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The Future of Work | Working the Future
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© Working the Future Ltd. 2016-2024. Limited company no. 10512378 registered in England and Wales

 Registered office address: 42 Longfield Drive, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP6 5HE, United Kingdom

Working the Future, the Working the Future logotype and the arrowhead device are all registered trademarks of Working the Future Ltd.

Working the Future our sustainability diary

 

If you’ve had a mooch through our website, by now you will have noticed we’re a caring bunch. We care deeply about how humans experience work and the bearing their environment has on their ability to flourish and achieve their potential. We also care deeply about the state of our planet.

 

The climate emergency is one of the ten trends we track in our annual Foresight Focus report – it has massive bearing on how we will work in the future. Whether big business likes it or not, we anticipate distributed working as being a key feature of organisational resilience in the future of work.

 

Having been around the block a bit, we’ve seen just how extrapolative and mercenary some organisations can be. We also grew up with role models like Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, Julian Richer, founder of Richer Sounds, and Guy Watson, founder of Riverford Organic showing how business can step up and act as a force for good in the world. 

 

We want Working the Future to be a force for good in the world, and we take our responsibility of ethical leadership seriously.

 

This page is dedicated to our sustainability journey. Sustainability isn’t a destination or tick-list item. It’s about how we show up each day to make sure we leave the world a better place than we found it. We’ve deliberately set this page up as a diary, so we can update it each time we do something positive for our business ecosystem. We hope you find it useful and inspiring. 

blog

Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy - a timely reminder why conscious consumption matters more than ever
Sustainability, SUSTAINABILITY, CLIMATE CRISIS, CSR, BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY, PEOPLE PLANET PROFIT, NET ZERO,

Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy - a timely reminder why conscious consumption matters more than ever

Patrick Lodge

2024-12-03 09:43

This film starkly highlights how collective resistance is needed to drive change - and hold corporations accountable for their environmental and social impact.

VITAL SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK – PART 1
Blog, FUTURE OF WORK, 21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP, CONTINUOUS LEARNING, STRATEGIC FORESIGHT, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, VITAL SKILLS, LEARNING AGILITY,

VITAL SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK – PART 1

Cathryn Barnard

2024-10-29 11:14

To label certain skills as ‘soft’ underplays their importance. We argue these skills are in fact vital – and essential for the ongoing healthy flourishing of...

The rise of 'conscious unbossing': why the idea of middle management gives Gen Z the ick
Head Kandi, FUTURE OF WORK, 21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP, MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCE, MULTIGENERATIONAL DYNAMICS, GEN Z,

The rise of 'conscious unbossing': why the idea of middle management gives Gen Z the ick

Admin

2024-10-28 11:49

Welcome to the age of Gen Z 'conscious unbossing' - and the latest challenge for organisations' succession-planning endeavours.

Might 'sense foraging' help alleviate modern life’s anxiety epidemic?
Head Kandi, FUTURE OF WORK, 21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT & GROWTH, WORKFORCE WELLBEING, ENGAGEMENT,

Might 'sense foraging' help alleviate modern life’s anxiety epidemic?

Admin

2024-10-28 11:33

'Sense foraging' – mindfully attending to our bodily sensations – is on the rise. What might that mean for stressed-out workers?

What AI hallucinations mean for organisations
Head Kandi, FUTURE OF WORK, 21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP, AI, DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, TECHNOLOGY TRENDS,

What AI hallucinations mean for organisations

Admin

2024-10-28 11:23

GenAI hallucinations can range from outright falsehoods to subtle inaccuracies.

The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World – Allison Pugh, 2024
Reading Room, FUTURE OF WORK, AI, SOCIAL IMPACT, CONNECTION & BELONGING, ENGAGEMENT, TECHNOLOGY TRENDS, VITAL SKILLS, SOFT SKILLS,

The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World – Allison Pugh, 2024

Cathryn Barnard

2024-10-28 10:49

The Last Human Job explores the construct of connective labour – the often subconscious and mostly unrewarded work people do to help others feel seen and heard.

Sept. '24: Great Britain just generated record levels of summer solar power
Sustainability, SUSTAINABILITY, CLIMATE CRISIS, CSR, BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY, PEOPLE PLANET PROFIT, NET ZERO,

Sept. '24: Great Britain just generated record levels of summer solar power

Patrick Lodge

2024-09-17 11:09

Britain just recorded levels of summer solar power - is there a "rooftop revolution" going on?

Might an ‘innovacation’ be just what you need to run a better business?
Head Kandi, FUTURE OF WORK, 21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP, POSITIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE, CREATIVITY, INNOVACATION, INNOVATION,

Might an ‘innovacation’ be just what you need to run a better business?

Admin

2024-09-16 20:46

‘Innovacations’ give us the space and agency to recharge and brainstorm new ideas, in fresh environments.

Jobseekers are prioritising organisations that offer sabbaticals in work-life blend shift
Head Kandi, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, FUTURE OF WORK, POSITIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE, WORKFORCE WELLBEING, WORKLIFE BALANCE, WORKLIFE BLEND, SABBATICALS,

Jobseekers are prioritising organisations that offer sabbaticals in work-life blend shift

Admin

2024-09-16 20:33

Offering sabbaticals can increase job satisfaction and reduce churn - making them an increasingly attractive option in today's war for talent.

