Future professional life A vision of a sustainable working life 3.0 The conditions in which we work are changing radically. Digitalisation affects not only where, when and how we work, but also creates completely new roles while established roles disappear. We are right at the centre of this change, together with our organisations. No one knows where this will end. The only thing we know is that everything will continue to change.
We at Hammer & Hanborg have made it our mission to be part of creating the professional life of the future. That is why we have chosen to present the knowledge and insights from our surveys and experience in a new way. What you have in front of you is a book about professional life in the future. A vision where we explore five areas that will have a large effect on how we work in the future.
1: New ways of working
1:1 When your closest colleague is a robot 1:2 The changing customer journey
2: Everyone is a leader 10 steps to a self governed organisation
3: What is work?
4: Continuous development towards undefined goals
5: Future workplaces The book about professional life in the future is obviously not finished. The rapid changes we see mean that it is not enough to do a book or a survey from time to time – because as soon as it is finished everything could have changed. Instead, we need something that can live and develop with the times. That is why we will continue to explore and study these five areas and add new insights and lessons as we learn them. This will be a more sustainable way of utilising the knowledge we gain from our surveys and it will put the results in context. We have also chosen to include other exciting voices that comment and give their views in these five areas. If you have ideas about someone we should talk to, then please get in touch!
Version 1.0 was based largely on insights from our survey on the theme of The Professional Life of the Future from 2017. The survey had 3000 respondents and had five threads that came to form the five chapters of the book. Over and above the answers in the survey we included the views from experts and researchers. In version 2.0 we added a summary from the survey “The Changing Customer Journeyâ€? that we carried out during the autumn of 2017 in co-operation with Microsoft Dynamics. The survey was directed towards Swedish marketing managers, sales managers, and customer service managers. We asked how they were reacting to changing customer behaviour and how far they had come in adapting their competences ways of working. In version 3.0 we have rewritten the whole of chapter 2 as the 10 steps to creating the self-governing organisation. The line of thinking in the 10 themes is based on the results from Nordic Executive Survey 2018. As well as the answers from the 750 respondents, other inspirational people with experience from each respective step have contributed with comments in each chapter. Happy reading! Christina Hammer och Ă…sa Falkman Founding Partners Hammer & Hanborg
About Hammer & Hanborg Hammer & Hanborg has as its mission to create the professional life of the future. We are a consulting company with services in the business areas Recruitment & Staffing, People & Culture and Change & Development.
Each year we carry out several surveys to research how work life is changing. The largest surveys are The Communicator and Nordic Executive Survey. These include questions covering a wide range of topics including the importance of common values, success factors, new possibilities in working life, fears for the future and ways of working and organisational structures that we will see more of.
Will we continue to have the office as a workplace? Or will we even have a job? What is work and what will it become?
Welcome to the future professional life!
1.
New ways of working
PHOTO BY ALEX KNIGT
1:1 When your closest colleague is a robot
New ways of working When your closest colleague is a robot Technical developments have affected how we work for a long time. Over and above improving the pace of production and increased efficiency. Better technology has removed dangerous, repetitive and boring tasks from our work. Our way of working has changed and in the future we will see more and different types of iterative, customer-centric processes and methods that increase commitment such as crowdsourcing, edutainment and gamification [1]. But also, digital development with automation, AI, AR, IoT, and robots will affect how we work in the future [1]. It is clear that we need to develop our ability to co-operate both with each other and with machines.
Examples of ways of working that will become more common in the future [1]
AGILE
FLEXIBLE
VIRTUAL
LEAN
CROSS-
EDUTAIN-
FUNCTIONAL AUTOMATION
MENT
DESIGN-
CROWD-
GAMI-
THINKING
SOURCING
FICATION
[1]
MOBILE
Source Kommunikatรถren 2017
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Focus on continuous improvement Agile methods are predicted to become more common when the pace of change means that we don’t have time to complete a product or service before we launch it – we do not have either the time or the money to work in long processes. Instead it will involve continuous refinement and improvement of earlier versions. Working in an agile way optimises resources and increases the relevance of the product or service. Today 7 out of 10 are familiar with the term agile and half of them answer that these use agile work methods[1]. Some use it in most activities in the organisation while others use it in developing products, concepts and services or when developing web or other digital services [1]. “It is not possible to work in long projects. The world is changing too fast” (Kommunikatören 2017). Work methods that put the user in focus are on the increase. The importance of working in near-customer, innovative processes is growing. An example is design thinking, which is often used in development and innovation processes to develop or improve products, services or concepts [1]. Work methods that create commitment Crowd sourcing is another method that is predicted to become more widely used in the future professional life [1]. Using many different people and perspectives to develop ideas and innovations is a way of finding new solutions. But it is also a way of creating commitment among customers, suppliers and others who are invited to be part of the innovation process. Other ways of increasing engagement are edutainment and gamification. By adding
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It is not possible to specify in advance what is to be developed. Development
�
goes so fast and one must continuously listen to the user.
