Efficiency vs. creativity
Human-centered values vs. the machine-like nature of the platform economy
Human sustainability vs. ruthless profit-seeking
Communal responsibility vs. financial responsibility
1. Efficiency vs. creativity
Ojanen and Manner believe that creativity in the workplace will become increasingly important as a soft skill in the future. Efficiency and creativity will need to coexist, making it essential to balance these aspects within organizations.
– “Looking ahead to 2030, the perspective is still relatively short. However, we are already seeing early signs that the work environment is challenging people to be flexible, creative, and multidimensional. The fact is, though, that many people are not yet operating in this way.” Manner states.
If efficiency and productivity dominate an organization, the need for creative work methods will inevitably create tension. It’s worth considering how to allow efficiency and creativity to thrive together in harmony within organizations.
– “One key to fostering creativity alongside efficiency is to enhance the sense of safety that employees feel in the workplace. The most critical skills will increasingly involve people skills: community-building, human-centered soft skills, and creativity. It’s worth reflecting on how much safety is experienced in your workplace concerning creativity: does the use of creative methods cause anxiety, or is it seen as exciting?” Ojanen says.
Another way to embrace creativity alongside efficiency is to shift the focus slightly away from productivity and efficiency-driven themes.
– “It’s clear that continuous efficiency improvement stifles creativity. If an organization aims to make creativity a future cornerstone alongside productivity, it must be willing to experiment with different business models that enable it,” Manner observes.
Studies also show that meta-skills and their importance will be emphasized in the future. The most important meta-skills include continuous learning, a systems perspective, dialogical communication, and the ability to think from multiple perspectives. A key factor enabling human-centeredness and creativity is fostering diversity in experiences and ways of being.
– “It’s clear that continuous efficiency improvement stifles creativity. If an organization aims to make creativity a future cornerstone alongside productivity, it must be willing to experiment with different business models that enable it,” Manner reiterates.
Soft Skills Related to Creativity
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Creative, experimental work methods
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Thinking skills
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Psychological safety
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Problem-solving
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Community-building
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Human-centeredness
2. Human-Centered Values vs. the Machine-Like Nature of the Platform Economy
Traditional work environments are characterized by a drive for extreme efficiency, where people are seen primarily as parts of a machine. In contrast, human-centered values, such as human rights, diversity, humanity, inclusion, and fairness, are gaining importance in the workplace.
Organizations should consider how to live with this tension: how to balance human-centeredness without neglecting the need for productivity.
– “One possibility is to create new organizational models, such as autonomous organizations where people have more collective and individual control over how they work. This also involves facilitation skills, community-building skills, and teamwork skills,” Manner notes.
An important approach is to remember human-centeredness in all activities. It won’t entirely replace previous models, but it will significantly broaden and diversify the functioning of organizations. Manner encourages taking a more human-centered approach, especially in situations where the pursuit of economies of scale can easily undermine values, even with the best intentions.
– “The logic of business is such that if you don’t capitalize on economies of scale, someone else will. It would be good if these advantages were utilized by those with the highest capacity for humanity,” he says.
Soft Skills Related to Human-Centered Values
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Human-centeredness
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Facilitation skills
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Community-building skills
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Communication skills
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Coaching leadership
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Emotional intelligence
3. Human Sustainability and Enviromentally Sustainable Practices vs. Ruthless Profit Seeking
The tension between sustainable practices — both environmentally and socially — and short-sighted, consequence-ignorant profit-seeking is significant.
– “Our planet is undergoing a major transformation that affects all living species, including humans. As living conditions change, we face pressure to adapt. This pressure affects us all differently: some feel anxious, some are indifferent or in denial, and others think shortsightedly, reflecting only on their own lifespan,” Ojanen explains.
Ojanen sees one of the biggest threats to the future of work as the short-term pursuit of efficiency by people and organizations and its impact on the environment.
– “Organizations must make strong, responsible choices and stick to them,” he says. “In the future, organizations will increasingly need to consider how they operate in relation to this tension: is the company’s operation short-sighted or sustainable concerning the environment?” He continues.
Deep emotional and experiential processes related to environmental issues are increasingly present in workplaces: existential anxiety is becoming visible within organizations. It’s worth considering how employees feel about the company’s strategy and products.
– “It’s important to recognize that employees may not want to work for organizations in the future whose operations are not humanely and environmentally sustainable. A key social skill related to this is the courage to challenge and strive to act ethically,” Ojanen says.
Ojanen and Manner also encourage organizations to consider the perspective of human sustainability: how people are treated and viewed as a resource.
– “Human sustainability will become increasingly important in the future. Especially as the labor shortage grows, it will become an even more significant factor. It’s worth considering what is sustainable for individuals and groups within an organization. Humanity will be at the core of operations in the future,” they emphasize.
Soft Skills Related to Sustainability
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A human perspective in all activities
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Ethical thinking at work
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Courage to challenge
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Valuing individuality
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Diversity in experiences and ways of being
4. Communal Responsibility vs. Financial Responsibility
The outlook for society is becoming more tense and contradictory. The more turmoil there is in society, the more these waves will spread, and workplaces will not be entirely sheltered from them.
Ojanen and Manner see that the actions of organizations will become increasingly interconnected with society in the future. It is necessary to consider whether organizations are responsible only for the economy, results, and jobs, or broader social responsibility.
– “In the future, it will certainly be more important to consider how mature and capable organizations are in facing the diversity of reality and the differing views that societal tensions bring up. A key question is how an organization will handle different viewpoints internally,” They reflect.
Ojanen and Manner predict that the diverse perspectives and attitudes of people will create a need to develop the dialogue culture within workplaces in the future. Without a strong culture of dialogue, the opposing views generated by strong differences can begin to affect internal operations.
– “To continue focusing on collaboration peacefully within organizations, it requires conscious leadership and investment. It’s necessary to define which types of discussions belong in the workplace and which do not. Trust and safety within the workplace are also critical in this context.” They state.
Soft Skills Related to Communal Responsibility
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Conflict resolution
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Communication skills
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Community-building skills
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Leadership skills
