The Future of Work

As I'm sure many of you are, I'm hearing executives declare work mandates as we reassemble from the pandemic. I hear Fortune 500 CEOs state:

• Employees must return to work
• People need to come to work two days a week; the employer will choose the days

and

• No one wants to work!

When I hear these statements, I think these decisions are way below their pay grade. Why not use the systems, tools, and creative thinking available to design new solutions?

I don't believe people don't want to work; I do, however, wholeheartedly believe people don't want to return to an ineffective environment. We found ways to change when adapting was our only option. Let's mobilize that spirit of innovation as we rebuild.

It’s time to use the resources, creativity, and #opportunities that lie before us to make thoughtful decisions. I’m eager to hear from leaders who do just that.

Rather than create mandates, work as the work dictates. If it’s clear assignments are not being completed, come up with ways to produce more effectively. Start with asking the workforce about the best way to accomplish tasks. Then continue on to research to learn how others are re-emerging. Build upon the ideas that might work for your organization.

The following list is a brainstormed list by me alone. If more people weigh in, the ideas will become richer. Some will land on the cutting room floor. That’s how #creativity works; it’s not a roadmap to success but a playground that unlocks possibility. Here’s my first blush:

Try:

Reviewing Hiring Practices ?Are they efficient? Do they attract the workforce the organization wants and/or needs?

Getting Creative with Compensation

It’s easy to come up with reports that demonstrate people don’t work for money. My experience demonstrates otherwise. I’ve seen people make terrible decisions to meet salary or budget requirements. Let’s revamp this whole process. Would someone who wants to work fewer hours but provide value be willing to accept compensation that would reflect their availability? What about offering paid internships and/or apprenticeships to mature employees, allowing cross-training? There are tons of ways to compensate.

Using Social Media for Strategic Listening

There’s a lot to learn from social media. There are also abundant opportunities to practice discernment skills. Social media posts may be a place to start in engaging IRL (in real life) conversations. If something is trending, it’s a gateway to validate whether perceptions are true. Glassdoor is one place for organizations to check out to learn what people are saying. There are many, many others. Remember, too, that social media is not representative of the entire community. What are the people who are not posting thinking and doing? BOTs are prevalent too. If it doesn't sound true, it probably isn't.

Recognizing Matrixed Teams

Employees are only part of the team. Matrixed teams consist of employees, contractors, consultants, vendors, suppliers, interns, and sometimes volunteers in a worldwide workforce. What if work assembled the right team at the right time for the right reason? Don’t forget to include Artificial Intelligence (AI). Where can AI be included strategically on the team to automate repetitive tasks releasing imagination?

Evaluating the Efficacy of Meetings

Is everyone at the meeting there because they have something to add? Will all attendees participate with the intention of contributing? Or are the saboteurs? Are meetings run efficiently? Are there options for ways to participate? If a valued team member cannot attend online or in person, can they review the recorded meeting when they can properly focus? If people dodge meetings, are they held accountable? Do we maximize the benefit of in-person meetings to gain the greatest benefit of person-to-person interaction?

Re-examing Education

Are we evaluating the skill set of the entire workforce? Do the skills match the tasks at hand? Is fluidity built into the system because we know all we can do is focus on change and growth? Do we allow and encourage our team to learn in ways that are best for them? Consider all experiences and types of education when seeking talent.

Acknowledging Side Hustles

Many employees have side hustles. I think it’s a good thing. No job will last forever, and the skills the employee develops may likely be valuable to the organization. Perhaps a side hustle can grow into a new job when a job function is no longer required. If the organization no longer needs an individual, they might have a side hustle they could turn into a business. Supporting #entrepreneurship creates prospects for full employment.

Releasing Budget

Empower employees with small amounts of budget. Unleash ingenuity by enabling employees to get the resources they need when they need them. Sure, there’s efficiency lost by not going through a centralized purchasing program. However, rigidity can stifle advancement. Look at the budget as an investment instead of an expense. Try, test, re-evaluate, and adjust if it gets out of control.

Creating Sabbatical/Leave of Absence/Return to the Workforce Options

If it’s a good or necessary time for an employee to take a sabbatical or a short leave of absence, why not structure it as a solution? Are there people who have left the workforce for child care or elder care that can now return?

Ditching Performance Reviews

I’d prefer to see contracts or letters of agreement, which are reviewed as needed. Work is fluid, technology is fast, and the world is ever-changing. We need to be able to pivot quickly. A workforce that was once valuable can quickly become obsolete. An agreement forces everyone to sit down and evaluate whether or not the situation is working.

Maintaining Healthy Environments

There’s a dreary snowstorm outside my window as I write this article. I have a very important meeting at 11:30 a.m. I’m so grateful I don’t have to get dressed, trudge through the snow, and attempt to make it on time. I always admired those people who could casually come into a meeting perfectly dressed as if there were not a battle of the environment outside our windows. I was never one of them. I was the one wearing my hiking boots in a meeting, trying to hide them under the table. I envied perfectly polished ones, although I was never willing to risk slipping and falling. What if every person was supported to make physical and mental health decisions for their greatest benefit?

Making Friends with a Lawyer

I hear people quote the law and state that they understand what is and isn’t possible without fully understanding. Remember, not everyone with a law degree knows the full scope of a situation. Keep pushing until you get answers that make sense. Hire a lawyer or law firm that will work with you to accomplish your goals, not rule with fear tactics of what is not possible. They are out there, I promise.

Getting Comfortable with Confrontation

If people manipulate the system in any way, agree to disagree and part ways and have a plan to do so. Consider interest-based mediation. It's a type of mediation that resolves disagreements to solve for the interests of all parties at the time.

Beginning with the End in Mind

No job or assignment will last forever, but our connections might. We’ll likely work with people we know in novel ways. Positive endings set the stage for continuous progress. Individuals' paths may cross again when different requirements are needed for a new work assignment. They'll have the benefit of a past working relationship while they forge new ground. People are multi-dimensional. It's exciting to learn about all of their gifts and talents.

Think these ideas are impossible??In reality, it’s only a small fraction of what is possible. Consider how the world pivoted when we were shut down. Extreme transformation was cast upon us. We changed drastically as evolving and growing was our only option. Envision what we could do if we put that #creativity to use, dreaming of ways we could take some risks and be more effective. We would be more competitive, and work would be more fun.

Rather than dishing out directives, I’d prefer to hear these executives state:

“The people who make this organization work astonish us with their resourcefulness. We are trying and testing a number of solutions. Not all of them work, but some will. We’re eager to report how we will better serve our clients, stakeholders, and business partners. Sit tight.”