Future of Work Module 5 "Individual future fitness"

Dimensions of individual future fitness

Dimensions of individual future fitness

1. Future orientation

2. Exploration

3. Exploitation

Definition of future orientation of an individual

An individual's thoughts, plans, motivations,

hopes, and feelings about her future

Dimensions of individual future orientation

1. Attitudinal: extent to which a person prefers long term goals

2. Cognitive: extent to which an individual thinks about the future

3. Motivational: extent to which individuals formulate plans to achieve long term goals for the future

Antecedents and outcomes of future orientation

Antecedents:

Age (older people are more future oriented)

Education

Procrastination (negative effect)

Likelihood of future success (people who are curious about the future)

Outcomes:

Belief in a just world (future orientation avoids people from living without thinking in a future ahead)

Intolerance for uncertainty (future orientation increases this) (people who have a good idea about future developments become more intolerant for uncertainty)

Definition of exploitation of an individual

Refers to behaviors that decrease the variability of an individual’s actions

Which are the dimensions of exploitation of an individual ?

1. Efficient management of own daily business

2. Well structured working methods

Definition of exploration of an individual

behaviors related to experimentation, searching for alternative ways to accomplish a task, and learning from errors

Dimensions of exploration of an individual

1. Deviation from routines

2. trying out new things

3. Questioning established knowledge

Interplay between exploitation and exploration

Study on the interplay between exploitation and exploration and its effect on the individual innovation performance. Results show that

1. People who score generally high on exploration as compared with exploitation tend to be higher on innovation performance

2. ambidexterity is the best way for individuals to become higher in innovative performance behavior

How to assess individual future fitness?

Filling up a questionnaire, to measure the 3 dimensions ( future orientation, exploration and exploitation) transfer results into the evaluation triangle, cover your individual strengths and development potential

How works the evaluation scheme on the individual future fitness?

Less than 70% (LOW) action needed to improve this dimension urgently

Between 70% and 80% (MEDIUM) action to improve this dimension in some areas

More than 80% (HIGH) no measures needed, but you should invest in maintaining the high level.

Where does the organizational future fitness start?

It start with its employees and leaders and their future fitness

Individual Future orientation depends on…

Individual demographics and traits

Which are the 6 types of future fitness?

1. Future-oriented

2. Future nomads

3. Operatives

4. Players

5. Jugglers

6. Visionaries

Describe de future oriented type of future fitness

• follow the latest trends, are fascinated by technology.

• have a deep understanding of technology and networked thinking.

• combine old and new methods and trends from different areas.

• manage to be both curious about new things and efficient in daily business.

Typical roles: middle management, project manager

they score high in all dimensions

Describe de future nomads type of future fitness

• see little benefit in new working methods

• pay little attention to future issues

• stick to old methods, reluctant to explore with new technologies

• act passively and take little initiative in operational business

• can handle minor inconsistencies with difficulty

Typical roles: all areas and functions

opposite of future oriented

Describe the operatives type of future fitness

• focus on the daily business and the "working

off" of tasks

• cannot pay attention to new concepts because they are busy with their daily business

• have few capabilities for implementing new

concepts and working methods.

Clear focus on important details and reliability is their strength

Cons is that they are reluctant to change

Typical roles: accountant, administrative, audit

high score exploitation, low exploration and future orientation

Describe the players type of future fitness

• are curious and need permanent input (high tendency to boredom)

• are among the first trying out new working concepts or technologies.

• are very enthusiastic and also infect others with it

• question existing working methods and processes

• are well networked to be up to date on new

Typical roles: inspirer, change manager, start ups

highly eager to innovate, risk takers

Describe the jugglers type of future fitness

• are "doers" and have well-established processes

• are open to new working methods

• are able to stimulate the daily business with

new ideas.

Typical roles: engineer, architect, project managers

Describe the visionaries type of future fitness

• follow the latest trends.

• are fascinated by technology.

• think "two steps ahead" than others.

• think outside the box.

• consider daily processes to be secondary or annoying.

Typical roles: CEO’s, strategy consultants

high future orientation,

What is the recommendation for companies to implement future fitness types?

A company needs variety in their team composition, operatives to run daily business, jugglers or players to come with innovations, and they need visionaries.

We need different types of workers that need to be matched

Which are the 9 important antecedents or drivers of individual future fitness

1. Leadership: extent to which a leader can motivate employees to deal with future challenges successfully.

2. People management: includes activities from HR ( recruiting, development and benefits and compensation)

3. Workspace design: future oriented workspace design

4. Social Technology:

5. Strategy: extent to which a company is future oriented, tries out new things and is able to ^^manage the daily business efficiently

6. Mobile life integration:

7. Culture:

8. Organization design

9. Digital readiness: extent to which a person is able to deal successfully with technologies during daily work

4 important drivers for individual future fitness

1. Social technologies: source for social networking and information about current and future developments

2. Work-life balance: helps employees to get a free mind for future developments

3. Digital readiness: increases employees’ openness to explore new technologies

4. Organizational culture: is a visible symbol that \n future orientation is an important strategic objective

Why is Social technology important for the individual future fitness?

For social networking and source for information about current and future trends!

Meetings efficiency increased after covid thanks to social technology (teams, zoom, skype)

Why is mobile life balance important for individual future fitness?

Extent to which a person can handle work and private life successfully and manage boundaries between them.

Pros and cons of mobile life balance

Pros:

• High flexibility regarding work time and job location

• Job design in accordance with own preferences

• Improvements in life balance and decreases work-life conflicts

Cons:

• Missing recovery phases (people are always available)

• Difficulty to detach from work

• High exhaustion and negative health outcomes

What means digital readiness on individual future fitness?

extent to which employees are able to use digital technologies or social communication properly, in a way that the digital components increase their productivity

Effects of digital components on individual future fitness

1. Affect form of working (crowd-working and freelancer)

2. affect work organization (agile - scrum), working and structuring time

3. Support participation in companies (democratic company supported by tech

4. Automatization (can help on the performing of tasks digitally)

5. Work environment can be affected by digital technologies ( no permarnent offices or HO)

6. Social environment (iCEO who directs everything from HO and virtual teams)

Why is organizational culture important for an individual future fitness?

Consider

1.- Artefacts (visible symbols like a building or work spaces) (high visible therefore the most successful driver)

2.-Behaviors (organizational members behaviors, focus on future developments and express openness towards innovation. )

3.-Norms (expectations towards expressed behaviors or activities by the organizational members )

4.-Values (shared things members of a company consider important for ex: appreciation for future orientation) (least visible component)

Which are the organizational motivators needed for the implementation of future-oriented organizational culture ?

1. anticipation of future developments

2. excitement of employees for future topics

3. exploration of new forms of working (curiosity at merck)

4. initiation of future dialogues

5. implementation of cultural change (in direction of openness to innovation)

6. employee development

This motivators lead to an increase future fitness that leads to innovativeness and performance