50+ Workplace Predictions for the Rest of the Decade. So Relax; We got this.
“A person can change his future by merely changing his attitude” ~ Earl Nightingale
We are awash with predictions on the future of work and where things are going as we redesign work and work arrangements.
Seriously, there are new lists from thought leaders who are trying, with truly sincere earnest, to tell us what to expect of work in a post-COVID world. I will admit that much of the research is valid and some predictions are convincing, interesting and intriguing. Like other predictions since Frederick Taylor did his worker time studies in early 20th century, some will be realized over time and some will not materialize.
To be honest though, the uncertainty and not knowing may be adding unnecessary stress right now. Pre COVID, 63% of US workers were ready to quit their jobs to avoid work-related stress. Add COVID, the related changes and the stress is skyrocketing. My recommendation is to take it all in stride and relax. Why? Because we know more than we think we do about the future of work. Definitely not making light of anyone’s work related stress. That is real. However, I aim is to add some context.
I want to reassure workers of the world that because we know more about the future of work than we think, we can handle the evolutions that are coming. Not everything will change. In fact, the world of work as we know it right now will remain mostly the same and our muscle memory will kick in like it always does. We will continue to take care of these 60+ basics that we are already working through daily.
My prediction is that once we acknowledge what we know, our attitudes about changes shift and the the tweaks around the edges become easier for us to see and embrace.
Here is what we know:
Some people will retire as people do every year.
The pace of change could accelerate.
Workplace communication may or may not improve.
Some people will change careers.
Bigots and other difficult co-workers will still sit in meetings across from us.
Some good people will do interviews and not get hired.
Microaggressions will remain but might get harder to spot.
Even smart people will still be fired for cause.
Employees will still hate supervisors and leave bad managers.
Some colleagues will still work our last nerve.
We will still meet some of the kindest people we know, in our workplaces.
People will feel more burned out than ever before.
Some people will learn new skills.
Some people will refuse to learn new skills.
Some colleagues will remain functionally fixed.
Cubicle mates will still hate working with each other.
The cubicle will maybe be in your home.
People will begin/continue to hate Zoom, Microsoft Teams etc.
Employees who scan environments will always notice evolutions and pivot.
Team members will say inappropriate things while they are NOT on mute.
New graduates will still wonder what career to pursue after graduation.
Some staff will think they know more than their managers and be right…or be wrong.
Workers will keep sprucing up their remote work spaces.
People will still be gigging and doing just-in-time work.
The bottom line will remain important to companies.
Employee experiences will or will not generally improve with certain organizations.
Some workers will have better technology at home than at the office.
Organizations will continue to be redesigned.
Full diversity and inclusion will remain an elusive and moving target.
Businesses will over buy new technology.
Some organizations will try agility.
Silos will still exist.
Some decisions will still be made by executives and trickle down.
Automation will continue to scare some workers and it won’t stop. It can’t.
Many boardrooms will still not reflect the demographics of the world.
The HR community will be more tired than they have ever been.
Parts of HR could be siphoned off by predatory departments.
People will start new companies after they get laid off.
Some mergers and consolidations will fall apart.
Technology will continue to change how we work.
Unions will still make sense and impact workplaces and work rules..
Projects will still go over budget and will under deliver.
Job applicants will never ever like being interviewed by robots.
People will still quit even during periods of high unemployment.
Good, lovely people will be laid off.
Companies will choose other directions.
More small businesses will fail than succeed.
Wage differences between demographic groups will persist.
Entire departments will be outsourced.
Bad managers will remain bad managers.
Some bad managers will become better managers.
Some leaders will become better leaders.
Women are going to be standing up and saying more.
Women will lose some momentum due to COVID.
Workplace rumors will still circulate.
There will still be COVID denial by some co-workers.
Absenteeism will still be a problem even in virtual work.
Screen fatigue will become a bigger problem.
Twenty percent of people will be superstar performers ALL the time.
Remote work will not stop.
Most people will still not know all of what HR does.
Work will still be a burden for many.
There will be new ways to measure performance.
COVID will traumatize workers for a while.
Many people will still not be doing the work they dreamed about or crave.
Talented people will still be overlooked.
Lifelong learning will be a real thing.
Workplace decisions will never please everyone.
There are so many other rules of work that humans have embraced over many decades. I am sure we could expand this list significantly. We will continue to do so, as long as we keep our wits about us and know the change is constant.