The Future of Work

My perspective on the major work trends for the next decade

Fog is rolling in over the Pacific Coastal Highway after a sunny and warm day. It’s the perfect time to light a fire, open a bottle of red, and read a good book. I can recommend Daniel Silva’s latest book, The Cellist. Photo: Per Håkansson.

Work is important. It keeps our minds focused and our brains active. Plus, of course, it brings in money and gives us an identity. I’ve had many different work identities – from derivatives trader to executive – but I enjoy writer the most. It aligns well with my personality, temperament, and way of living. Luckily, it’s also by choice.

I’ve always been fascinated with the future of work. When I was working as an editor for a Swedish career magazine for young professional in the mid-90s we made a whole issue about The New Worklife. We had been smitten by the promise of the Internet and our minds went wild in creating future scenarios (and we were mostly right).

We experimented with working remotely both while snowboarding in Åre, Sweden, and when traveling around in Europe. Of course, then, we had to lug a heavy laptop, an external modem, and a clunky portable phone wherever we went (today it’s only an Apple Watch). We used dialup and reached the amazing download speeds of up to 14,400 bps (ridiculously slow, painfully really, like watching paint dry).

For the future I envision these major trends: