About IFTF’s Workable Futures Initiative

The way we work is changing forever.

A host of technologies—from automation to digital platforms for coordination of tasks—are reinventing not just what people do to earn a living but at a much deeper level how we organize to create value. The landscape of labor economics is in upheaval.

Solutions won’t come from any one agency, discipline, or company. It will take collaboration, broad public engagement, smart policy, and an openness to reinventing old economic models. The IFTF Workable Futures Initiative is a call-to-action for policymakers, platform developers, corporate strategists, activists, and workers of all kinds to join us in blueprinting positive platforms for the future of work. The time is now to grapple with the challenges ahead, develop sustainable solutions, and create a future of work that is workable for everyone.

Our Approach

The Workable Futures Initiative takes a four-tiered approach:

1. On-the-ground research with today’s designers and users of new work platforms
2. A reformulation of labor economics for a world of algorithmic platforms
3. Prototyping of positive platforms to support a healthy labor economy
4. Broad public engagement to build awareness of the choices we face as individuals, households, organizations, and public institutions

What to Expect

• Whitepapers and reports for policymakers, organizational strategists, and platform developers
• Convenings of platform developers, policymakers, and worker advocates to identify design requirements for positive platforms
• Civic events to engage a broad range of stakeholders in prototyping positive platforms
• A public awareness campaign, using videos, interactive toolkits, crowd forecasting events, and social media

Why Institute for the Future?

IFTF is a recognized thought leader on the future of work, and Fast Company magazine named Institute for the future one of the five most innovative nonprofits developing responses to the changing world of work. We have tracked the intersection of technologies and work for decades, starting with the first studies of the uses of Arpanet (the predecessor of the Internet), and more recently, looking at impacts of collaboration technologies, new organizational forms, and changing workforce skills. We will build on our ongoing research to create a comprehensive and actionable set of tools to help organizations succeed in the rapidly changing world of work.

Learn more about IFTF »