More that fifteen years ago, I set a course for the unknown.

I had a vision, a dream of a fantasy universe for kids and adults alike, where stories were the main source of power. This mythical world looked a lot like ours, except for the fact that folklore and legends were real, and came alive in a variety of incredible, and often terrifying forms.

In my mind, this universe would not launch from just a single medium, but unfold across a transmedia platform, where a global audience could experience the power of stories in myriad different ways.

My brain…

The sun has set, and the cool night air brings a chill to the dark woods — the perfect time for a well-told tale.

Now, every business, in every country, around the globe is being called back to the campfire to craft a new story for how the world will work.

What started out as a pivot to address a global crisis has resulted in a complete shift in the mindset of how we work as human beings. The change is immense, rapid, and already upon us.

BUT WHY SHOULD WE CARE?

Peter Thomson of the Future Work Forum argues…

We never set out to make music for a TV Series, we were after something different.

Our goals were lofty from the start.

In fact, you might have even scoffed, laughed, or dismissed what we were doing as the wasted efforts of a few unheard voices crying in the wilderness. No one would know, and no one would care.

But we went ahead and did it anyway.

What started out as a creative effort to explore the storytelling boundaries of music and art became something quite different, something deeper, richer, and more meaningful than any of us could have imagined.

…

It’s here — 2021. Whether you are aware of it or not, the past year has torn down our “normal, ” destroying and devastating the governments, cultures, and modes of operation we’ve been used to for decades.

Now, we are left with instability, distrust, and a deep foreboding of what might come next.

So, what is next?

That is the one question filled with both the crippling fear and the unshakeable hope that humanity will rise, driven by its better nature, or succumb to its darker, self-centered, destructive tendencies.

You’ve seen vestiges of it already, and more will come, I…

Get ready for 2021, where the rate of cultural change will be matched only by the speed at which organizations want to get things done.

As far as the global workforce is concerned, 2021 will be about building new roads to unfamiliar places versus sitting still, establishing kingdoms, and fortifying the corporate battlements.

But at What Price?

This compelling shift comes from a major cultural trend that signifies the transformation of the modern workforce into a hyper, performance-driven environment.

In their recent book, “Changing Organizational Culture,” Alvesson and Sveningsson address our changing times, noting:

“In a turbulent and changing world…

Winston Churchill once said, “Personally, I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught”. This is how many people see education, learning and personal development. That’s because most training approaches haven’t evolved that much since Churchill was caught yawning in the back of a classroom.

As a professional storyteller and learning expert, I have always been fascinated with the overlap between entertainment, storytelling, and meaningful learning. …