The Reimagine Work Series - Issue 2

Why now is the right time to Reimagine Work

It’s all about timing. If it’s too soon, no one understands. If it’s too late, everyone’s forgotten. Anna Wintour

No one knows this better than HR leaders. 

When there’s an important message to convey or change to implement, we look for signs of ‘organizational readiness’ – evidence of dissatisfaction with the status quo, hints of a shift in the collective mindset, an emerging appetite for something new. We want to capitalize on any opening to a new way of thinking, of being, of doing. 

But let’s face it, most of the time we don’t find what we’re looking for. Instead, we face into a system already saturated with strategic initiatives and organization change projects that are competing for the attention, energy and bandwidth of our colleagues. Most of the time we know in our hearts that our shiny new culture initiative, innovation incubator, or engagement strategy is destined to receive only a small sliver of that coveted employee headspace. 

But not this time. This time is different.

This time we have people’s attention. And not only are they open and interested, I believe they are fully expecting us to deliver something big. Something that goes beyond change. Now we get to deliver real transformation. 

What’s happening now is not just change, it’s transformation.

For the record, transformation is an overused word. I confess to misusing it to describe work I’ve done. Really good work—to develop leaders, build talent pipelines, and restructure organizations—but if truth be told, not always transformational. I got a lesson in transformation earlier this year when I heard Michelle Moore from LHH Knightsbridge speak at an event that brought together CIOs and CHROs. Unlike change, the hallmarks of transformation include planning for a future in the context of uncertainty and ambiguity; creating something new and dramatically different; and, executing through exploration, experimentation and iteration. 

If this feels familiar right about now, it’s because as a society we are in the midst of the biggest transformation ever witnessed. And it’s playing out within the microcosm of virtually every organization across the country. As HR leaders, we have the unparalleled opportunity to grab it and make it our own, and use it to propel our company forward to be one of the post-pandemic winners.

It’s about more than just the pandemic.

So what’s this big transformation made of? Well of course it’s about the pandemic. But it’s about so much more. Long before the borders closed and we began donning PPE, the thinkers (and yes, the dreamers) among us were imagining the ‘Future of Work’. It was borne out of global shifts in everything from demographics to politics—from environmental platforms to social unrest—and from an exponential burst of technology that would forever change the interface between worker and machine, and worker and worker. It was also about an emerging realization that human beings have a breaking point, and that employee mental health and conscious, character-based leadership are as important to organizational success as financial and market KPIs. 

Along comes the pandemic and, seemingly overnight, our homes are doubling as office space, we’re seeing our colleagues and customers in 2D, and the line between work and family is blurred if not erased altogether. And that’s if you’re lucky enough to have a job that lends itself to remote work. If you’re an essential, front-line worker, you’re adopting all manner of new routines designed to keep you virus free, and very likely experiencing the emotional toll that comes from knowing you may be exposing yourself to significant health risks every time you go to work. 

Cue the social unrest and fight against anti-black and anti-indigenous racism that started sweeping the country with renewed vigour in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the end of May, and its calls for the reform of everything from policing to politics to education. And this time the movement has crossed over from street protests and op eds, to city halls and boardrooms. This time we are not willing to look away from the dark and awkward corners where the light is being shone. This time organizations of every ilk are responding with new levels of humility and new commitments to make things right.

There’s no ‘out there’ any longer.

So what does all this mean for the humble Canadian company?

How does everything going on ‘out there’ translate into to what needs to happen ‘in here’, within the four walls (metaphorically speaking of course) of our organization? Well the reality is there is no ‘out there’ any longer. Any dividing wall between the organization and the rest of society has been torn down. These social phenomena are the great and humbling equalizers of our time, and their implications are playing out within every workplace across the country. We’ve come face-to-face with new realities: We know we’re frail in the face of a killer disease. We are conscious of how dependent we are on the essential workers who risk their health for ours. We see the disgrace and indignance faced by racialized members of our communities. And we know these new realities need to figure into a new social order. And a new organizational one. 

A new organizational paradigm is emerging.

We know there’s got to be another way.

And there is. A new organizational paradigm is emerging. Away from the narrow definition of the profit-centred organization focused only on creating shareholder value, and towards the purpose-driven company that is focused on delivering a different kind of value to a myriad of stakeholders, including customers, employees and community. It should be said that many companies made this shift years ago. But I believe 2020 will be the year we will all look back on as the one that demarcated the transformation (there’s that word again) of the organization within our society. 

What’s a CHRO to do in the face of all this societal transformation?

How do you begin to digest, synthesize and incorporate the implications of these meta societal shifts into the micro company HR strategy? Well the good news is that the holy grail of organizational readiness is here in spades. The even better news is that organizations are already in action, organically co-creating this shift right beneath our feet (or our fingers to be more precise). The case for change has already been made. Leaders have already stepped up. Employees are already engaged. There’s an appetite the likes of which we’ve never seen before to take a fresh and conscious look at how we work and how we do business. 

Our values are being redefined for us. Who knew the health and wellbeing of our employees would push all else aside as the primary value for our company? 

Our cultures are being reshaped. Did we ever think we could trust our employees to be out of our sight for weeks on end? .. and did we ever imagine they would rise to the occasion the way they have? 

What we need to be good at in order to compete and thrive has been redefined. Do we have the organizational capability to digitize our entire business model, manage medical risks, and lead through the inevitable next wave? 

What we expect of our leaders is being reshaped. Are we ready to disband ‘command and control’ in favour of ‘listen and empower’?

And our talent strategies need an overhaul. Will the rigid, static hierarchies and performance systems serve us when what we need are dynamic and flexible approaches? 

Gear down to gear up!

So where do you start? Well the first order of business is probably to take a well-deserved vacation. If there’s one consistent refrain I’ve heard from virtually every CHRO I’ve spoken with lately it’s that you’ve worked harder in the last four months than ever before in your career. You’ve worked tirelessly in the face of unprecedented pressures, risks and levels of urgency. It’s really important to take some time to unplug, rest and reset—for yourself, for your family, and for your organization. Step back, reflect, and put in whatever’s missing to support your health and wellbeing so you can step back in with the energy and optimism you’re going to need to give shape to your organization’s new people strategy. Business planning season is in the offing, and the CHRO will be the essential player at the table, even if it is a virtual one. There are risks to be managed, strategies to be aligned, and stakeholders to engage. 

We’ve saved the best for last.

And here’s the best news of all: as HR leaders, we really are all in this together. Never in the history of our profession has there been such an abundance of open source information, such an appetite to connect and collaborate, and so many people willing to help. It’s in the spirt of that willingness to help that Mark and I began building our Reimagine Work framework, and started writing this series of articles. Our intent is to break it down, share the insights we’re curating, and ultimately help you, our HR friends out there, to Reimagine Work within your organizations.