4 Trends That Will Dominate This Century

By Kevin Wheeler

In a recent article by Kevin Wheeler (August 19th, 2009) where he notes that ‘change is afoot on a massive scale’, Wheeler notes 4 trends that are significant enough to change our lifestyles and challenge our assumptions... read on for a synopsis

Trend 1.
In the Western world there are now enough women in the workplace to change how it looks, feels, and functions. It is no longer a man’s world. Women are also dominating higher education and 2 out of 3 undergraduate degrees are now awarded to women.

Trend 2.
New organizational forms are taking shape. New places such as Facebook are forging organizations where people take on roles, not specific positions, and where interactivity, collaboration, and intense communication are the primary competencies.  This organizational form can be virtual, distributed, and work can be and is shared. Ownership and responsibility are also shared, as are rewards.  We are moving from a model based on individual performance to one based on team performance.   This has deep implications for HR from how we will pay people to what is measured as performance. Most assumptions are under assault: work should be performed for a specific set of hours each day, work should be performed in a physical place, people are paid for the time they spend, work and family are separate, and so forth.
 
Trend 3.
(In the US) slightly more than 4 workers out of every 100 are independent contractors. The number of people who are paid as independents versus the number who are paid as full-time employees it is growing steadily every quarter. Some of this is forced by the recession, but much is also the result of choice.  Wheeler believes that the emerging preferred style of work is an as independent. 
 
Trend 4.
Sustainability is the new cultural watchword and almost everyone is focused on using less, refreshing and reusing what they have and reducing consumption. This is much deeper than recession-caused.  It was beginning well before the recession with recycling and an interest in energy conservation. Now it is mainstream and Wheeler doesn’t see people returning to consumer buying at anywhere near the levels of 2006-8.  More people are looking at thrift stores and at used clothing and furniture.  This is especially true among young people where the new cool is to have found the best price for an item of clothing at a thrift store.
 
Wheeler believes these trends will create a new kind of society. One where technology-enabled work, performed anywhere for whomever pays the best price or writes the best contract, will become more common. Organizations will be flatter and smaller. Lifestyles will be based on sustainability and on having time to pursue engaging and interesting work and relationships.