By Lisa Taylor

If representatives from around the world came together to reimagine the Future of Work, what would they discuss? How would trends that dominate the thinking in one part of the world be received by others? Is technological advancement a prerequisite or impediment to creative approaches that maximize human potential? Is Canada a leader, a follower, or an outlier in terms of work, education, career, and vocation?

I’m currently in Norway attending the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy Symposium. While here, I’m meeting with the delegations from the other 33 countries and spending time learning how their countries, economies, and institutions are shaping the Future of Work.

I’ve brought with me questions and perspectives from the Challenge Factory community. We’ve been asking what you would want me to tell global representatives about you, your organization or work in Canada. Here is some of what you said:

I’ve taken these and the other questions with me and will report back over the summer.

The Symposium is taking place high in the Arctic, the land of the midnight sun. I think it is fitting to be discussing these questions about the Future of Work in a place where there is no darkness. Symbolically, it means there is no corner to hide in, no topic that is off the table. It provides extended time to work and requires us to be intentional about when to rest. It also requires a global community to come together in a setting that reminds us of the world’s magnificence, fragility and interconnectedness.

I’ll post a few pictures each day of Team Canada’s activities on Twitter. I hope you’ll follow the journey and send comments, questions and thoughts as we navigate the creation of a global position paper across the nations that are participating.

At home, we have been united in the pursuit of basketball history. I carry that collective sense of purpose and pride with me as part of Team Canada delegates at the symposium in Tromsø this week. We’re still a  bit bleary-eyed, having watched those final minutes in our makeshift “Jurassic Park Norway” during the wee hours of the morning. But we felt like we were with you every step of the way.

Thanks to the input from this amazing community, I am proud to take your questions and hopes for the Future of Work with me into these global discussions.