FoW: Knowledge work to Trusted work

Never in the history of workplace have so many trends emerged for organizations and leadership to grapple with.? The floodgates of hashtags are abuzz with #moonlighting , #quiet quitting, #quietfiring , #hybridwork , #greatresignation , #greatreset all in a span of the last two+ years. Before one makes sense of the nuances of one trend the next one emerges calling upon leaders to dig deep and strategize for the latest #talenttrend . #zoomfatigue will soon be replaced by #talenttrendfatigue .?

However, if one takes a step back and reflect at the core of any of trends, they all point to “trust”. While it seems like the burden of trust resides on the able shoulders of leaders, trust is a two way street and equal onus lies on individuals to be trustworthy while expecting a culture of transparency, inclusion and meaningful work for building a rewarding career path in a company.?

Key elements that contribute towards building a Trusting organization involve :?

A Listening organization : a culture where leaders & employees genuinely listen to each other with respect and compassion is foundational in the current workplace that is rampant with transient employment engagement.?

The window of opportunity to build trust has significantly shortened with economic uncertainties, mobile workforce, virtual distractions and technology-led conversation platforms. The muscle of genuine listening is a must-have for building trust@speed by both leaders and individual contributors.

Valuing Inter-being & Connectedness: More than ever before, organizations and individuals need to acknowledge the symbiotic co-dependency that exists and recognize that trust is essential for a fulfilling co-existence irrespective of the nature of employment agreement.?

The relationship between manager and employee based on mutual trust, openness and respect is an important investment from both sides. Leaders & Managers more than ever before need to significantly spend time clarifying the overarching goals, mission and connecting the bridge between individual contribution and organization mission on an ongoing basis.?

A superlative employee experience, benefits, fun@workplace & timely recognition are a given with digital transformation of processes being adopted by most organizations. The differentiation going forward will lie in the personalized human experience of openness, inclusion, belonging & psychological safety between manager & team members. This will collectively determine sustained organization profitability, productivity, customer experience while ensuring meaningful career journeys.?

Harness the Power of choice: The circle of trust needs to extend beyond the organization walls. We live in a globally interconnected world where there is an explosion of choice/s. Countries, organizations, consumers, families and individuals exercise this power of disruptive choice on a frequent basis keeping the world in a flux of constant change.?

The invisible thread that loosely keeps together the constantly moving parts is courage & flexibility. Courage to communicate openly & directly, personal integrity & honest vulnerability, staying aligned to core values while simultaneously demonstrating flexibility, inclusion, innovation to meet emerging market needs hinges on being respectful of views & choices.?

As we navigate skyrocketing attrition, hybrid work culture, cost & productivity targets, access best talent globally, avoid being furloughed, and balance wellness; harnessing this immense power of individual & collective choice in ones favor is possible primarily through the ability to build trust with the larger ecosystem.?

Networked leadership - Society & organizations can no longer thrive as top-down, bottoms-up, flat or hierarchical. We live in a nodal world with individual leadership at every level. Power isnt defined by position or organizational authority anymore, it is distributed and now resides as knowledge & in the ability to influence (both ways). Knowledge is a function of constantly reinventing oneself and learnability and influence is built through listening, communication, integrity & openness to build trusting relationships.?

Sustainable growth and fulfilling careers are increasingly being built at the intersections of trust & reliable relationships, products, and responsible citizenship. Leaders & employees need to take cognizance of this shift towards a more equitable world and adopt a more networked approach while working towards individual & organizational goals.?

As we navigate the multitude of workforce trends, I believe we are at the dawn of the “Era of Trust” in the way we meet the needs of the market with sustainable products, positive environmental impact, customer & stakeholder confidence, company culture and respect for talent. An organization that is built to last would be a? “Trusted Organization” based on mutual trust through integrity, transparency, listening and compassion at every level.?

#whatdoyouthink