This report by Harvard Business School, in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group, reveals that businesses will have to do more to prepare their companies and workforces for the turbulence that is already unfolding. As companies refine their strategies for managing - and shaping - the future of work, the findings suggest that employers will need to be more discerning and active in their choices, especially when it comes to preparing the workforce for the future. The findings also uncover a significant, but overlooked, new force for change: the keen sense of optimism middle-skills workers exhibit about their ability and willingness to prepare for a better future. 

The report emphasises the business leaders have a unique opportunity to improve their firm's productivity and competitiveness, serve customers better, and above all, provide individuals with living wages, advancement prospects, and the dignity of labour. Achieving these goals will require employers to set aside their preconceptions and to take the initiative to bridge the gulf in perceptions that separates management and middle-skills workers. 
The report concludes by identifying a shared agenda for how companies can shape the workforce of the future.