Is the future of work about a great life work balance? Or is it DOA? Or DAO?

Posted June 15, 2022

Written by Dan Sodergren AND Patrick Wetzels

Really interesting this week to be away on an attempt to balance life and not burn out from working too hard. But also working remote reporting on events for Huawei. And how their new innovations might change the future of work. And to be away researching remote work in Madeira. With a view to seeing how company retreats mixed with health and well being activities. Might be part of the future of work. And how technologies like Your FLOCK — our team engagement platform. Might be able to help hybrid companies make the most of such moments.

Researching remote work. Remotely.

Today, I am off to investigate Madeira’s remote working scene. So today, your newsletter is in collaboration with a friend. After I was inspired by an article I read last month all about what this tiny island is doing. So I am off to the John Do Passos centre. As this is the new home for remote working.

Situated on the south coast of the island. The especially designed nomad village. Offers remote workers a free working space with a desk and chair at the John do Passos Cultural Centre. Access to a Slack community and free wifi from 8 am to 10 pm daily.

The project has been developed by the Regional Government of Madeira, through Startup Madeira.

And with the help of a digital nomad consultant. It aims to attract digital nomads from all over the world.

Me being one of them.

The village is designed to be a one-stop shop to help aspiring nomads settle — at least for a few months — on the island. Since it opened 4,670 nomads have arrived on Madeira. And Porto Santo, the neighbouring island, according to the local government. But what about the technology needed to make it happen?

Well knowing how important this would be the founders

“partnered with NOS. A local communications company, to pump in the internet. At a download speed of 500 megabits per second, with indoor and outdoor routers.”

So this looks like the place for me for Saturday. Meanwhile, something else is happening. As friend of Your FLOCK Patrick Wetzels takes over from here.

Patrick Wetzels is someone with some amazing ideas. He is a finance Professional. An Entrepreneur. A Blockchain & AI enthusiast. A Startup supporter and a firm believer in people. He is also a Podcast presenter of ‘The Curioddity Show’ which is how I met him. And has some great ideas on the future of work.

So much so I am allowing him to showcase one here in more detail… Enjoy.

So it’s DOA not DOA.

The Future of work: Democratisation in the workplace

It is probably no news when I say that the workplace is reforming. And that worker empowerment and inclusion are hot topics for organisations at the moment. But how does that work and how do we ensure that everyone gets a say? And if we democratise the workplace, will that lead to more empowerment and inclusion…?

DAO’s are set to be a key game changer.

A Decentralised Autonomous Organization (DAO) is a team with a treasury organised around a shared purpose. Members self-organise through a shared set of rules. Enforced by a blockchain which uses governance tokens to vote on key decisions.

Currently, most employees are returning to companies in offices which limit mobility and freedom. DAO contributors however, might contribute several hours a week to several DAOs, are expected to work remotely, connect in virtual social spaces. And get together in real life in inspiring settings. (Ed — Dan — which is where I am off to now…)

DAOs are a space of autonomy, mastery, and purpose. They create engagement. And this is exactly what knowledge workers need. And firms who embrace mobility-enhancing positions will likely find it a lot easier to win the battle for Millennial and, in particular, Gen-Z talent.

Parkey McCurley (CEO of Decent Labs):

‘Workers can govern themselves as stakeholders rather than employees. DAO members access their organization’s funds based on transparent smart contracts instead of relying on the decisions CEOs and CFOs make behind closed doors. When changes to the DAO are necessary, member votes are counted, and changes are implemented through algorithms on the blockchain, not human intermediaries.’

It’s all about Engagement.

According to Gallup’s ‘States of the Global Workplace’ report 85% of today’s global workforce is disengaged at work. DAOs can help as they grant people an opportunity to pick companies and projects whose mission and vision reverberate with them. Connect them with similar-minded members. And give them access to assignments that align with their core beliefs and strengths.

As DAOs not only don’t care where you work, they also don’t care when you work or what you look like while you’re working. In fact, many contributors are recognised only by their NFT profile pics. Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph said on the Future Squared podcast that

“in a place where you’re evaluated solely on the quality of your work, no one really cares about your appearance.”

DAOs may be the answer to the modern workers’ disaffection with today’s outdated workplace structures. Still, creators must design them to be as inclusive, democratic and community-governed as possible to avoid repeating the same corporate pitfalls

Conclusion…

DAOs put people first, foster communities, and empower individuals to do bigger, better, and more equitable work. Than conventional corporate environments allow.

Whatever your background, nothing prevents you from joining, working toward your purpose, and earning money. DAOs are agnostic to:

gender,
age,
ethnicity,
social status,
religion,
or sex,

They kick out office politics. Reduce work-life conflicts. Manage excessive workloads and tackle lack of autonomy. And welcome and encourage anonymity to foster inclusion and diversity.