Lighthouse Reveals on Responsible Transformation

Recently, I was going through a McKinsey report published by Green Lighthouse and the pictograph shared in the report was an eye-opener alongside the information shared.

The world leaders (political & corporate) are talking and discussing and a few are taking action on the SDG laid by the UN charter. Last year we also witnessed COP 21 in the U.K. One can see and say a lot of work is being done towards the initiative, kudos to all.

Now coming back to what caught my attention was the fact which is mentioned in the image shared, is that in social accountability a lot is not being done or the pace of the action is slow. Now, this is a huge cause of concern as any company can have the best tools, the newest technology, and tremendous resources at its disposal—but if it lacks genuine workforce engagement, it will be unlikely to scale up a 4IR transformation successfully.

It’s vital it is that companies put their workers at the heart of their efforts by creating a community of involved, committed people who have the support that helps companies meet the challenge of their evolving labor needs, for instance, those stemming from the labor shortages exacerbated by the pandemic.

For starters, companies can rethink their training and skill development pathways, beginning with knowledge of the size and impact of the labor opportunities across operations. From there, they can design structural changes that mitigate the risks of labor demand they cannot meet, while also creating opportunities for reskilling and upskilling.

These shifts mean moving away from a hierarchical, top-down culture of micromanagement and toward an empowerment and ownership culture that fosters creative solutions. Results-oriented steering encourages people to make decisions in a space that allows experimentation and learning. Siloed teams and homogenous ways of working yield interdisciplinary teams that collaborate across functions. Such teams create networks within and beyond the organization while facilitating cooperation with customers, suppliers, and partners.

Digitization plays an important role in reinforcing these changes while accelerating workforce engagement by reducing repetitive tasks and involving workers directly in higher-level activities. Advanced technologies, including augmented or mixed reality, artificial intelligence, and low- to no-code software development platforms, are empowering people in offices and on the shop floor—often with limited technical backgrounds—to come up with creative digital solutions to daily problems, increasing their productivity.

Lighthouse companies further engage their workforces across five major attributes:

1. Learning and development

2. Empowerment and ownership

3. Collaboration and connections

?4. Impact and recognition

?5. Voice of the worker.

They recognize and celebrate their people and products while reinforcing the organization’s culture and values. These people leaders promote and encourage learning-focused employees who create and develop new ideas. They show that by prioritizing the worker’s voice and listening to their people (for instance, through digital channels and big data), they can understand their employees’ needs—even those that aren’t immediately apparent—better than traditional companies do.

In short, lighthouses have shown that when people are engaged, they work together to grow, change, and adapt. In this way, they see their companies through the toughest of times.

What are your thoughts on the same, do pen it

Have a great weekend ??