As a team of futurists and experts on the Future of Work, 2020 is ayear we’ve been talking about for quite some time now. And here we are!
I asked some of our team to share their thoughts on 2020 and some reflections on 2019 as we start this new year. Here’s what they had to say…
Dean van Leeuwen
Business transformer,
futurist, author & keynote speaker
The 2020s will be a decade of disruption. We can see these transformative periods in history where forced of progress collide and the world which emerges is never the same. The Ancient Greeks named these periods Kairos — times where leaders who are tuned to change seize opportunity. We are living in Kairos time and there are great opportunities to create a better future for all.
Your biggest learning from 2019?
AI, automation and robotics is coming faster and in many more guises than imagined. Many of the adoptions and impacts of AI are subtle, resulting in the ease with which people now use Alexa. Soon it will be omnipresent.
Advice as we head into the 2020s
Dream big and be bold. There’s never been a better time to make a massive difference and anyone, anywhere in any organisation now has the opportunity to make the world they influence a better place. Don’t get to the end of this decade and look back thinking I wish I’d tried.
Zanele Njapha
Unlearnig Expert
2019 brought exciting advancements like the rise of 5G networks, the growth of server-less computing, increased use of biometrics and 3D printing reaching unparalleled heights. If there could be one key take away from 2019, it’s that the innovation of our times lies in how we begin to re-imagine our very systems, organisational culture and business models.
Trends and technological innovations such as artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual realities are only tools. When these are made use of, to revolutionise the way the business functions and carries out various functions, we begin to see the true value of the technology through systems change.
Now if you thought the 2010s were a decade of accelerated change and unparalleled complexity in scopes such as technological advancement, talent management and enterprise development or even politics, you’re in for a ride. A good ride at that. A bumpy one, but a good one. The advancements and developments that the 2020s are hinting at are even more disruptive and progressive than many of us may be ready for. Whether it’s in your profession and career, your interests or even in your personal life, none are safe from the exciting change in systems we will begin to see. I wish to encourage more than anything that we remember this; advances such as what we see occurring so rapidly today, have always called humanity and organisations to advancement if there is a desire to survive and thrive, and not intended to destroy.
Let’s heed the call to grow agile in our perceptions, leadership and responses. This 2020, think like a futurist, ever mindful of the changes occurring around us. Then act like an entrepreneur, ever ready to solve problems and take advantages of hot-off-the-press opportunities using unprecedented insights and future-fitness.
The long-awaited #2020s are finally here, let’s do this
Keith Coats
Leadership Expert and Director of Storytelling
2020 sounds important and significant due to the numerical synergy and of course that it heralds a brand new decade – and really does make 2000 seems a long time ago! I do believe though that history will judge the 2020’s as a very significant decade – and 2020 is a year that will set much of the tone for the years that follow. Many believe that the decade will be a tipping point for some critical issues at play – from the impact of global climate crisis we face to geopolitical power politics’ – and so 2020 then becomes the ‘first chapter in this playbook’. I believe that at one level 2020 will prove to be ‘more of the same’ when it comes to the prevailing sense of uncertainty, disruption and an ever deepening sense of limited time to effect necessary change. I think we will see continued rapid shifts in traditional societal ‘norms’ across a wide array of subjects – from gender issues to organisation / institutional traditions. The pivotal point on the global stage will be the American election…and on that, I think we might need to brace ourselves for ‘four more years’.
Your biggest learning from 2019
To expect the unexpected; that seeing (and hearing) is no longer believing; learning to live with change and uncertainty is an essential life (and organisational) skill; take nothing for granted; learners will inherent the future.
Advice as we head into the 2020s
Be a learner; be willing to adapt; be curious; be kind.
Caryn Edwards
Accounts Manager
A year and a new decade brings with it inevitable change (we don’t have to like it, but we must make peace with it!). We also know that new opportunities are guaranteed, opportunities to stretch ourselves out of our comfort zones, to grow in areas (both personally and in the workplace) that will require effort and resilience. Why not choose to respond to these changes and opportunities by asking questions like ‘how do I need to adapt in order to stay relevant’, ‘how can I make a positive contribution at home, to the world around me and in my workplace’?
Biggest learning from 2019
Don’t be afraid to experiment (and sometimes fail), because there is untapped potential in all of us and our basic abilities are just the starting point. ‘We need to believe that our learning and intelligence can grow with time and experience through continued effort and persistence’. Mindset (by Carol S. Dweck) is a great read!
Advise as we head into the 2020s
I would love to look back on this decade saying that I’ve had a meaningful impact, that my contribution to my job, my family / friends and those less fortunate than myself has been positive, valued and has made a difference. I’m reminded that the need for continued learning, to be outward-focused, and to persist with trying to be a better version of me is paramount if I want to leave positive footprints.
Graeme Codrington
You can find Graeme’s welcome to 2020 message where he shared some of his thoughts on 2020 in a blog post earlier this week.
Jude Foulston
The nice person at TomorrowToday
Can you believe that we are finally here! Can you also believe that 2050 is as far away as 1990 is… yup, that also blew my mind a little.
But for now we’re in 2020 – it feels big, it feels like we’ve been waiting for this year and it feels like it’s ours to make the most of it and all that it brings. It’s up to us how we embrace it, how we choose to use the technology that is coming our way and most importantly, how we make sure in this world of innovation, technology, AI and computer strength that we lead with our hearts, and be more human than ever before rather than compete with the machines.
Your biggest learning from 2019
2019 felt busy. Too busy. As I reflect on 2019 I realise that in order to keep up with this pace we ironically have to slow down a little. We need to be ok with saying ‘no’ when we need to, we need to use technology to aid us not overwhelm us. We need to be intentional about some tech detox, and we need to make sure our relationships are stronger than ever. For me – I need to be more intentional at modelling these things for our kids (both for their wellbeing and growth and my ‘Mom mental health’.)
Advice as we head into the 2020s
More gratitude. More deep learning. More unlearning. And more putting our learning (and unlearning) into practise! More time off Facebook and more face to face time. More being true to ourselves and being brave enough to bring that person to the workplace, the school parking lot, or the family gatherings. 2020 we’re excited for you and all the opportunities you bring.