What's in Your Future?

    未來是什么樣子

    I've been pondering the future since my dad took me to visit the World Future Society headquarters in Bethesda, Md., when I was 10 years old. And now that I'm a career writer, it's my job to think about what the workplace will look like -- and what it will demand from us -- in 2025.

    我10歲的時候，父親帶我去馬里蘭州Bethesda看"世界未來學會"（World Future Society）的總部；從此以后，我就一直對未來進行思考。現在，我是一個職場專欄作家，我的工作就是思考2025年的職場將會變成什么樣子，將對我們提出怎樣的要求。

    You may not be concerned with surviving beyond the current recession, but you should be. Reinvention isn't just for people who are unhappy in their current jobs. In order to have long-term, successful careers, we all must rethink how we'll stay marketable in the future work force.

    你可能并不擔心度過眼下經濟衰退后的日子，但其實應該關心一下。重新定位并不只適用于對那些對工作不滿意的人；為了讓職業生涯獲得長期成功，我們必須重新思考如何在未來的勞動力大軍中保持競爭力。

    The twin challenges that face a majority of 21st-century workers are outsourcing and automation. "If they can put your job into a manual, they will, and if your job can be done by someone cheaper in a less expensive locale, it will go away," says Seth Godin, the author of "Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us."

    21世紀的絕大多數勞動者面臨著雙重挑戰：外包和自動化。"如果他們能把你的工作寫成操作手冊，他們一定會的；如果你的工作能被一個低成本勞動力市場的勞動者完成，那工作就會離你而去。"《部落：一呼百應的力量》（"Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us"）一書的作者賽斯？高汀（Seth Godin）這樣說道。

    Close to the Customer

    貼近顧客

    The essential worker of the future will have one-on-one relationships with customers that keep them coming back.

    未來的成功勞動者將與顧客建立一對一的關系，讓他們成為自己的回頭客。

    Mr. Godin relates the story of a local supermarket manager who was transferred and then subsequently reinstated because of a customer petition. "The people who look at every interaction as an opportunity to add value and solve problems will be the most sought-after employees in 2025," he says.

    高汀講到一個故事：有家超市的經理被調到其他崗位工作，但隨后又被調回來了，因為顧客們寫了一份請愿書，希望他能回來。"那些利用每一個與顧客溝通的機會為他們提供附加值和解決問題的人，將是2025年企業最希望擁有的員工。" 高汀說道。

    Self-discipline and internal motivation will also be critical success factors, for the traditional office environment may largely disappear by 2025.

    自律和自我激勵也是重要的成功因素，因為傳統的辦公環境有可能在2025年基本消失。

    Many will work remotely for a variety of organizations, and hours will depend on the geography of the team with which you're collaborating. Although technology will be available to track what you're working on and when, you'll need to be productive without the boss looking over your shoulder.

    許多人將為各種組織遠程辦公，工作時間將取決于與之合作的團隊所處的地理位置。雖然科技手段可以跟蹤你的工作內容和具體時間，但你應該具備在沒有老板監督的情況下高效完成任務的能力。

    Another requirement is comfort with rapid change and initiatives that move at the speed of the Internet. Future workers will learn a wide array of skills from strategic planning and hiring to computer programming and design and will be expected to constantly upgrade those skills. Employees of all ages and levels will contribute creative thinking and operational excellence to projects. Gatekeepers and paper pushers will no longer exist.

    另一個要求是適應快速的變化以及互聯網溝通速度下的項目規劃。未來的勞動者將要學會很多種技能，從戰略規劃到員工招聘，從電腦編程到產品設計，并要不斷更新自己的技能。各年齡段和各層級的員工都要在項目實施過程中獻計獻策，并取得卓越成績。監督員和文書處理人員將不復存在。

    Prepare for the Years Ahead

    做好準備

    If you're sitting in a cube, doing your work the way you've always done it, how can you prepare to have a viable career in 2025? In addition to honing your technical knowledge and functional expertise in areas like customer service, you should brainstorm ways to position yourself well in the future marketplace -- before you have to.

    如果你坐在一個辦公室的格子間里，日復一日地用同樣的方式處理自己的工作，那怎么能在2025年成為一個有競爭力的勞動者？你不但要在客戶服務等領域不斷提高技術知識和專業水平，還要積極尋找各種方式讓自己在未來的勞動力市場中站穩腳跟--一定要未雨綢繆。

    "Instead of blindly doing what you're told, get in the habit of taking action that invites people to pay attention," says Mr. Godin. "Make changes to the organization that will benefit the customer, and you'll be the go-to person today and tomorrow."

    "你不能盲目去做別人交代的事，而是要養成一種主動讓別人來關注你的行為習慣。" 高汀說，"促成組織實現一些有利于顧客的變革，你就將成為現在和未來的職場達人。"

    For the under-40 set, a leadership-development course or two will be helpful, too. Starting in this decade, the baby boomers' retirement will leave a gaping hole in the executive ranks, and there will be opportunities for members of Generations X and Y to take on greater responsibilities.

    對不到40歲的人來說，參加一兩個領導力培養課程也會有一定的作用。從最近這個十年開始，嬰兒潮一代先后退休，將在高管層留下不少空缺，這為下一代的勞動者提供了很好的職業晉升機會。