future of work

The intentions behind starting this breakfast club in 2019 was to facilitate a healthy exchange of ideas and experiences that we come across within the workplace. The workplace has dramatically changed.

When I first started to work I was fully subscribed to the hustle culture and grind. At the time, I was convinced that the only way to excel was to ‘put in the time’. Depth and experience was valued above breadth. It was not uncommon to hear about people who spent their entire career at one company and one industry. Firms that were large enough allowed for progression within different business functions therefore employees were able to switch career paths while working within the same organization. At the end of university, the popular belief was to switch jobs or companies after 2-3 years to show your diversification to future employers. Breadth was starting to overtake the value of depth. Today I am unsure what to think.

Work in 2023 is fundamentally different. Or is it? We had a virtual breakfast during covid around the debate of remote work being the future of work and I think it is an appropriate time to revisit that topic.

Video streaming technology enabled through telecommunications infrastructure enabled societies to remain connected in a time where togetherness was discouraged. This has had lasting impacts on all facets of life. In a digital world, we’re all knowledge workers. Are you compensated for being present or available? Or both? If you’re an individual contributor, how do you value your production? If you manage others, how do you quantify their production? How do you equate compensation to intrinsic value?