8 minute read
Leading the future of work requires new skills
Much has been written and discussed about the future of work, by all types of experts, in the last two years, ever since the pandemic caused major shifts in workplaces and boardrooms. But very little has been said about the new skills needed for leading the future of work beyond managing the immediate turbulence.
Almost a decade ago, my esteemed colleague Rita McGrath, currently the No.1 global thought leader on innovation, had written about competing in a world where competitive advantages are transient (The End of Competitive Advantage). The rapid advancement in technology, COVID-19, the Ukraine war, trade barriers, and politics are all accelerating the pace of change. And to top it all off, the way we used to work has undergone massive transformation. Do we want to go back to the old working style with its highly stressful work environment, time-consuming travel, imbalance between life at and away from work, and so on, or do we want to live in 15-minute cities where we can transit between both work and personal lives within just a short walk?
With the WFA (Work From Anywhere) and hybrid formats that are in vogue now, leaders are finding it tough to juggle work commitments, performance reviews, and empathy, among other things. CHROs are finding it easier to adapt a blanket three-daysat-office on alternate days, citing team meetings and collaboration, but in reality there seems to be a trust deficit and skill deficit – a lack of trust in employees to deliver work if allowed consecutive days of work from anywhere; and a lack of competence or inclination to identify and implement the right metrics to assess employee deliverables irrespective of where he or she works from. What
The future of work is not quite as we had visualised – between new technology and new employee expectations, changing environments and evolving workplace cultures, it is imperative for leaders to develop new skills and mindsets to keep up by Dr M Muneer
is horrible to see is that even marquee companies such as Infosys have fallen into this trap.
Leading the future of work will require adapting a new system of KPIs that will help measure the deliverables and performance of individual employees. This means leaders should be able to define clearly the productivity goals for each role and then let employees work at their pace, from anywhere. Team sessions, when needed, could be done in person at corporate offices or work hubs scattered around suburbs, or at venues decided by the teams themselves.
Creative thinking, ideation and problem solving may require teams to come together, which in turn calls for people to start trusting their own team members and assessing them based on their deliverables. We must shed the attitude of “unless proven otherwise, all employees are not trustworthy to deliver their work.” (This is exactly how governments think – if you doubt that, check any of the application processes at government offices or PSUs.)
The first skill the leaders of the future of work must have is the ability to instil trust among employees, and to walk the talk by showing explicitly that unless proven otherwise, the company trusts all employees to do the right thing in the workplace. This could also help resolve the current controversy around moonlighting. If there is no conflict of interest and if the employees deliver on their KPIs, why should employers worry about what they do in their spare time?
Embrace and adapt the model of working from anywhere, and do it fully with employee well-being at the centre of all planning. This means the decision to work from office or anywhere must be left to individual teams and groups instead of making it mandatory for certain days. Employees are much more responsible when not micromanaged.
The future of work is fluid
The kind of work, who will do what and from where, and how, will all change. Communication, technology, workspace and many other considerations will come up in the future of work. As a stakeholder in India’s first metaverse company, I see avatars taking over in an augmented/virtual reality work world with an almost real touch and feel experience of working together in meeting rooms. The same rooms could be replicated
and with sophisticated hologram-based headsets, one can see oneself and others in almost physical form in the metaverse workplace. The experience is truly magical, and very different from the flat medium of Zoom.
Employees need flexible work hours, and the majority will choose to have the freedom to decide what they want. Leaders should respect this and allow what is optimal for both the company and the employee. It is critical to listen to what employees really want and plan this into the schema of things if you want to lead in the future of work.
Leaders need to have a growth mindset now more than ever. This is no more a popular slogan by consultants or employers. To develop talent internally and to channelise intelligence and experience for driving growth avenues, leaders must embrace this. In a business environment that is constantly changing and opportunities are transient, only a growth mindset can bring forth innovation and experimentation. Discovery-driven planning is key to grabbing shortlived opportunities. Learn to push the strengths of your people and encourage or mentor them to acquire new skills. As Infosys co-founder Kris Gopal says, while recruiting for a position, don’t just select on the basis of skills needed for the position but also for the ability to acquire new skills. New demands from the marketplace will require such talent management by leaders.
That leads to the next skill leaders must have for the future of work – driving an ecosystem for building new skills all around. The nature of work and its delivery, including the use of technologys requires special skills not readily available. Upskilling is the most important aspect of career progress in the years to come. For many roles re-skilling is also critical especially when AI is introduced as an alternative means of getting the job done. Agility cannot happen without new skills when technology disrupts business models and processes. Motivating employees to upskill in large firms is an important task and if done right, it can reduce attrition rates. Great leaders know the value of their people and will do everything to keep them ready for the future of work. Contrast this to how many IT companies complain of the reluctance of middle level employees to re-skill, and claim they eventually have no choice but to ease these employees out.
Another thing the pandemic has highlighted to many of us is the dearth of
empathy in toxic workplaces. Leaders need to bring empathy into workplaces of the future, even if it is in metaverse or hybrid mode. The Gen-Z workers who will be joining the future of work and workplaces are very demanding in terms of work/life balance, and if leaders do not keep this aspect at the centre of work design, a lot of talent will be elusive. Frequent disruptions, work overload, new skill needs, pressures of other kinds, demanding bosses, stress from non-work and financial… the issues employees face will never cease and leaders should show more patience and empathy to align them to the new culture. Several studies in the post-pandemic workplaces indicate that as many as 60% of employees want to support more social causes now, and we have seen enough evidence of middle class people extending their support to migrants and other vulnerable populations who are not adequately cared for by by the government. These new attitudes and behaviours should be the driving factor for values within.
The ability to change and manage a new culture that is in tune with the needs of the new workforce and future of work will be most handy. A culture that brings transparency, encourages employees to speak their minds, forces leadership to accept disconfirmation data, and overall moves from a top-down to a more inclusive management will augur well for the future of work. The concept of empowered employees at all levels can no more be a hollow campaign. To identify and execute the new cultural elements, involve Employees need flexible work hours, and the majority will choose to have the freedom to decide what they want. Leaders should respect this and allow what is optimal for both the company and the employee
all senior management and introduce metrics to drive the execution at all levels with the CHRO in charge.
In the new workplace where all employees will never be together at one office, the task of building a cohesive culture, open communication, and shared values gets complicated. It is therefore imperative for leaders to ensure they don’t make empty promises, and that a healthy community is built around various teams.
As Eisenhower had famously said, “It is a terrible thing to look over your shoulder when you are trying to lead – and find no one there.”
about the author
MunEEr is the co-founder and chief evangelist at the non-profit Medici Institute. Tweet him @MuneerMuh
