The future of Work and the workplace is here it is just distributed. In the Fall of 2013, The Los Angeles Times declared - The concept of an 'untethered' office takes root in an article on real estate brokerage CBRE's staff in downtown L.A. now has no assigned desks or offices, with employees roaming freely, indicating it is an example for other white-collar firms.

The era of “the always-on” workforce is upon us, brought on by mobile technologies. Mobile technologies have created an environment of ubiquitous connectivity, in which employees can be accessible at any time of the day, any day of the week. It is not surprising that survey after survey turns up results that say that more and more employees using mobile devices in their jobs and they regularly checked their devices for messages outside of working hours. The work day is no more an 8 hours a day work day anymore.

It is reported that number of devices in the world today exceed the total number of people on the earth. The number of mobile-connected devices per capita will reach 1.5 by 2020. In the next 5 years the number of connected devise will increase exponentially making use not only of fast, secure Internet connections but various work locations in the workplace and outside the workplace. The ability of the mobile devices has enabled team members to become “untethered” and many work locations – Coworking hubs are emerging in locations locally and globally to support.

In one sense, ubiquitous connectivity - the “untethered mobility” associated with mobile technologies has created an “untethered workforce” who have the opportunity to work with different individuals, groups in different locations and drive synergies that cannot be gained from only working with just their colleagues. The “untethered workforce” is working in a business environment where almost everyone is considered a knowledge worker equipped with the tools they need to work collaboratively, securely and productively.

The new work environment of the digital age requires we collaborate more; we are in meetings more often; coworkers are reaching out for advice. There is collaborative overload in our workplace. Organisations are learning from this environment of collaboration. Office spaces are being designed for Interaction.  The rules of the future of collaboration is not yet written as the tools are changing the way we manage, learn, and get things done.

Collaboration is turning into a value system, a mindset that that determines if a business is successful. This collaboration has turned our team members to cooperators who cooperate together to work. This cooperation between team members lead us to be untethered in the workplace, working from different locations at different time; with different team members and in locations all over the planet; giving rise to the “untethered workforce”.

PSFK Labs released recently the Nomad Class Debrief, a new report which explore the rising class of creative professionals who live, work and play without the traditional constructs of time or place. The summary of the report refers to a global group who are driven by the ability to work from virtually anywhere, and whose lifestyles are already being adopted by the mainstream workplace.

The growing number of “untethered workforce” is increasing every day and taking talent with them. They are taking their talents with them. PWC in their report - Talent mobility: 2020 and beyond indicates: We’re facing a world where the best and brightest talent are prepared to follow their own agenda and opportunities, wherever they may be and irrespective of who is offering them. It’s a world where the strongest and most sustainable supply of talent is in the East, rather than the West, and a world where technology has changed the very way we work”.

The combination of the “untethered mobility” and the “untethered workforce” who work in work environments which are adapting to the rapid advancement of technology and wherein new business models are being introduced and business disruption is the new normal and society has brought forth the emergence of “the untethered workplace” where the way in which people work is undergoing massive change, where mobility and digital sophistication has become a key requirement.

 This “untethered workplace” has taken root:

 In a global environment where, it is reported that, 70% of the companies on the Fortune 1000 list 10 years ago have vanished and in an environment where no business is too big to fail or too small to succeed, where technology and society are growing at a faster pace than organisation and corporation can catch up.

  •  In a business environment where the workplace as we know is broken, where our age old assumptions are no more relevant and the metrics of success are being redefined and where the clarity of words we use to discuss business, standbys like marketplace and competitive advantage, are redefined and rendered almost meaningless requires achieving the digital mindset. McKinsey & Company the global management consulting firm indicates: Digital isn’t merely an add-on; it’s a way to think differently about business models, customer journeys, and organizational agility”.

 Our ever increasing digital, global environment is shaping the world in which we work, but more than that, it is shaping the evolution of business through its influence on the workplace and the organisation itself. In this increasing digital, global environment business leaders are finding new ways to compete in an era of unprecedented digital change. Business leaders have to rethink the business as the type of change is reshaping the relationship between customers and companies, breaking down the walls between industry sectors.

 In this chaotic yet productive business environment where organisations are just learning to adapt, the biggest challenge is to envision, create and deploy “the untethered workplace” where thousands of people know what to do, cooperate to get it done, and experience it as personally fulfilling.

 Is your organisation moving towards the untethered workplace? I love to hear from you.