KOMMUNIKATĂ–REN 2017
”That everything will become digital will change a lot of industries and work tasks. When AI grows it will create demands to find more unique work tasks that focus on creativity” KOMMUNIKATÖREN 2017
elements from the entertainment world or different game mechanisms, workflows become more fun and interactive, which can facilitate learning and increase productivity. The robots entry into working life Our work methods and ways of working will naturally be affected by the digitalisation of working life. In the future we will see more and more of AI and robots that can automate and make processes more effective and/or improve results enter into working life. With the help of AI and robots we will be able to focus on the parts of the job that we find interesting while what we find boring can be done by machines. This will mean that routine-based tasks will be largely removed from our job descriptions. The remaining tasks will consist of complex questions that demand our fantasy and creativity to reach a solution. To adapt to a working life full of digital colleagues will require a new attitude. A robot in the work group may not make such a big difference but imagine that you are the only person in the team. Then new ways of working will be necessary, different processes and ways of communicating. We need to be good at solving problems together with robots and at the same time ensure that we develop those qualities that are unique for us as people e.g. creativity, fantasy, and the ability to create relationships and emotional connections. Agile methods, design thinking, crowd sourcing, edutainment, and gamification will all come in useful when we co-operate with both human and digital colleagues.
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This development can naturally be seen as somewhat frightening and create concern that jobs will disappear. In the very long term the robotification of work could mean that we don’t need to work at all. But we heard the same thing before e.g. in connection with the industrial revolution. This did lead to a number of jobs disappearing but at the same time many new jobs were created. The only thing that is certain is that our way of working is going to change. If we are to believe the tech-giants’ initiatives we will all soon be comfortable with having dialogues with AI. Amazon have Alexa, Apple have Siri, Microsoft have Cortana and Google the Google Assistant. So prepare yourself for a working life where you say hello to a robot or two when you get to work.
So prepare yourself for a working life
”
where you say hello to a robot or two when you get to work.
KOMMUNIKATÖREN 2017
�
Learn to solve problems together with robots.
Fredrik Heintz
Associate professor, university lecturer at University of Linkรถping, Chairman of the Swedish Al-Society
Fredrik Heintz, Associate professor, university lecturer at University of Linköping, Chairman of the Swedish Al-Society ”Learn to solve problems together with robots” What consequences will it have when we have more and more robots as colleagues? We talked to Fredrik Heintz Associate Professor and University Lecturer at the Institution for Artificial Intelligence and computer systems at Linköping University. Robots are a natural development Throughout history man has developed more and more advanced tools that have made it possible for us to do new things. The development of robots at work is a natural consequence of this according to Fredrik Heintz. “To create tools that help us to do new things is one of mans most important characteristics. So the development of robots is very natural,” says Fredrik. Historically robots have been used primarily in manufacturing – car manufacturing and similar industries – to carry out heavy lifting and repetitive tasks. Today they are used a lot in the electronics industry to carry out tasks that require great precision and tasks that need to be done exactly the same time after time. “Robot development has to date focused either on heavy lifting and repetition or on
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precision and repeatability,” says Fredrik. But now development is more about creating flexible robots that can relate to the world around them. More and more flexible robots… A disadvantage with robots to date has been that the time to recalibrate them to new tasks has been long and the cost of doing so high. It requires a lot of work to reprogram a robot to make for example a new model of a product that is being manufactured. Now the trend is moving towards more flexible robots that can also work together with people. The robots that exist in the workplace today carry out their tasks without reference to their surroundings and are usually kept separate from people to ensure that nobody gets injured. Today’s robot development is more about making more sophisticated robots that can take in information from their surroundings and make decisions based on that. They need to understand what is happening around them so that they can work near people.“A sector that is trendy today when it comes to robot development is logistics. There the challenge is for the robots to learn how to handle more and more unstructured environments. As long as there is an exact position, an RFID-tag or a QR-code there is no problem. But what happens when for example in a grocery shop when someone has changed their mind and replaced an item on the wrong shelf?” Asks Fredrik. “Even the health sector is interesting. Here the robot can be a support that allows people to put more focus on care. An area being explored is having automatic labs where analysis etc. can be carried out without human involvement,” he continues. A third industry where a lot is happening is the transport sector with automatic transports. For example the New Karolinska Hospital will invest in automatic transport within the hospital.
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Also within software there is a lot of development. An example is in what is called “conversational technology,” a software technology that allows verbal interaction with robots. This is a way of creating a more natural way of communicating that is closer to the dialogues we have with other people. Dialogue is really an ineffective way to communicate, but the advantage it brings is flexibility. “Imagine a doctor who is examining a patient and is at the same time in dialogue with a system that documents the examination. The system can also ask follow-up questions so that writing the journal becomes a decision-support system as well,” says Fredrik. … and more and more specialised people The entry of robots into working life will affect us as people in two ways. One is that robots will be developed to handle the same surroundings as us. This means that the difference between a robot and a person will be reduced and working with a robot will be more like working with anyone else. We will interact with robots in the same way as we do with our human colleagues. The second effect is about specialisation. We must specialise ourselves more. If we for example look at which jobs disappeared in USA during the last financial crisis then it was the middle-class jobs that required a general level of education. Highly qualified jobs actually increased in number. “The people who will be successful in working life when robots are common will be those who have a specialised interest, something they are extra good at. It could be anything, make-up, wooden flooring, computer games, or unusual robots…. As long
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as you are good enough and find a way to commercialise your interest the actual subject matter is not that important.” In order to succeed personal attributes like drive and passion will be important. This will differ from earlier transitions in working life, which we have solved by using more training and education. Today it is not lack of education that is the problem. “By using Internet we have access to a global market, the best experts, education in every area, 3D-printing for the production of prototypes etc. That means that if you have an idea then you can go through with it. So what you need to add are ideas and visions and the drive to realise them,” says Fredrik. These developments are a problem for those who are passive. The attitude “I don’t want to do anything,” that we unfortunately see from time to time in working life, won’t work in future. Invest in digital competence and personal development Which competences do we need to develop in order to be successful? Fredrik thinks that we need to be good at what is called “datalogical thinking” or how we solve problems together with computers. We need to learn these skills at school. Also digital competence or how we use digital tools and how we can be active citizens in a digital society will be vital. “As I said earlier it will be about developing your own special interest, the area that you are very good at. It will be essential to develop your uniqueness,” says Fredrik. People’s role in the future The change to a digital working life will require not just new work methods but new attitudes as well. People’s task in the future will primarily be to decide which problems
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It is all about finding your special interest, the area that you are extra
�
good at. It will be essential to develop your uniqueness.
