The Bleeding Edge of Organizations

Work in the 21st century: global, remote, and self-managing

Through COVID the world experienced a shift to a digital model of operation. Remote work and education became the norm. Business trips made way for video conferences, homes became offices, parents and children met at home during work hours, workers realized a significant part of their time was spent on the road. With their newly gained freedoms, some opted to work late into the nights or have breakfast with their families before starting their days. Individuals started to experience self-management. They gained control of their time.

This is just a taste of a brand new model for organizing human efforts. The classical model of 9-to-5 is no more. In its place is a new model that values personal freedom.

• Global: Participants can be from anywhere in the world

• Remote: Interactions happen through digital communications

• Self-managing: Participants take an active role in deciding what to do

Today, blockchains and smart contract technologies enable individuals to participate in global networks, trade assets without middlemen, and take action towards common goals. We are at the beginning of a global shift and decentralized communities are the pioneers.

These communities remove the need to start businesses to solve problems while allowing greater autonomy for individual participants. Each participant’s value is based on their own skills and abilities. Each interaction is peer to peer. The qualities of this model of operation are:

• Individual leadership: Participants can take on initiative, each can lead in collective efforts

• Asynchronous: Participants work on their own time, without constant interaction with others

• Voluntary participation: No mandatory 9/5. Participants define their own role, commitment, responsibilities. They take on as much as they please.

• Dynamic, evolving, changing: New information requires quick adaptation. New roles need to be filled. Individuals redirect their efforts as they find new opportunities. Change is inherent, fueled by technological advancements.

This model grants individuals more power and freedom to shape their lives. Individuals are free to select where and how they work, so they can work from anywhere in the world. They can take on as much or as little work as they please, to fit their life. They can fit the time to learn about new fields, adapt their work to the needs of the time and keep redefining what they do, what value they can provide to society.