1923 - 2023
In the last century, what progress have we made in the way we work?
A lot has changed in the last hundred years. Could workers in 1923 have envisioned personal computers, iPhones, Zoom, and all other technologies that have drastically improved how we work?
I recall back in the late 90’s, when I got my first job working in a congressional office, how painfully slow the Internet was. We still used faxes for rapid communication. Then in the late 2000’s I got my first iPhone and was amazed that I could browse the Internet and send email on the go. It changed the way I worked; as it did for millions of others around the globe.
But for all the amazing advances technology has provided us, it still hasn’t lived up to the dream back in 1923 that workers in 2023 would have a much more leisurely job. Here’s a newspaper clipping, predicting the impact electricity would have:
And this cartoonist in 1923 predicted electricity would do our work for us:
The 1923 predictions weren’t quite accurate; we’re not yet working 4-hour days, although there is movement towards 4-day work weeks. And while electricity has certainly improved how we work, it doesn’t do the job for us.
In the past, it was mostly those who worked in manual jobs (blue collar) that were most disrupted by new technology. In the new era of work, knowledge workers (white collar) may also see their professions disrupted by technology advances such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Some experts are fretting over the impact AI will have on the workforce. Instead of manual labor being displaced by technology, now it will be highly-educated knowledge workers such as lawyers or journalists who will see technology displace them.
If history has taught us anything, it’s that a lot of the doomsday predictions don’t come to fruition. Likewise, many of the utopian predictions fail to be realized. Reality seems to fall somewhere in between. Yes, some professions disappear due to technological advances. But technology usually creates new jobs as well. It’s the transition period, such as from horse-drawn carriages to cars, that can be painful for those who currently hold the jobs threatened by a new technology.
What do you think work will look like in 2123?
We have the opportunity now to start building the framework for work that is truly fulfilling. Maybe some jobs need to go away. What can we create that helps people share their innate talents and express their purpose, while living a life of abundance?
It may sound like a utopian dream, but as the last 100 years have shown us, we can imagine and create incredible tools that help advance humanity towards more prosperity and connection. It will take highly conscious leaders to guide new technologies towards their highest and best use. Let’s dream big and make it reality!
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
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The way we work and build teams is rapidly changing. Leaders often feel unprepared to navigate the transition. As a conscious leadership coach, consultant and communicator, Meredith helps leaders and their teams create new ways of working and relating so they can prepare for the future by consciously co-creating it.
Contact her to develop your conscious leadership and transform your organization into the workplace of the future.
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