need to be solved and why. Computers and robots can handle the actual problem solving. For people it will be important to be good at the things that computers and robots are less good at. Creativity and seeing new possibilities are two examples. At present we are in the middle of a changeover from an industrial society to a digital society. This brings with it a measure of concern at work and in society in general. In its most extreme form this leads to social unrest and political extremism. “The question is how we can best facilitate this transition and how long the change it is going to take,� concludes Fredrik.
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1:2 The Changing Customer Journey
The Changing Customer Journey A survey into how Swedish companies and organisations are adapting competence, technology and work methods to a changing customer journey. Hammer & Hanborg has together with Microsoft Dynamics researched where Swedish companies and organisations stand today and where they are going in adapting to the changing customer journey. What is necessary to succeed on a journey where we can no longer distinguish between the physical and the digital? Here is a summary of the results of the survey, with comments from Åsa Falkman, Founding Partner, Hammer & Hanborg, Karin Netzell, Chief Business Development Officer, Hammer & Hanborg and Helena Fuchs, Business Area Manager Dynamics, Microsoft. Digitalisation puts new demands on companies and organisations Accelerating digitalisation affects and changes large parts of society. It makes our lives easier and the increased efficiency creates great value for all, from private individuals to companies, organisations and public authorities. Even industries that have not traditionally been technology-driven will be affected by digitalisation sooner or later as society changes. There is an increasing need to adapt competences, systems, work methods and organisational structures in order to meet customers in the right way, in the right channel at the right time. The saying that ”the customer is always right” applies to the way the customer journey is designed. This aims to create satisfied customers, increased productivity and profitability – and in future to remain relevant and to secure survival in tough competition.
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Access to large quantities of data about customer behaviour coupled with new technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), creates new possibilities for companies to improve products and services, increase sales and create better profitability. Those companies that do not keep up with these developments and do not digitalise their operations to match customer expectations will fall behind competitors. The future will belong to those companies who build up a sophisticated sales and marketing organisation that supports the complete customer experience. Omni-customers - Changing customer behaviour One of the most important factors driving digitalisation in marketing, sales and customer service is changing customer behaviour. Today, an increasing proportion of the buying process occurs before we are in touch with a sales person. We use online ratings and social media to find the best and most price-worthy products and services, and to evaluate suppliers. After the purchase we ask questions in digital channels. We rate and review the supplier and the product or service in social media and usually we can get service and help online. We have in recent years seen how physical shops and net shops develop synergies to together meet customer needs. Examples include how we can order online but collect in store. We shop using our phones, M-commerce, research and make decisions online, but make the purchase in the store, webrooming. Or the opposite where we visit physical showrooms to touch and feel the products in order to then buy them online. This new buying behaviour applies to both B2C and B2B. It is all about relations and Human to Human.
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Ă…sa Falkman Founding Partner, Hammer & Hanborg
A large majority (93%) of respondents in the survey confirm that digitalisation has changes customer behaviour. These changes are largely:
• Increased e-commerce.
• Higher demands on the digital relationship with
companies and organisations. We want to be able to
communicate digitally and we expect quick feedback,
which in turn leads to fewer physical meetings
between the customer and the supplier.
• Increased expectations when it comes to digital
self-service. We want access to more and better information digitally.
”The customers do all their research online. They come in to place an order, which means that we have less floor traffic and a high purchase ratio. The customers are very knowledgeable. It is easier for them to bargain than it was earlier as all prices are available online.” – In particular consumers place much higher demands than earlier. They have in general terms come further than business customers in their use of digital channels. But there is a clear trend that business customers are increasingly adopting consumer behaviour, says Åsa Falkman.
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Customers are extremely well-read. It’s easier for them to bargain than
”
earlier because all prices are available online.
