How to Thrive in the Changing Workplace and Achieve Your Strategy

Change in the workplace is pervasive today. You hear this all the time. Moreover, changes are coming faster than ever. Your growth requires an engaged workforce. However, there is one constant — people are essential to an organization's success or failure.

In the past two decades, more than 25 percent of the world’s productive capacity has shifted to the growth economies from the developed economies. Furthermore, this change is affecting millions of lives. During the same period, connectivity and gigabytes of information are available to 75 percent of the world’s population. Furthermore, the change is far from over. Interestingly, robots and driverless cars directed by AI will take care of us, likely better than humans can.

"So, the public expects many different jobs and occupations to be replaced by technology in the coming decades. However, few think their job is heading in that direction.” — Aaron Smith, Pew Research Center

A Pew Research Center survey shows that there is widespread anxiety about the possible impacts of technological change.

The results show that 75 percent of Americans:

• say that computers and robots will eventually perform most of the current jobs
• worry that the outcomes of technology will have negative consequences, including worsening inequality

Moreover, for the jobs that will remain, LinkedIn estimates that 35 percent of core job skills will change by 2022.

The net result is that people are experiencing anxiety and confusion about the future. No matter where you sit, many of the traditional paths for finding community and meaning have disappeared, as industries, professions and communities have disintegrated.

Organizations Must Adapt

The purpose of all organizations — be they businesses, governments, regulators, families, or non-for-profits — is to meet a set of human needs that would not be satisfied or fulfilled as efficiently if that organization did not exist. So, the beneficiaries may include people who are customers, clients, citizens, taxpayers, ratepayers, or friends.

For an organization to continue to exist, it must increase shareholder value. However, there are two necessary conditions to enhance shareholder value are:

• Satisfied customers
• Engaged workforce

Also, entities need a process of ongoing improvement to enable sustained success.

Digitally driven companies increase shareholder value through innovation, development, and use of technologies, business models, and customer experiences. Increasingly, they have a continual effort to improve end-to-end customer journeys and business processes. They use analytics to gain feedback and consistently integrate advanced technologies and sophisticated operational methods. So, this combination allows the organization to move, adapt, and scale quickly.

All leaders, all organizations must think about their technology, policies, products, and services as an integrated set of factors that influence customer satisfaction and the engagement of their workforce.

Fill The Needs of Your Workforce

Today, millennials look for purpose over a paycheck. Interestingly, the surges in startups as the generation abandon traditional jobs for more meaningful, purpose-bound work. So, if you do not adapt, you will struggle to attract and keep great employees and customers.

Moreover, according to Gallup's State of the American Workplace report, organizations should reconsider:

• the organizational structure
• how, when and where their people work
• the compelling reasons for employees to remain at the organization
• the value their people place on work
• long-established processes
• how they manage their workforces

Employees Push to Forgo Traditional Structures

Today, emerging technologies and automation are transforming the nature of work employees perform. Also, technology affects where and how work gets done. More people do their jobs remotely. Therefore, there are fewer face-to-face interactions. Increasingly, communications are through email, instant messaging, and conference calls.

Furthermore, these forces stress the traditional ways of structuring and managing work.

Consider matrix structures as an example. They have their benefits. Nevertheless, they often leave employees feeling confused about priorities and expectations.

Interestingly, employees' attitudes about their job are evolving. Moreover, employees are pushing their organizations to break down established policies and structures that affect how they work.

Be More Agile And Collaborative

Most employees approach their role and an organization with a clear set of expectations. Moreover, employees want their work to have meaning and purpose. So, most people are less interested in settling for less. Increasingly, they want to:

• have their jobs to fit their life
• do what they do best every day
• use their talents and strengths

Today’s job market has opened up. Moreover, employees are feeling optimistic about what is available and what they are finding.

• 47 percent says that now is an excellent time to find a quality job
• 51 percent of employees are watching for openings or searching for new employment

Most organizations are not providing employees with compelling reasons to stay.

• 91 percent of employees say that the last time they changed jobs; they left their organization to do so

Most Employees Feel Indifferent About Their Jobs

About one-third of employees are engaged. However, only one in five employees say they are managed in a way that motivates them to do excellent work. So, the conclusion is that most workers feel indifferent about their jobs.

Also, according to Gallup, employees have little faith in their company's leadership. Here are the percentage of employees strongly agree that the leadership of their organization:

• communicates effectively with the organization — 13 percent
• has a clear direction — 22 percent
• makes them enthusiastic about the future — 15 percent

Analytics for Managing the Modern Workforce

The Gallup report supplies advice on various aspects of the modern workforce. Moreover, it pinpoints the issues related to attracting, keeping, and engaging workers.

Today, the workforce is not going to acclimate to the status quo. The modern workforce wants to rewrite the rulebook. So, leaders must:

• define and convey their vision
• rally their employees around the vision
• be active participants in creating and guiding an exceptional workplace

Concluding Thoughts

We have a profoundly new working world. It is being redefined by advances in technology, automation and shifts in global labour markets.  Instead of fixating on trends that you cannot change, you must focus on the changes that you can make to give life and work meaning.

So, my advice to leaders is to build an organization whose output matters to people and, in the process, create jobs that provide fulfillment to your employees. This new type of leadership is what human progress requires. It is the kind of leadership that gives work purpose and life meaning. Moreover, it drives sustainable profits.

Our approach to developing and achieving a strategy

Purpose → Engaging The Workforce → Satisfying Customers → Increasing Shareholder Value

Moreover, we install a process of ongoing improvement to ensure your long-term success.

We offer talent analytics as a tool for you to develop and oversee an outstanding workplace. We provide information that you need to make evidence-based decisions for long-term success. You can use them throughout your employee’s career. Our Leadership Ladder develops your leaders. We supply the performance competencies from entry-level leadership through to the C-Suite. How to Transform Your Workplace Culture provides a roadmap for you. We are pleased to support your transformation with our coaching services.