As I gaze upon my crystal globe, what I see for 2013 is...
After a quarter of a century (or more) in the work force, I see clearly that there is a melding between work and life: we will hear less about work life balance as we realize that we only have one life). The definition of work is changing, life is becoming about the clarity of purpose.
The notion of "noble purpose" is becoming central to what we do. People will have top of mind the fundamental human question: "Why have I been put on the planet?" People will question more and more why they do what they do every day. Individuals will continue to review what is important to them and where they spend their time – and there will be a number of aspects to this.
Real Happiness. At the most basic human core is our search for happiness – and it will be central in our pursuit of purpose. I’m in the business of "good times" (RedBalloon will deliver its 2 millionth experience voucher in 2013), so I may have an unconscious bias in believing that more people are pursuing happiness on their journey to find meaning in what they do. But a happiness revolution has begun. We believe everyone deserves to have fun, feel good and be happy. We believe happiness starts with a drop, becomes a ripple and creates a wave. And we believe happiness is amplified when shared. Happy will be central to 2013.
Vivid Stories. As we search for meaning and worth, we will be engaged by vivid and real stories of human endeavour. We will be inspired to our own greatness through the power ofvivid storytelling. As we pursue the greater good, people are moving away from “stuff”. They want shared experiences, to create happy memories and to pass these memories on through storytelling. One of the keys to happiness is being able to relive and retell tales of experience. The power of language and storytelling are integral to the ‘doubling’ of the joy experienced.
Bite Size Learning. To discover what we want from life – and our place in it – we will continue to consume information at a greater speed than ever before in the history of the planet. People are reading and absorbing content on the run, contributing and listening to the conversation across multiple platforms and technologies. They’re liking, sharing, posting, commenting, tweeting and retweeting – never before have our conversations had such far-reaching impact, or the capacity to reach so many people and attract so many different voices. So we have a responsibility to get to the point, do it in an entertaining way, and encourage this sharing. I’ve found “list articles” a great way to grab peoples’ attention and inspire dialogue – Three things young women in business need to know, Five reasons why a coupon is not a gift., Eight reasons to celebrate work – and you can expect more of these in 2013.
Teamwork. We are all in this together – whatever "in this" means – whether it is community issues, tough times for business, family challenges. There will be a big focus on leadership, values and teamwork. As people begin to work for a living rather than live for work, they will ask the question over and over, "is this good for those people around me?" There will be a greater sense of connection and an emotional maturity will emerge where people learn to ask for help – and share the journey with others.
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