THE SURVEY KUNDRESA I FÖRÄNDRING
Karin Netzell Chief Business Development Officer, Hammer & Hanborg
– At the same time as customers put higher demands on communication with suppliers they also want more self-service online. This applies to both private consumers and business customers, says Karin Netzell. – A small number of respondents say that they have not seen changed customer behaviour. This can be interpreted as that they either have less insight about their customers, or that they do not allow their customers to act in different ways. Both alternatives are unfortunately just as bad when it comes to delivering a good customer experience, says Helena Fuchs. How is co-operation affected by the changed customer journey? The functions in organisations that are affected first by the changed customer journey are marketing, sales and customer service. Digitalisation revolutionises work methods. Internal co-operation and integration between departments is necessary in order to follow customers on their complex buying process through physical and digital channels. Marketing, sales and customer service increasingly need to work as one system. This means that roles change and develop. It is necessary to have more staff with specialist knowledge while they at the same time have a broad perspective across the whole customer journey. Increased co-operation. About eight out of ten respondents say that changed customer behaviour has increased co-operation between marketing, sales and customer service. ”We have merged all units that work with customers regardless of whether this is marketing, web, digital solutions or customer service. This is to avoid silos and so that we can work faster when dealing with customers.”
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We have combined all units that works against customers regardless if it is marketing, web, digital solutions or customer service. This to avoid pipes and in order to work faster to meet up the customer.
THE SURVEY KUNDRESA I FĂ–RĂ„NDRING
– We have clearly seen this change over time, says Åsa Falkman. Marketing and sales functions have slowly merged. The changed customer journey means that they have to work together. – This has an effect on the recruitment of new staff, says Karin Netzell. In recent years the demands on co-operation have increased in many roles. One should be able to co-operate with everyone regardless of role or position, both internally and externally. Over and above that the work methods of organisations have changed:
• A majority of respondents say that there has been
increased digitalisation of the customer dialogue
• Almost half reply that different departments have more
common projects than before.
• Almost a third say that the customer dialogue has become
more frequent.
• About a quarter answer that there are more development
projects together with customers.
• About a sixth of respondents say that self-leadership has
increased in the organisation.
– It is interesting that self-leadership is becoming more important, says Karin Netzell. It is a clear result of the new demands from customers. In a quick dialogue you have
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to make fast decisions. You need to have a larger mandate and the ability to act based on the organisations culture and values rather than rules and processes. Everyone is affected. Almost two-thirds of the respondents think that the whole organisation is affected by the digital customer journey. When it comes to individual areas about half of respondents point towards marketing, while the share is a little smaller for communication/PR and for sales. Almost a third say that customer service is affected. Other areas are at lower levels and are not mentioned as much. – We had expected that more people would have said that customer service was affected, says Åsa Falkman. It is therefore reasonable to assume that those that say the whole organisation is affected by the digital customer journey also include customer service. – It is easy to interpret the digital customer journey as covering internet, robots, chat and e-commerce, but a digital experience can also include internet enabled units, service technicians, and retail staff with digital tools who resolve problems as quickly and painlessly as possible, says Helena Fuchs. Here there is a job to do – to explain what it is actually possible to do today. Almost eight of ten respondents say that their IT-systems have at some point been a barrier to new ways of working and processes that better match customers’ needs. They state that this could be the result of aging systems, slow systems, integration problems, and too much focus on technology at the cost of a focus on customers and functionality. One respondent writes that the company’s IT-system is two years after customers’ systems. Several respondents write that their systems are not integrated
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Helena Fuchs Affärsområdeschef Dynamics, Microsoft.
enough. A number of respondents say that security risks and the demands for ITsecurity has been a barrier to introducing new working methods. New Tools Sweden has come further than many other countries when it comes to the use of mobile work tools. According to a study from Spiceworks six out of ten employees in USA, UK and Canada use desktop computers as their main work tool. About a quarter use laptops and only two per cent have smart phones as their main tool. The dominant work tool in Sweden is the laptop with three quarters of respondents. In second place is the smart phone, with nearly ten per cent and a slightly smaller proportion say a desktop computer. The biggest barrier to introducing mobile work tools such as smart phones and tablets is that there is no system support for them. Thereafter routines and habits are cited as reasons. – It happens that companies give their staff smart phones without the programmes necessary to carry out the work. This just shows how important effective change management is in order to reap the rewards on the investment says Helena Fuchs. – In other cases the employer gives staff new tools and programmes but ignores the power of habit, which means that staff simply do not use the new possibilities and do not reach the goals set for the investment, says Karin Netzell.
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It’s easy to interpret the digital customer travel like the internet, cures, chat and e-commerce, but a digital experience can also be connected devices, service technicians and shop staff with digital tools which solves a problem so quickly and painless as possible.
THE SURVEY KUNDRESA I FÖRÄNDRING
Changing customer behaviour puts demands on new competence Changing customer behaviour and technological developments is leading to changes in many professional roles. This means that competence and ways of working need updating to keep pace with changes in the world around us. Almost eight out of ten respondents say that they have needed to change their ways of working to meet the demands of the changing customer journey. A comparison between the areas of marketing, sales and customer service shows that it is in customer service that most have needed to change their ways of working. – Customer service ranks highest, says Åsa Falkman. That is not surprising as there has been a revolution in customer service. Earlier the default method was letter and telephone. Now it is e-mail, social media and chat that are the default channels. At the same time the customer service function is becoming more proactive and predicative. It is about seeing customer needs before the customers themselves see them. A challenge for many companies is to be able to handle all channels simultaneously, both digital and traditional. – Those companies that are digital natives from the start have created pressure on traditional companies, says Åsa Falkman. An example is retail that is being heavily affected by competition from e-commerce. In answer to the question in what way they have needed to change their ways of working, more than six out of ten reply that they have needed to question their ways of working. – This is interesting, says Åsa Falkman. Respondents are very aware that they cannot continue as they always have done as they now face new challenges.
