Expectation Management

Expectation Management

They say you cannot guess someone's life stage by their age.If our working lives will most probably be enabled by technology and though not driven by it, we may be doing different things at different stages of our lives,unlike today. 

Looking back on our current lives,re-running the movies of our past life, will no doubt remind us of the successes as well as and more importantly remind us of the lessons we have learned from our mistakes. 

We will also note a pattern of behaviour that will help us move forward into the future in a more healthy and satisfying way. Our growing strength and positive self esteem will often ensure that the mistakes we have made in the past will not be repeated again.

Projecting expectation management of the stages of life in the future, from birth to death, from education to jobs to retirement, will become blurred,less rigid or even cease and a new life structure could be anticipated.

But what can we expect of the future?

"By being you means - we can be us" says an ad in the papers, highlighting colour consciousness, implying difference. One thing we can expect in the future is to work with difference, understanding the realities of culture,race and religion and accepting the humanity of man.Diversity is a tolerable asset and not a liability.

Despite the promise that technology offers,we seem to be working harder now, perhaps not smarter. Productivity is slowing,engagement levels are languishing and stress is endemic.The "Always On" work ethic that technology supports, has empowered sections of the workforce,at the expense of dis-empowering and de-skilling others. This is becoming evident with progress.

Working remotely, flexibly and under different and varied contractual arrangements,is seen in the workplace. Firms now analyse job applicants on their strengths rather than having the ability.They analyse job seekers who are "great" at their job in different circumstances, to ascertain what strengths,values and motivators they have in common,and build what is called a "Strengths Profile."Hiring an applicant based on strengths of others does not allow for diversity,irrespective of age,gender,disability or education.

We may illustrate and  forecast  some future developments over the next few decades.

By 2020

We already have prototypes of "driver less cars." Intelligent car transport that drives and parks itself and communicates with other vehicles, is expected by 2020.It will reduce emission,fuel consumption,and in some way eliminate human error, with a reduction in road deaths. 

By 2030

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will create robots,called "Cabots" or Collaborative Machines.This will reduce,in fact shrink, the number of graduate positions and specialists required not only on the factory floor, but across finance,marketing and customer service. We have not realised how immediate this is, but expectation is that there will be a reduction,at least by some 20 percent of the workforce.

By 2035  

The imponderable aspect in technology is that it cannot replicate professional qualities such as empathy and communication. These human qualities will become highly valued among employees, as robots will perform mostly administrative functions.

By 2045 

People will have stopped handing over personal information and Big Data may become obsolete.This will make people data less of a target for hackers.Social Networks may have to work differently or not exist.

By 2050

Climate change may alter where we are able to live and work. World's population is estimated to hit 9 billion.

Living beyond 100 will become unremarkable as human life expectancy could read 120 years. New Medicines,Genetic Engineering,Scientific Knowledge will improve and make personal lives unrecognisable to today.