Why we need to make it human

The year is 2045. Ryan is gently woken by the implant in his wrist as his body monitoring system indicates this is the optimal moment to break his sleep cycle. Ryan puts on his VR glasses and checks-in with his health app and, on auto pilot, confirms the request to issue his first (of five) nutrient boosts. He lies back, and briefly enjoys the cooling, calming feeling as the nutrients are absorbed into his blood stream. Appearing in front of his eyes, he sees the plan for his day scroll by, and reminders of tasks to get done are tagged. Ryan yawns, and heads to the exercise pod in his house. First activity, a power workout (scientists have, at last, found the optimal way of burning calories in the minimal time involving a combination of all-body vibrations and a carefully programmed schedule of weight training) and then, breakfast.

Ryan is an Account Manager in an online skills development company and works from home. ?He likes his job to an extent: he’s worked out how to effectively manage the workload and make use of his avatar and AI tools, to get things done as quickly as possible. The rest of the time he spends connected to various forms of immersive technology – virtual games of tennis with friends, augmented coffee hangouts, and exotic dining experiences enabled through VR and drone delivery services – all without having to set-foot outside the house.

The benefits are big in terms of reducing time spent travelling and carbon footprint as well as flexibility.

However, Ryan rarely sees anyone in person. He’s only met a couple of people he works with in real-life. The data collected through various devices suggest he’s healthy. He gets a good amount of sleep, exercises daily, and is rarely stressed. But is he happy? And is this a meaningful existence?

What do we need to thrive?

I believe this reality would be a significant step backwards for us, as humankind, because it fails to nurture what we need to thrive.

Today, across organisations around the world, feelings of happiness are declining . More than 80% of people are at risk of burning out (Mercer Global talent Trends, 2024 ).? Organisations are struggling to find ways to sustain performance, and even survive, as economic and political pressures mount.

The future I outline certainly embraces the rapidly advancing tech capabilities in our grasp, it suggests we can continue to get better and faster at getting stuff done. However, the huge void of human connection, meaningful work, developing ideas, feeling valued and part of something, isn’t solved for.

We are hurtling towards this reality… Technology is taking over our lives. Concerned discussions are emerging about the impact of screen time on our children . Debates are still raging between leaders and teams over the fundamentals of work: where it is, what it is, for how long. Research from Gartner shows mistrust between employers and employees is growing . We’re pulling in different directions, and amongst it all, executive leaders are choosing to step down (because the workload is too much); Managers are spinning so many plates they have one of the highest burnout rates ; and individuals are struggling to build relationships with colleagues. People are lonely and searching for something with real meaning.

The pearls of advice shared by those who have lived long lives are always focused on three things:

1. Doing things that feel purposeful
2. Spending time with and appreciating other people
3. Learning and growing – our skills, emotions, and impact

This is what we need to shape in our experiences of work for us and for generations to come. A purposeful focus on creating the conditions we need as humans to thrive, powered by a shift towards a more human era in leadership and management, will enable us to cultivate climates for human growth. This is the priority for us today.

When people feel safe, valued, part of something, and able to grow, they work harder, collaborate better, and collectively, we can innovate and achieve durable results for people and businesses.

If we don’t make it human, who will?

Time to get the cogs turning in a world where people and business thrive.

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This is a vision I feel passionate about shaping. As a work psychologist, leader, wife, friend, and Mum, I am on a mission to help steer us towards something happier, healthier and more fulfilling. I have articulated this vision in my book ‘Make It Human’ which will be released on 27th June 2024.

Join the Virtual Book Launch on 18th June to hear a sneak preview of the key messages and models under-pinning the book and receive an exclusive discount code to purchase your own copy.

Register here:

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/a2a46031-76ec-4cbf-8985-5d00325af9d7@f73628af-4e0a-4717-9432-204c684dfadc

Together, let's make it human.