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– That personnel question their work methods is positive as it means that they are taking responsibility for their own and for the company’s development. This is about an increased level of self-leadership at work really, says Karin Netzell. Slightly less than half answer that they spend more time inspiring and motivating colleagues and staff. More than four out of ten say that they have become better at internal co-operation with neighbouring units. – It is a bit surprising that only 41 per cent answer that they have become better at co-operation, says Åsa Falkman. We expected that more would respond that they were now more dependent on other parts of their own organisations. More than a third of respondents say that they are now better at implementing changes. About a fifth have become better at co-operating with customers. Over a third of respondents say that they lack knowledge necessary to succeed in their professional role. – One could say that a third is a relatively low proportion, says Karin Netzell. Maybe a bit of courage is needed to admit that one does not have all the skills necessary for one’s professional role. Basically everyone needs to develop his or her competence. At the same time I think that the proportion is much larger today than it has been earlier. Of those responsible for marketing four out of ten say that they lack knowledge. The equivalent proportions for sales and customer service are more than a third and almost a quarter.
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– Marketing and sales are high up on the list, says Åsa Falkman. This is because they are more affected by the fast pace of change than other areas. They are the ones who first notice when customers’ demands and expectations change. Almost half in the 31–40 year age group experience that they lack knowledge in order to succeed in their professional role. The share saying they lack knowledge is lower in the younger and older age groups. The answer to the question what knowledge is it that the respondents lack can basically be split into three groups: Those that want to know more about technical tools, for example AI, the cloud, marketing automation and programming. Those that want to understand more about the possibilities that result from these technological developments. And those that say they are in constant need of new knowledge. ”Technical and analytical knowledge. The more digital we become, the more demands are placed on us to be able to understand in order to create the optimal customer journey.” Another writes: ”Continual competence development is necessary and there must be time for that as part of our working time. Just keeping up to date takes an enormous amount of time, but it is of course also very interesting. This task is easily down-prioritised when the pressure of work is high.” Summary and conclusions Digitalisation has led to great changes for Swedish companies and organisations. A large proportion say that digitalisation has changed their ways of working and that they have more contact with customers.
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– But the picture looks very different based on which company you look at, says Åsa Falkman. There is a lot of variation that depends on the industry and the size of the company. – Customers tend to lump all suppliers together, says Helena Fuchs. Their expectations are just as great for energy companies as they are for Netflix or the hairdresser. If it is possible to book a time for a haircut at the hairdresser digitally, then it should also be possible to digitally book service from an energy company. Companies and organisations work methods have been affected. In most cases the whole organisation is affected by the digital customer journey. Among specific areas marketing, sales and customer service are the most affected and we can see that co-operation between these functions has increased the most. Sometimes they have even merged into one function. Regardless of how one is organised there is now a great need of new competence in companies to adapt operations to changed customer behaviour and to technical developments. At the same time changes are occurring in many other professional roles. Competence and ways of working need to be updated at the same pace as the world around us changes. – In companies it is understood that they need to expand their knowledge in order to develop their competence and ways of working in the right way. It is also important to create awareness of why the changes are necessary to keep high motivation during the change process, Karin Netzell.
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5 tips for success with new ways of working 1. Use non-linear thinking Start from needs instead of from a detailed specification. The specification will instead be the result of the development project. 2. Improve at solving problems together with computers and robots Dare to use technology! The robot is not a threat – it is an enhancement that means you can use your brainpower on the right things. 3. Focus on things that robots can’t do Develop your human qualities like creativity, fantasy and feelings. Get better at working close to other people as anything digital will become automated. Drop your guard, your human faults are what will make you attractive in a world filled with perfect technology. 4. Include more people in business development Include all employees in the development of work processes and methods. The people closest to the customers know most about their needs and can follow developments in real time. 5. Change perspective – work across borders Let the customer journey through the organisation steer work processes. Share data, systems and knowledge between departments so that you can meet customers at the right time, in the right channel and with relevant information.
Glossary Agile: A collective term for development methods that are flexible, easily adapted and iterative. Plans and methods are evaluated and improved continuously. Instead of starting from a detailed specification, goals and visions are formulated at the start of the project. The detailed specification becomes a result rather than an input. AI: Artificial Intelligence is intelligence that is shown by machines. AR: Augmented Reality, means that we experience a physical and realistic environment that is enhanced by computer generated sensual experiences such as sound, video or GPS-data. This is usually done in real time. Advanced AR techniques e.g. Computer vision, make it possible for the user to interact with the enhanced environment. Crowd sourcing: Is a method where one uses many different partners to solve a problem. Usually an open question is asked of an undefined, large group of people who can contribute with their input and suggestions. Design Thinking: Is a method to evaluate and solve problems that has its starting point in the creative strategies used by designers. It matches the customers/user needs to what is technically feasible and profitable. Edutainment: Is entertainment that is used in an educational way. It could be for example educational computer games or TV programmes. Gamification: Includes using gaming mechanisms in areas that are not normally associated with gaming like working life or education. It is a way of increasing interaction and interest with participants. IoT: Internet of Things, means that objects such as household machines, clothes, machines, vehicles, and buildings are equipped with Internet connections enabling them to be connected to wireless networks and thereby exchange data with each other. Lean: Is an ideology aimed at maximising customer utility and at the same time minimising the waste of resources. The aim is to make working methods more effective, reduce waste and become more efficient.
