Are You Insane? That Is Never Going To Happen

Lessons learned from COVID-19: Starting point for Preparing your Company for Workplace Disruption

Two weeks before the global lockdowns due to Covid-19 happened, I reached out to companies in my network to offer them my brand new ‘corona crisis - starter kit’.

Foreseeing that not only offices, but also schools would go into lock-down, and realising most companies were not prepared for a sudden remote work shift during a crisis, I wanted to offer support to my clients and partners.

Based on my extensive knowledge around new ways of working and remote work, combined with my experience as an HR Project Manager leading transformations, I knew I had prepared something that could at least soften the blow, and give guidance for longer term strategy.

This kit consisted of a practical workshop around remote working processes, a strategy workshop, a playbook and a Mastermind group for HR directors. Especially in hindsight, I can assure you it was super valuable and relevant.

Guess what happened? No-one believed me.

People doubted (and some even ridiculed!) my warnings to be prepared for a situation where their employees would be confined to their houses, saddled with the responsibility to continue with business as usual while also taking caring for their children during work hours. The majority of people that I spoke to did not believe there was going to be a lock-down at all. The ones who did, often underestimated the impact it would have on work processes and employee experience.

Others felt that they couldn’t do anything to prepare their companies for this shift as that would be “interfering with employees’ private spheres.”

Very few understood that the ‘normal’ separation between work and life would cease to exist during an unprecedented crisis, and that this would require immediate action to support and prepare their employees, both for business continuity and for the establishment of sustainable work/life balance.

And even less people realised that this upcoming crisis would have a profound effect on their role as (HR) Leader AND have long-term consequences for their workplace strategies.

And the ensuing pandemic, as predicted, brought unprecedented change to the infrastructure of modern work....

I get it.

This had never happened before. And in hindsight we know it was inevitable, but in reality most of us simply can’t imagine radical change coming towards us - even if the signs are there. And understanding the ripple effect of such disruptions is often beyond comprehension.

Employees will not want to come back to the office full-time

As soon as it became clear that the lockdown was going to be longer than a few weeks or even a few months, I knew this would have a long-term effect on employees’ values and priorities around work-life. This, in turn, would lead to a need for companies to build a new kind of organisation.

Many companies have now indeed moved to a post-pandemic ‘hybrid’ working model where employees can continue work remotely on a part-time base. However, only a few have truly moved to a new, a-sync, flexible working model by implementing fundamental changes in their workplace design, like the ones I described in this March 18, 2020 article.

AI: The Next disruptor.

So why am I sharing these reflections today? Because, in the context of a new and far-reaching catalyst, I hope things will play out differently this time. AI is going to be a major disruptor for organisations, affecting not only the nature of work itself but all aspects of the workplace, employer-employee relations, work-life balance and society at-large.

Ongoing implementation of AI will require interventions in all layers of the organisation’s tapestry. For example: embedding a tech unit in a law firm will have an impact on jobs, organisational structure, career paths, rewards, talent acquisition strategy, and company culture. It will also mean training senior and middle management in cross functional collaboration, performance management and coaching tech talents alongside legal staff.

Interventions that requires business leaders to rethink what kind of organisation their company will transition into, and what that means for their (future) talents.

In short, the total Employee Value Proposition will be affected.

Opportunities, but also risks

AI offers business leaders an amazing opportunity to increase productivity AND enhance well-being, as we can see in this business case. However, unpreparedness (and late efforts at preparedness) for the change that I anticipate is coming, comes with risks on the mid to long-term. Here are just a few:

? Lack of access to AI talent

? Falling behind in leveraging the benefits of AI

? Negative impact on your DEI efforts (and, therefore, decreased innovative power) by growing gender GAP in AI adoption.

? Forced lay-offs

? Lack of relevant skills and resources to adapt successfully

In recent months, I have spoken to many companies about AI and while some are pro-actively preparing for the watershed moment to come, the majority are not. In companies that are making conscious efforts towards AI adoption, it is being implemented by IT and, if HR is involved at all, it often is for short-term training based on the new demands of the work processes.

Recent research showed that 40% of Dutch companies are not implementing AI or even planning to, often because HR is not driving innovation towards sustainable business strategy. And for the companies that are implementing AI, HR often has no seat at the table. To leverage the opportunities of AI, and mitigate the risks that it poses, companies can not sit idly and ‘wait to see what will happen’ - they must pro-actively understand the impact on their organisation and prepare for it.

I have got your back - again ??

You probably have guessed it:

Hello Monday Club has been developing a unique solution to support companies in their workplace transformation. It is an AI powered tool that predicts the impact of AI on your (future) Employee Value Proposition.

This EVP impact scan is the ideal starting point for understanding what AI will mean in terms of workplace culture, structure, management and strategies The EVP impact scan brings clarity and alignment in your leadership team. Within 48 hours you will receive a personalised report with insights, a risks analysis, recommendations and an advice for the next steps.

The scan also includes a 30 minute consultation call with additional and relevant advice based on the outcomes of your report. The tool shows impressive results and it will be launched officially in Q3.

Interested?

Join the wait list to be the first to get access with 50% discount, or become a beta-tester for free.

Join Waitlist / Apply Beta-test

Prefer to work with a human? I also offer a facilitated strategy session as a follow up. I have space for one more client who wants to get expertise on board in their journey of navigating AI disruptions on their broader organisation. Just hit reply to set up a chat.

See you next week!

Angelique