2023 Future of Work Conference
Athens, Greece — 23 - 26 March 2023
On March 23, 2013, Prof. Dr. Lauren Howe delivered a talk on creating a more human future of work, at the Future of Work Conference convened by Boussias events under the auspices of SEV Hellenic Federation of Enterprises.
What will the future of work look like? When we answer this question, there’s often a tendency to focus on how rapid developments in technology are shaping the world of work, leading to a vision of a future of work dominated by robots, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. But alongside technical disruption, there is also a fundamentally human side to the future of work that, when leaders recognize and embrace it, can help us to reimagine and create a future of work that is better for what matters most: people. By focusing on the human side of the future of work, leaders can work toward building a future of work that we want, rather than one that is created through inertia.
In her talk, Prof. Lauren Howe provided insights into how leaders can leverage human aspects in the future of work, including:
How narratives about the future of work shape whether we pursue a more socioemotional – and thus more gender-inclusive – future of work;
How mindsets about skill development shape our approach and adjustment to the future of work;
How leaders can show their more human sides in ways that spur organizational performance.
In an interactive talk format, participants were prompted to reflect on their own visions of the future and learn about their mindsets about the changing world of work.
Key takeaways:
Our mindsets about aspects of the future of work matter because they shape the future we create;
People’s visions of the future often miss its more socioemotional side – and leaders can play a key role in changing the narrative to acknowledge it and embrace opportunities;
Developing a growth mindset is critical for pursuing a more human-centric future of work;
In a crisis situation, leaders focusing on people helps to offset the economic impact of a crisis;
Leaders who reveal their own imperfections can sometimes be more compelling than those who appear perfect.