What’s ahead when it comes to people and work…?
The pandemic will drive changes. Some temporary, some permanent.
How to thrive? Preparation and flexibility. Both together will be best to deal with what’s ahead as we all deal with the latest rounds of Covid. And an uncertain future.
Don’t plan on things going back to the way they were. Too much has changed. And more will change as businesses, non-profits and government figure out next steps.
Despite the Covid recession, productivity is up 4.1% since January 2020. Which is far above historical trends. Business investment is up 11.7% in Q1 21, higher than the pandemic peak. Which means some organizations have incentives to keep what they changed to deal with the pandemic.
Business innovation is up also. New business start-ups averaged 472,000 monthly in the first five months of 2021. The big interruption has opened new opportunities which weren’t available before the pandemic. Expect the innovation to continue.
A hybrid virtual world is the most likely outcome for people at work in the months and years ahead. Employees with options will work part of the time at home and part in the office.
The Great Resignation is real which means employees will have the upper hand. 11.5 million workers quit in April, May and June 2021. The quitting will continue. 41% of 30,000 workers told Microsoft surveyors they’re considering quitting. Persio said 38% surveyed planned to change jobs in the next 6 months. Gallop found 48% of employees actively searching for new jobs. LinkedIn found 74% surveyed said time at home led them to rethink their current work situation.
It’s happening for a variety of reasons…most tied to employer actions. Employees report knee-jerk cost-cutting, unfair holds on promotion, indiscriminate lay-offs, toxic, narcissistic managers, concern for personal safety in the workplace. Some say the benefits of a two-person household working aren’t worth giving up family time. Some need more space for work at home so opt to move to lower cost cities where they can get more house for their money.
It’s a long-term problem, too. It started before Covid and will be tough to fix.
Some employers will be slow to “get” the permanent shift to virtual. Some believe the office will again become the primary place for work, a McKinsey May, 2021 survey says.
63% of employees prefer either fully remote or hybrid work, a Spring, 2021 survey finds. Before the pandemic the same number of employees preferred the opposite.
Organizations will put energy into their vision for a post-pandemic future.
Leaders will accelerate the shift to small teams to get work done. Focus will be on outcomes, key results. High performing teams will be characterized by high levels of trust, a common vision, commitment to action. Leaders will reduce top-down directing. Instead, they’ll coach more to inspire, spur motivation.
New approaches to meetings will be implemented. Whether in-person, hybrid or completely virtual. Hybrid meetings have been going on for years. With the spider speaker in the center of the big conference table. And they have sucked for years.
Look for more savvy understanding on making meetings collaborative, productive.
Equity will be the key. Whether you’re in the room or on Zoom at home, the combination of technology and meeting design will let you feel like you’re totally involved.
And on the same level as everyone else who’s participating.
Leaders will better understand what kind of meeting to hold. Should it be an in-person, hybrid or all-virtual get-together? If it’s trust building, meetings will need to be in person. But other in-person meetings which seemed necessary yesterday won’t be tomorrow.
Top-quality meeting design will get a boost. Good recommendations on how to design and facilitate meetings have gone unheaded in the past. Too much trouble, some say. Or too costly. Not any more.
Now fluency in meeting design will allow more collaboration, productivity. Look for a band of seasoned facilitators who know how to get the best from combining technology and meeting design to gain more acceptance.
Pairing technology with meeting design will improve.
Many at the same table in a hybrid meeting will use their laptops to be on Zoom.
So all participants will have the same experience and no longer leave out those who are remote.
Mural or Miro, or other collaboration software use will become more common. Collaboration, creativity will flourish…just differently.
Still, progress will be slow.
Post-pandemic corporate cultures will get attention. Culture will continue to stymie organizations. Surveys show few execs know what culture is, believe they have the right culture for their organization. And that was before Covid. If remote workers are doing their jobs effectively, McKenzie points out, what does that imply for where and how these tasks are done?
Culture still eats strategy for lunch every day of the week. Many execs spend their time putting out fires that would not occur if their organization’s cultures were constructive.
Culture-change efforts will get a boost from an empowered workforce. Surveys show employees reflecting on their jobs during Covid want more fulfilling jobs. Some companies are offering increased wages. But more money alone won’t be enough.
People will gravitate to jobs which reward their ideas, include them in planning. Shut me down or make me play politics will push employees to look elsewhere for work.
They’ll also want to work for organizations which meet work-life balance needs.
Employers will grapple with what it means to work. It won’t be about the physical space; it’ll be about the best way to do the work. At home, at Starbucks? Virtually, hybrid, in person? What work can be done independently? What work requires interdependence?
The most effective way to change culture: Figure out the ideal culture you want for your organization. Put a team together to do a project using the elements of the ideal culture. Word will get out around the organization about how the project was successful.
Have a question?
Preparation and flexibility. Reach out to me with your thoughts and needs. It could be about business modeling to capture new opportunity post-pandemic. Innovation to spruce up your current business model. Improving teaming. Formulating strategy and driving execution. Creating a constructive culture in your organization. I’m here to help.
Let’s talk: Reach out to me at bbancroft@conbrioconsulting.com.
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Virtual Meetings: Antidote to COVID-19 Social Distancing
Vlog: Virtual Meetings: Going from Bummers to High Fives
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