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M-Commerce: Is a term to describe trade with mobile technology, that the shop is available in your hand or pocket all the time. In 2020 M-commerce is expected to account for 45 % of total e-trade according to BI Intelligence, �E-Commerce Briefing�. Omni customers: A term used to describe the important relationship to the customer and the customer journey that runs through a number of physical and digital channels. The relationship starts with research and can be extended and deepened over time if handled correctly. Show rooming: Sometimes we want to try a product before we buy it. Seeing the product in a shop and then buying online gives good possibilities to find the best price and get the product delivered to your door. Self-Leadership: means that staff lead their own work based on a given framework and goals and take responsibility for their own development, rather than being directed by a manager or supervisor. This involves increased responsibility to prioritise your own work and to motivate yourself. Webrooming: Is a trend on the rise. The term refers to behaviour where we look for information about a product online and then buy it in a shop. According to Postnord the number of consumers doing this increased from 31 % in 2015 to 45 % in 2016.
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2.
Everyone is a leader
PHOTO BY ISABELL WINTER
10 STEPS
TOWARDS A SELF-GOVERNED ORGANISATION
10 steps towards a self-governed organisation. Self-leadership – a prerequisite in the future professional life. For the professional lives of the future, self-leadership is a prerequisite. As a phenomenon, self-leadership is nothing new. The 20th century saw a number of educational reforms that enabled us to choose our own direction in our work lives. Even then, self-leadership was being talked about. Now it is the rapid pace of change that raises the issue of self-leadership. In an organisation operating in a constantly changing environment, each employee has the responsibility of taking charge of his or her own work. According to our survey, Nordic Executive Survey (NES), leaders were requesting increased self-leadership from their employees since we first asked about it in 2015. In fast-moving, flat and transparent organisational structures, all employees may, and should, make relevant decisions and drive development when opportunities occur. To succeed, we have to be open and willing to learn and moreover we must be proactive, brave and positive. Moving from a hierarchical organisation to being a fast, innovative and self-governed organisation can be both difficult and painful to those who actually have to implement and undergo the change; the employees. However, by designing the process with the experience of the employee in mind, the change can be both successful and effective without taking more energy than necessary. In this chapter we present 10 steps to change a traditional, hierarchical organisation into a self-governed organisation. Yet, since all cases are unique, this is no manual –
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What does it take to create a self-governed organisation?
1. Values, framework and goals
2. Motivation and commitment
3. A learning organisation/effective teams
Values show us the way and lay the foundation for a self-governed organisation. Motivation and commitment – to take responsibility for your own work, your own development and the development of the organisation takes commitment. At the same time, motivation and commitment are a few of the great benefits of self-leadership, which can turn into a positive spiral. Effective teams and a learning organisation provide good results and job satisfaction.
(NES 2018)
some organisations need to work more on values while others should focus on creating workplaces that meet future demands for flexibility. However, to succeed all organisations need to take these steps on their journey to self-leadership. We also present in this chapter examples and inspiration from people and organisations that have practical experience of the different steps, and give their views on what is important for success. Why choose a self-governed organisation? More organisations have chosen to develop self-leadership, and some even go so far
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Embrace ideas
Faster decisions
More realistic expectations from employees
Increased engagement
Why self managed organisations?
To cherish the employees potential
Better decisions
Increased trust and safety
Share power and responsibility
See opportunities and understand limitations
Better workdistribution
as to shift to a self-governed organisation. In reality, employee-driven organisations might be a better name. It is important not to assume that the organisation becomes self-propelled like a driverless car that moves forward of its own accord. No, the organisation will not become a self-playing piano; there are on the other hand numerous benefits of playing the piano together. Here are some reasons to abandon a hierarchical organisational structure and shift to a flat, transparent and employee-driven organisation.
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10 steps towards a self-governed organisation 1. USE THE VALUE OF VALUES. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. From this motto we derive that values make up the first step towards a self-leading organisation. Furthermore, values become more important in matching the employer and the employee.
2. LEARN TO LEAD SELF-LEADERS. In a self-governed organisation where everyone is a leader and leads their own work, processes and projects, there are no managers. But we still have to lead each other. This, however, will be done on completely different terms.
3. RETHINK ORGANISATION. New business models and industries mean that work needs to be organised in agile, transparent and flat organisational structures.
4. UNLEASH THE POWER OF PASSION. A self-governed organisation is based on the passion of its employees, and there is no longer the option to push for results through demands and control.
5. REDEFINE TALENT. Competition for talented individuals has never been fiercer. In a self-governed organisation, the requirements are even higher. It simply isn’t enough merely to have the right skills, you also need talented individuals with the power to lead, motivate and develop themselves.
6. EXPLORE THE MAGIC OF DIVERSITY & INCLUSION. Effective teams are magic, and the whole becomes bigger than its parts. Yet, to be able to put together magic teams in which all members can fit in and contribute we need to learn to be open and ignore our prejudices.
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7. CRAFT A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK. It is important that we communicate constructively with each other to be able to grow as individuals. Many organisations are stuck in a judgmental culture that neither benefits development of the individual nor the organisation.
