Welcome to the year 2017! As with any New Year, new trends begin to develop, which may lead the way to an entirely new workplace era. And with the ever-changing and ever-growing technology within the workplace along with the appearance of a whole new generational workforce, 2017 is shaping up to be an exciting year that is sure to bring an entirely different view of the workplace that many are accustomed to.
Millennials are the largest generational sector of the workforce, which has begun to push managers to alter their way of leadership to fit an entirely different generation that they have not become accustomed to working with on a full-time basis.
One change that may be more prevalent with the new the calendar year is the appearance of more casual dress in a professional workplace setting. Professional dress will not be as highly regarded as it was in the past, while the traditional workplace setting (i.e. desk, computer, chair) will become less “traditional.” Many companies will begin to adopt natural workplace settings and will transition into a relaxed and “zen” environment, which will start to take the front seat as the year’s pass.
As with anything, change may lead to some generational conflicts especially regarding decision-making and the methods by which projects are completed. However, the outcome of the projects will be stronger and more beneficial to the company because of a push that will be brought on by managers for employee cohesion. Ultimately, this will result in a heightened regard for data visualization and finalized group presentations.
Managers and employees alike will continue to emphasize their use of technology. And since technology will continue to gain traction in the workplace, it is important that managers implement a system that will allow technology to improve their company rather than hinder it.
So while we can’t predict the outcome of 2017 or what the year will eventually shape into, we foresee that the 2017 workplace will move much faster and be much more exciting than in previous years.