Takeaways from the Future of Work Summit: Creating Change
It’s obvious that the future of work is already here. It’s no longer something we expect to see 10 years from now when Generation Z will have the majority of leadership roles in business. The change is now, and companies are doing their best, or not, to be part of that change. ?
Yesterday’s summit made it possible to hear from a hand-picked collection of leaders their thoughts, practices, and wisdom on how to thrive in times of uncertainty, and it raised many questions, together with conclusions. Some tendencies are certain, and valid all over the globe. Traffic is terrible (again) everywhere. People want to know why they are here – both in the office and in the company. Purpose. Empathy. Wellbeing. Flexibility. Choice. These are the keywords that matter today. Companies measure the pulse of their organization and ask what matters, but what if that’s simply not enough???
Adjusting organizations to their people’s needs and helping better personal well-being is a major task for the leaders of today. Offering benefits, professional development, and opportunities to grow are all great perks, but is that what makes people stay in one company, and is it really needed? As Margareta Salier said yesterday – technology has changed a lot, but the way people work is still the same. Can we change leadership styles so quickly, to be able to give to our organizations solutions needed today? Can we adjust our policies so easily and make everyone follow them? Can we really walk the talk and give employees such an experience as we promise on our carefully designed employer branding materials? Are we ready to manage the teams of today offering them purpose, empathy, well-being, flexibility, and choice? Or should we, as heard yesterday in the discussion, provide skills-based job opportunities, and let everyone find their reasons to jump on our train? The questions are more than the answers. Maybe the wisdom lies in accepting that employment will never be the same. It’s clear that care, empathy, and a personal approach are essential to organizational success.?