This trend is taken from some work I’ve been doing on scenarios for 2009.

Trend #5: Enoughism

People are becoming alarmed about the health of the planet and especially the pervasive influence of materialism upon their lives. Some people have therefore decided to take personal responsibility and do something about it. Enoughism is about switching things off, buying less stuff and seeking to reconnect with the simpler pleasures of life. It is a world where quality counts. People are still prepared to pay for things but they expect them to last. The trend is best summed up by Tom Hodgkinson in his book ‘How to Be Free’, who talks about the shift from finding out what you want to discovering what you can do without.

Implications

Organizations will become increasingly values-driven. They will also become more connected with their communities, be it geographic are or the wider community of employees, customers and suppliers. People will be spending more time with their immediate family and friends too. This is an opportunity because people will be interested in things that enable this or tap into the need to slow things down a little. However, using technology to give people superficial or remote access is liable to backfire.

Links with down-shifting, work/life balance aspiration, the search for meaning and the rise of spirituality.