Donna Flagg

The Trends of 2007 To Be Continued in 2008

The more significant trends of 2007 are likely to continue impacting businesses in 2008. Aside from the usual buzz created each year by the “next” management guru, and the new set of laws which will likely result to curtail the greedy whims of the “next” crooked CEO, there are other, more far reaching issues going on societally that extend into the workplace; and not only do they shape the way work gets done, but they also affect the way we live our lives.

For example, the war overseas has created new organizational challenges as disabled veterans come home from Afghanistan and Iraq. They need jobs and companies need candidates, but industry as a whole is not sufficiently prepared nor is it equipped to accommodate them physically, mentally or emotionally. In general, I suspect we will see more focus on accommodating the needs of people with disabilities as much as we will see new products and services enter the marketplace to address their presence among the broader population.

Then we have the global environmental issues that are causing individuals and companies alike to “go green.” The movement itself is ostensibly creating a whole new threat to traditional businesses the same way the internet changed the way we shopped. As it picks up momentum and people opt for green products and services and prefer to affiliate themselves with the organizations that show environmental sensitivity, those who do not may very well feel the squeeze. If it does play out the way the World Wide Web did, we will no doubt see a migration away from old-school mindsets and instead toward all things “new (green) and improved.” 

And lastly, we have the influx of young workers into the workforce that continues to reshape business needs and place new demands on companies as they try to keep up. Gen X and Y specifically, bring a completely new and different work mentality to work. Companies will continue to be challenged by the communication gap brought about by text messaging, virtual worlds, social networking sites and downloadable entertainment.

The moral of the story? Things are changing – a lot. And like all things evolutionary, those who avoid inevitable movements forward, will most likely be the ones who become obsolete. 

Posted by Donna Flagg on December 26, 2007 | Comments (0)