8. BENEFIT FROM A LEARNING ORGANISATION. In knowledge-intensive organisations that work in a fast-paced world, we need to ensure that silent knowledge as well as new ideas are visualized and transferred between colleagues.
9. BECOME INNOVATIVE INTRAPRENEURS. When working in ever-changing conditions, we need to develop the business from a customer perspective to make sure we stay relevant. To succeed we must take on board everyone’s contributions to, and improvements of, daily routines.
10. WORK WELL, FEEL FAB. The workplace sets the conditions for how we work. In a self-governed organisation, the workplace needs to respond to the flexibility required for effective work. It must also be an environment where people feel good so as to be able to perform.
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Christina Hammer Founding Partner Hammer & Hanborg
Self-governance is not for everyone There are certainly risks, difficulties and obstacles to overcome when shifting to a self-governed organisation – especially if one does not pay enough attention to the design of the self-governed organisation. It is all about creating new processes and routines that replace the hierarchical structure. The biggest risk in a self-governed organisation is the accidental creation of an asymmetry in the team or teams, where informal leaders are held up, whilst others, often those who try to push development, are held back or even opposed. Another difficulty is to create a stable and effective structure of governance. If this is not in place, there is a large risk that power and decision-making are given to informal leaders. There is also the risk of the forming of a consensus culture that is slow and can be perceived as cumbersome. An additional obstacle is that a self-governed organisation requires a different set of skills. For example, there will be higher demands on co-operation and on the need to be able to sell ideas or solutions to colleagues. As we know, there are many individuals whose strengths don’t lie in these areas, yet still have many great ideas. Many aspects need to be taken into account; what kind of people are drawn to our industry and organisation? How important is cooperation and self-governance to us? How important is it for us to be able to cooperate with each other, our customers and our partners?
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Christopher Kummelstedt PhD Stockholm School of Economics, consultant and organiser of the network responsive.org
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I believe self-leadership can increase productivity, reduce stress and mental illness in Sweden, and bring out the best in us.
Christopher Kummelstedt, PhD Stockholm School of Economics, consultant and organiser of the network responsive.org I believe self-leadership can increase productivity, reduce stress and mental illness in Sweden, and bring out the best in us. It might sound like an exaggeration, and I do not mean that this paradigm shift is for everyone, but I do have the facts of my observations to lean on. In the Netherlands there is an example of a company in elderly care that stands out, Buurtzorg. They create high growth, satisfied customers and employees, with less resources than the industry average. They outshine their competitors by trying something completely new. The secret lies in their way of organising themselves; they do not use authority but instead are organised as a network.
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Buurtzorg
• 60% market share since the start in 2008
• 108 h “facetime” with patient, compared to the average of 168 h
• Patient satisfaction 9.1 out of 10
• Overhead costs 9 %, compared to the industry average of 25 %
• Best employer 5 out of 6 times the last 6 years
• Patients spend 1/3 less time in convalescence after hospital visit
Their head office of thirty people works as a support for the nurse teams. The 700 teams with 8000 nurses have no formal leaders. Instead they set their own schedule, find new customers, recruit colleagues, evaluate team members’ performance based on their own criteria, innovate and set their own educational goals – all based on their own budget process.
Other examples of self-governed organisations: • FAVI, manufacturing industry, France • AES, energy conglomerate, global • EZBZ, school, Germany • Sun Hydraulics, high-tech industry, global • Netlight, IT-consultant, Sweden • Tenants & Partners, property consultants, Sweden
Why is the idea of self-governed organisations spreading so fast? Crisis of commitment Only 10-20% of Swedes feel committed at work. These numbers exist despite the fact that psychologists have for a long time had the key to making people feel committed: it is ABC – Autonomy (self-governance), Belonging and Competence. We need to be free to think and act for ourselves, and we need to feel that we belong and that our contribution is appreciated. When these criteria are met we do not even need to get paid to work, we will do it anyway because we want to.
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In other words, the way in which we traditionally organise ourselves neither motivates employees to do more than necessary nor does it encourage talents to stay. This is especially relevant when it comes to motivating Millennials. If we intend to attract young talent, we realise that self-leadership is a necessary strategy for every company that wants to attract and keep the best talents. The fast-paced change We all know the world is now changing faster than ever. It has always been that way. What is new is that the technological advancement is so fast-paced that it is noticeable from one year to the next, or even from one quarter to the next. To keep up, companies must be quick to adapt, and the quickest way is to let the employee closest to the customer make the decisions. Tesla, for example, has a rule that an employee who notices an opportunity or a problem not only may but must immediately contact the person in charge of that area. If a company like Tesla wants to transform the automotive industry one cannot live in the illusion that “the one with the highest salary has the best conditions to make decisions�. Neither can the company afford to lose the information that is lost or changed as it travels up the hierarchy. Consequently, the best thing to do is to connect the decision-maker directly to the source of the information. This might appear very challenging and as difficult to get up and running; how can we be co-ordinated and take responsibility without pyramids or hierarchies? The answer is obvious – start slowly. For example, by letting people define their own roles. One can go either part of the way or the whole way. It is, however, important to
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Degrees of self leadership Plan the work
Goals and budget
Define the role
Managing conflicts
Recruitment/Layoffs
Define the organizations purpose and success
remember that the feeling of genuinely contributing to the decision-making process speaks to the core of what motivates us. It is intuitive The time for self-leadership is now. Not only because of the trends mentioned above that affect all industries and sectors, but also because people have an intuitive feeling for self-leadership. For instance, the respondents of NES 2018 gave the same answers as Harvard researchers reached; that the two most prominent benefits are quicker decision-making and that employee commitment is stimulated. The biggest difference What is often underestimated for successful self-leadership is the importance of a genuine feedback-culture. This is probably the most alien aspect for a traditional hierarchical organisation that is transformed into a self-governed network organisation.
