Working tomorrow: a future that starts today

Simon L. Dolan*

Professor

President of the Future of Work Foundation

*Business Science Institute faculty member

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A world without borders

We live in an era where traditional benchmarks for work are fading. Location is no longer fixed. Time is no longer linear. Hierarchy is blurring. Work is becoming mobile, modular, and reconfigured on an individual or project team scale. We talk about teleworking, hybrid work, and the gig economy. But ultimately, it is the entire structure of work that is changing.

This world without borders is not only geographical. It is also intellectual. Today, engineers talk to philosophers, designers talk to data scientists. Disciplines intersect. Cultures do too. And challenges can no longer be confined to a single theoretical framework.

Three axes for orientation

In this increasingly complex world, we need a compass. I have proposed an approach that is simple in appearance but rigorous in its application: a three-pronged approach that I call triacale.

The first prong is talent. This is not about innate gifts, but real, specific potential that must be identified and developed. Having talent is not enough. It must be mobilized in the right place, at the right time, with the right people.

The second axis is passion. It is the driving force behind commitment. Without passion, any activity becomes a chore. With it, work can become a vocation. It is the condition for individual sustainability, far beyond performance indicators.

The third pillar is ethics. There can be no sustainable future without responsibility. In a world where artificial intelligence is accelerating content production, humans must remain the guardians of meaning, context, and purpose. Working also means choosing what we refuse to do.

Three forces of transformation

The work of tomorrow will be shaped by three major dynamics.

The first is technological. AI, automation, robotics and augmented reality are rapidly transforming tasks, professions and economic models. This is not a minor detail. It is a revolution in practices, tools and organizations.

The second is global. The globalization of skills and markets is not an abstract idea. It is a daily reality. Today, an individual can create their own job with a simple computer, an idea, and a network. The barrier to entry into the economic world is no longer institutional, but cognitive and relational.

The third is cultural. Innovation has become a requirement. But innovating means accepting uncertainty, trial and error. The line between creation and failure is thin. And it is often this fear of failure that blocks the creative potential of companies.

The risk of burnout

In this context, the main risk is not only the obsolescence of skills, but the wear and tear on individuals. Stress, burnout, and anxiety in the face of uncertainty are no longer marginal issues. They are becoming systemic.

This is a matter of public health, but also of governance. Sustainable performance requires the ability to transform pressure into resilience, and resilience into energy. This requires methods, tools, and support. It also requires greater vigilance regarding the values upheld by organizations.

Training tomorrow's leaders

To address these challenges, the Business Science Institute is launching a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program on the future of work. This DBA is based on a simple idea: to train leaders who are capable of thinking, measuring, and acting.

Each doctoral student will be invited to develop a concept, make it measurable, and propose a method of intervention. This triptych—concept, measurement, methodology—is the key to impactful research. And it is the condition for knowledge to be put at the service of transformation.

A human-centered and human-centric future

Despite technology, algorithms, and platforms, the future of work remains deeply human. It is humans who decide. Humans who create. Humans who connect.

This is not to deny the power of tools, but to reaffirm that their purpose must always be questioned. Organization cannot be an end in itself. It is a means to an end, serving a project, a collective, progress.

What we defend is a vision of work as a space for empowerment. A place where everyone can develop their potential, with respect for themselves, others, and the world.

The future of work will be neither a threat nor a promise. It will be what we decide to make of it.

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Discover Prof. Dolan's lecture at the International Spring Seminar on March 27 & 28, 2025