gain a foothold into what society defines as a successful person.

Volunteering, hobbies, and personal relationships will become more important to a well-rounded view of life fulfillment.

We will be more likely to define our own jobs and contributions inside of an organization, as well as outside one.

Work Design will become more common and intentional.

As a result of some of these other trends, decentralized decision making within organizations will become more common for companies that want to achieve higher levels of innovation and attract higher-skilled or higher-caliber employees.

Higher education will encompass more than traditional universities.

College education will continue to rise in price while falling farther behind in providing the constantly-varying skills needed by employers, leading potential students to further diversify their education choices, and employers to continue investing in specialized learning programs.

In order to create this future, some new infrastructure is needed

The Mechanics:

We need tools to facilitate collaboration and communication as we move toward the above. These exist already, but will continue to develop:

• Fast, reliable internet connection
• Real time voice and video communication, with privacy (eg: Zoom, phone call)
• Real time written, digital communication, with privacy (eg: Slack, Discord, Telegram)
• Digital banking: Ability to pay, transact, trade for goods and services, storing and lending money or assets (eg: crypto wallets, Lance, Wise, Stripe)
• Collaborative creation tools (eg: Figma, Canva, Reduct, Notion, Google Docs)

The Human:

Reminder: we’re people. And we all need extra support to get to a place where the above is feasible. These are beginning to exist, but here’s what we need:

Life Skills Support:

• Distraction management and concentration
• Time management
• Self sufficiency
• Resilience
• Smart risk taking
• Connecting emotionally over distance
• Goal setting and follow-through
• Navigating fluid work relationships
• Confidence
• e.g.: partially addressed by today’s Masterminds, Facebook groups, pomodoro timers, virtual study halls, Focusmate
• 👉 Groove believes that peer-to-peer and invisible education is the only way to do life skills support effectively and at scale.

Meeting and Socializing Laterally:

• “Water cooler” interactions
• The next generation of networking (which should be collaborative, not performative or transactional)
• Social support when working alone
• Group-based or peer-based support and accountability structures for achieving personal goals (e.g. Movejoy)
• Tracking progress toward personal and life goals (e.g.: the proliferation of to-do list apps, with limited adoption)
• 👉 Groove believes that peer group support is the missing piece.
• Synchronous co-working, goal setting, and communication for distributed people doing the same activity (whether paid work, adjacent-to-work activities, and hobbies) (e.g. Pesto)

This is how we imagine the future of work at Groove, but in truth, the future of work will be made by each and every one of us. What resonates with you? Where does your vision for the future of work split from ours? Let us know in the comments!

If you liked this article, check these out:

1. Preparing to Scale Intimacy at Groove
2. Why We Don’t Like Vanity Metrics at Groove
3. Or, if you’re on a solopreneur looking for more support, accountability and focus join Groove’s online coworking community to get sh*t done and have a good time while you’re at it ➡️ grooveapp.io