Paula Kensington

Futuristic finance leader Paula Kensington, formerly the chief financial officer of office and workspace specialists Regus, says chips are one of three major emerging work trends, which also include 'popcorning' and re-invention.

"We're going to have a divided world, with people split into those who wear chips and those who don't. I think this will happen fairly quickly," she says.

Ethical issues to do with embedding chips into humans notwithstanding, Kensington says people who are chipped will have an advantage in the workplace.

"Flexibility is the new currency in workplaces. If you become a chip-wearing person, you're going to be allowed greater flexibility, because your employer can tell what you're doing," she explains.

Elon Musk is working in this space. Credit:MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ

'Homo cyborgs'

Kensington is far from alone in her view there will very soon be a much closer marriage between people and machines.

"I'm absolutely convinced we are already homo cyborgs," says business futurist Morris Miselowski from Eye on the Future.

"Everyone is already attached to technology. We're uncomfortable if our mobiles are more than a metre away. Many people already have pacemakers, or they may have had surgery like a hip replacement or hearing aids.

"In other words, there is something that is not organic inside their body already. So we already have humans that are not totally organic, but are in fact part machine. Into the future, we will expand on that," he adds.

I'm absolutely convinced we are already homo cyborgs Morris Miselowski

Tesla founder Elon Musk's new business, Neuralinkis, is further evidence the future of work involves a closer connection between humans and machines. The start-up's purpose is to connect the brain with computers.

Aside from our cyborg future, 'workstation popcorn' is another trend that's reshaping how we think about work. This is a philosophy that suggests employees get more done by doing different tasks at different places.

Flexibility key

"We don't want to do everything in the same place because it's too boring, so we go out and find different places to work. For instance last week I sat at a bar, had a nice salad and a glass of mineral water, and did an hour's emails," says Kensington.

"There was noise and chit chat in the background, but I was still able to do my work. Working in different places is fun; we don't need to be in the office the whole time," she adds.

Miselowski agrees the way we work needs to become more flexible. He says the most fundamental change that's likely to happen in the workplace in the near-term is actually a return to the way we worked in the past.

"Over the last 150 years we have worked in the industrial revolution model. We've centralised manufacturing and human resource needs, and pushed out products that were one-size-fits-all. But the way we used to do work is now fracturing," says Miselowski.

Work was physical during the industrial revolution and for decades after. Staff had to be located be at the factory, for instance, to manufacture a car or any other item.

The digitisation of work means this way of working is not valid for everyone anymore. Thanks to laptops and the internet, many workers can do their job pretty much anywhere, any time.

"Many people don't aspire to working nine-to-five, Monday to Friday. We're now much more driven by projects and tasks and timely completion of work, regardless of where or when it's done, as long as it's done appropriately and on time," Miselowski adds.

Leadership role

Kensington says it's poor leadership that prevents businesses from offering more flexible working options for staff. "We have to get over the perception that if you're not seen in the office, you're not doing anything; it's just poor leadership."

She says chipping staff should help support more flexible workplaces because the devices can report back to managers when staff have completed a task, no matter where they are.

In light of the many emerging workplace trends, it will be essential for many workers to reinvent themselves so their skills remain relevant. This involves a shared responsibility between employers and employees.

Businesses need to think strategically about how to upskill their staff for the new world of work. At the same time, employees have a personal responsibility to research which skills they will need in the future and take steps to acquire them.

"This is self-development plus. People will need to reinvent themselves at least every five years," Kensington suggests.

Loading

The message to employers is clear. The workplace is changing at a rapid pace and it's up to small businesses to stay on top of workplace trends and plan for the future.

This will help to ensure their staff and their operations are appropriate for current market conditions. The time to act starts now.