A Quantum Shift in the Corporate Workspace

The Impact of a Collaborative Work Culture

We've seen how the pandemic reformed supply chains, financial systems, and business processes, and is transforming the labour market as more people in advanced economies opt for greater work-life balance.

Yet another paradigm is shifting. Employees returning to work are finding they may not have the bandwidth or knowledge to take on the high-expertise work demanded of today's evolving workplace.

Increasingly, outside experts are being brought in to provide fresh perspectives, but more importantly to work in on-demand high-octane projects that require specialized tech knowledge.

As someone who has worked as 'consultant' or 'external contractor' in various entities in the US and the Middle East, I'm seeing a clear pattern emerge. The new mobilization buzz words are flexibility, inclusiveness and empowerment.

I've seen how a poorly integrated work environment can create fractured camps of staff and consultants that don't work together effectively, or even worse, compete outright, especially to claim successes.

Companies are having to tap into the temporary staff option, and one of the reasons is to avoid the burnout of employees who are already overloaded from transformation agendas. In some countries, companies are understaffed due to the high rate of labour attrition after the Covid pandemic.

One solution has been the new "blended" team of both outsiders and their internal staff working together to spur agility and productivity. But the merging of the two teams often creates challenges in building trust, unity and motivation. It disrupts the fragility of the company's corporate culture.

A successful strategic transformation will require bridging organizational and geographic divides, and leadership agility to make it happen. I see three key drivers that define the new blended workspace reality.

1. Companies can make use of flexible on-demand talent to acquire specialized skills that are lacking internally. While most consultant salaries will be more than that of employees, most temp hires can infuse the company with new blood and inspiration, and if managed well this could minimize the cost of permanent hires that may not be needed long-term.

2. Companies can leverage the growing marketplace of high quality "freelancers." These include qualified retirees and a new wave of remote workers born of the pandemic and the recent economic downturns. These advances have made it easier for companies to tap into experts anywhere in the world.

3. Companies must become more nimble project management strategists, able to seamlessly blend diverse teams to achieve the company's objectives. The new workplace requires smoother collaboration between staff and external 'consultants' towards a single purpose. This means companies must work actively to foster a more connected, collaborative environment with programming and the building of personal connections.

In today's world of accelerated change, the companies that are able to implement the blended workforce model successfully will be the ones that are able to stay abreast and lead the pack.