In this post I want to showcase two trends I see impacting how people work
Changing Nature of Role Models
Earlier the examples of success that were celebrated were the usual suspects, business leaders and political figures – however there is a growing realization by the popular media that successful people are from all spheres – and working not just for money or fame but other factors too – acts as a great motivator to people who are looking at different careers.
First of all they act as trigger for entrepreneurial ambitions, about how middle class salaried individuals can actually get ahead by creating their own enterprises. For example the Infosys and Mindtree founders have been an inspiration for lots of software engineers (and even others) to try and be the masters of their own destiny.
The examples of other people like SKS Microfinance founder Vikram Akula being featured in Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in the world , or the example of Janaagraha co-founder Ramesh Ramanathan who left an MNC career to help co-found an institution that encourages citizenship has also triggered professionals to look at other careers.
Changing Support Systems
With the rise of virtual communities (social networks) – and the ability to find a group of enthusiasts about any obscure interest – people find appreciation and feedback and mentors across the world. Continuing the photography example – communities on Flickr – the photosharing site have helped the aforementioned amateur photographer to learn from better people and also to discover similar enthusiasts in their own locations.
Writing used to be a lonely activity – however a recent public novel writing contest on the microblogging site Twitter helped established and aspiring writers be motivated enough to be focused on completing their novels – with an explicit goal of getting it published soon.
Such support systems and the approval they provide are often more real than the perceived lack of enthusiasm of immediate family and friends who really can not understand the context of why someone is excited by photography or writing a novel and not their regular job.
What are the other big trends you see changing how people look at work?
Technorati Tags: work, future, role models, virtual communities
Changing Nature of Role Models
Earlier the examples of success that were celebrated were the usual suspects, business leaders and political figures – however there is a growing realization by the popular media that successful people are from all spheres – and working not just for money or fame but other factors too – acts as a great motivator to people who are looking at different careers.
First of all they act as trigger for entrepreneurial ambitions, about how middle class salaried individuals can actually get ahead by creating their own enterprises. For example the Infosys and Mindtree founders have been an inspiration for lots of software engineers (and even others) to try and be the masters of their own destiny.
The examples of other people like SKS Microfinance founder Vikram Akula being featured in Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in the world , or the example of Janaagraha co-founder Ramesh Ramanathan who left an MNC career to help co-found an institution that encourages citizenship has also triggered professionals to look at other careers.
Changing Support Systems
With the rise of virtual communities (social networks) – and the ability to find a group of enthusiasts about any obscure interest – people find appreciation and feedback and mentors across the world. Continuing the photography example – communities on Flickr – the photosharing site have helped the aforementioned amateur photographer to learn from better people and also to discover similar enthusiasts in their own locations.
Writing used to be a lonely activity – however a recent public novel writing contest on the microblogging site Twitter helped established and aspiring writers be motivated enough to be focused on completing their novels – with an explicit goal of getting it published soon.
Such support systems and the approval they provide are often more real than the perceived lack of enthusiasm of immediate family and friends who really can not understand the context of why someone is excited by photography or writing a novel and not their regular job.
What are the other big trends you see changing how people look at work?
Technorati Tags: work, future, role models, virtual communities