Are shared physical offices really essential for collaborating at work?
Head Kandi, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, FUTURE OF WORK, POSITIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE, COLLABORATION, HYBRID WORK STRATEGY, HYBRID OFFICE,

Are shared physical offices really essential for collaborating at work?

Admin

2024-09-16 20:15

Strong social ties, characterised by frequent communication and mutual trust, enable effective collaboration regardless of physical distance.

FIVE FUTURE OF WORK META-TRENDS YOU NEED TO BE ACROSS – PART 2
Blog, FUTURE OF WORK, 21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP, STRATEGIC FORESIGHT, FORESIGHT FOCUS,

FIVE FUTURE OF WORK META-TRENDS YOU NEED TO BE ACROSS – PART 2

Patrick Lodge

2024-09-16 12:01

The second of our blogs examining five of the ten key meta-trends most likely to reshape work in the mid-2020s and beyond...

Citizens: Why the key to fixing everything is all of us – Jon Alexander and Ariane Conrad, 2022
Reading Room, FUTURE OF WORK, SOCIAL IMPACT, MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCE, MULTIGENERATIONAL DYNAMICS, VITAL SKILLS, SOFT SKILLS,

Citizens: Why the key to fixing everything is all of us – Jon Alexander and Ariane Conrad, 2022

Cathryn Barnard

2024-09-09 12:13

In Citizens, Jon Alexander and Ariane Conrad document the emergence of citizens across the world who are taking action to address pressing societal and...

100 Things We Lost to the Internet – Pamela Paul
Reading Room, FUTURE OF WORK, POSITIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE, INTERNAL COMMUNICATION, ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE,

100 Things We Lost to the Internet – Pamela Paul

Cathryn Barnard

2024-08-21 11:57

For anyone working in the field of communication, team-building and/or organisational culture, this is a treasure trove of reflection, and well worth a read...

Aug. '24: should we think twice before 'replying all' or forwarding those memes?
Sustainability, SUSTAINABILITY, DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, CLIMATE CRISIS, CSR, BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY, PEOPLE PLANET PROFIT, NET ZERO,

Aug. '24: should we think twice before 'replying all' or forwarding those memes?

Patrick Lodge

2024-08-20 19:44

Experts are warning that the proliferation of memes, emails and other digital detritus is having substantial environmental consequences...

Is it 'last orders' for the post-work drink?
Head Kandi, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, FUTURE OF WORK, POSITIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE, INTERGENERATIONAL DYNAMICS, GEN Z,

Is it 'last orders' for the post-work drink?

Admin

2024-08-20 13:35

With four generations in the workplace, socialising with booze might be becoming a thing of the past – but Gen Z isn't to blame.

How Gen Z are lightening the office mood
Head Kandi, FUTURE OF WORK, POSITIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE, INTERGENERATIONAL DYNAMICS, SIDE HUSTLE, GEN Z,

How Gen Z are lightening the office mood

Admin

2024-08-20 13:12

Side hustles seem to be falling out of fashion, so younger people are lightening the office mood...

Has 'wisdom work' become the new 'knowledge work'?
Head Kandi, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, FUTURE OF WORK, POSITIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE, INTERGENERATIONAL DYNAMICS,

Has 'wisdom work' become the new 'knowledge work'?

Admin

2024-08-20 12:58

Organisations that can successfully facilitate the transfer of knowledge and experience from older workers to their younger counterparts stand to gain...

CONQUERING FEAR, CULTIVATING COURAGE: A NEW PARADIGM FOR PROGRESS – LESSONS FROM MARGARET HEFFERNAN
Blog, FUTURE OF WORK, 21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP, STRATEGIC FORESIGHT, FORESIGHT FOCUS,

CONQUERING FEAR, CULTIVATING COURAGE: A NEW PARADIGM FOR PROGRESS – LESSONS FROM MARGARET HEFFERNAN

Dr Naeema Pasha

2024-08-20 12:41

The world of work is increasingly choppy, uncertain and frustrating – and managing it becomes very hard, not least when either we, or others around us, fail...

FIVE FUTURE OF WORK META-TRENDS YOU NEED TO BE ACROSS – PART 1
Blog, FUTURE OF WORK, 21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP, STRATEGIC FORESIGHT, FORESIGHT FOCUS,

FIVE FUTURE OF WORK META-TRENDS YOU NEED TO BE ACROSS – PART 1

Patrick Lodge

2024-08-19 12:23

We’ve identified ten key meta-trends most likely to reshape work in the mid-2020s and beyond. In this post, we’ll examine five of these...

UK’s ‘4 Day Week Campaign’ to widen trial, following success of initial pilot
Head Kandi, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, FUTURE OF WORK, POSITIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE, WORKLIFE BLEND, FOUR-DAY WEEK, FLEXIBLE WORKING,

UK’s ‘4 Day Week Campaign’ to widen trial, following success of initial pilot

Admin

2024-07-11 13:21

The next trial will also look at flexible start and finish times, a nine-day fortnight and compressed hours.