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In a way, I think it simply depends on what a network really is. In a traditional pyramid structure, there is room for objectivity; one person (the manager) is always right in his interpretation of reality. What is true for him or her becomes the reality that employees have to, at least on paper, adapt to. However, the flatter the organisation, the less “truths” there are. It is therefore necessary to create a work environment where employees can give their own subjective view of a situation. They have to be able to give feedback to each other and on decisions that are made. If you don’t succeed in this, you will not have a functioning self-governing team. The number of transformations from hierarchical to self-governed organisations is increasing. The reason for this is that now more than ever, profit, well-being and initiative are three sides of the same coin. To survive and flourish in the digital era, all organisations have to think in networks. The journey will not be easy. It will take courage and innovation. But I am so happy that I am around to see this new world take hold.
Selfleadersip
Autonomous
Consensus
Pluralist
KPIs Tradition Strongest rule
Expert Increased complexity Organizational development
Individual development
Conformist Opportunist
Thisisisaasimplification simplification merging of different two different research This andand merging of two research fields. fields. For readers who want to go deeper we recommend e.g. Agile Leadership of Joseph and Joiner. For readers who want to go deeper we recommend e.g. Agile Leadership of Joseph and Joiner.
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What is required of staff? For each state or role in our personal development, there is a more natural way of working and organising work. For the Opportunist, that puts personal needs first, leadership is demonstrated through strength in the current situation (e.g. in a war zone). For the Conformist, who puts norms ahead of personal needs, a church or another role-based hierarchy seems to be the natural choice. For the Expert, who thinks that knowledge is more important than norms, it is logical to use KPIs to chart a course. This is the norm for many companies today. The Pluralist sees reality as subjective and therefore relative in relation to one’s personal perspective, so a choice is only effective and well-founded when anchored in a consensus. When a person reaches the state known as Autonomous then a consensus is no longer needed and the truth is that which is jointly created in order to achieve the issue at hand. What characterises Autonomous is that it integrates the earlier states and the person using this state can choose freely among all the other states. In some situations, it is one’s own personal judgement that is most useful, in others one needs to be an expert on the subject matter, and in other cases one can fall back on creating common truths (new traditions) and sometimes one must be opportunistic. The result is an extremely flexible organisation and a psychological climate that allows each and every person to flourish by using all of their capabilities.
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1. Use the value of values Many who have tried to implement a strategy know Dr. Peter Drucker’s old quote “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. This is not very surprising when considering that culture is what defines a group; what binds people together and determines what they do and how they act. It is all about identifying which values the organisation is willing to stand for – yet also which values already exist within the organisation. Work has to be done on these values until they form a foundation for how all employees act and behave, as well as a basis for decision-making in the organisation when power is shared.
80% say their organisation has defined values. (NES 2018) It’s about identifying the values the organization wants to stand for - but also what values actually exist in the organization - then working on them until they form a baseline for how all employees act, and a foundation for decision-making throughout the whole organization when the power is shared among all the employees.
Is working on the development of the organisation’s values prioritised? Yes 65% No 28% (NES 2018) 2:18
What binds us together Values are becoming all the more important. When employers recruit new employees, they increasingly get matched through values as a base – and the same principle applies when we choose employer. Moreover, we notice what earlier formed the foundation and stability of an organisation is now being picked apart: For instance, organisations are no longer defined by their physical manifestation in buildings. Thanks to cloud solutions we increasingly work out of office. Nowadays, the workplace might be at home or at a café as well as the office. Digitalisation increases mobility and flexibility at work. Partners to the organisation can appear anywhere. Employees can usually set their own schedule and work whenever they want. Furthermore, it is no longer obvious who belongs to the organisation in today’s professional life. With project workers, partners and outsourced departments, there is seldom a clear line between who is inside and who is outside the boundaries of the organisation. For these reasons, values have become even more important as the glue that binds together the parts and make them into a whole. They make a framework that guides decision-making for those who share goals and work together towards a collective vision. Values to support change Values are the foundation of the organisation’s culture. And it is the culture of the organisation that will determine if a change, for instance to transform a traditional organisation to a self-governed organisation, will succeed or not. Three ways in which culture can support change are:
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• The culture of change: It becomes easier to change if the culture itself in
volves change. If change is a part of an organisation’s core values, then a culture that supports change can be developed. • Culture as a uniting power: The biggest challenge with constant change
is to get employees to realise the necessity of change. A healthy culture can for this reason work as a uniting power that enables the execution of change.
• Culture creates positive relations: A culture that creates positive relations, courage and trust yields success. This kind of culture gives self-confidence in an ever-changing world.
(NES 2016)
Yet, culture is not only a way of facilitating change. A study from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business shows that 92% of CEOs and CFOs believe an improved culture would also increase the value of the company.
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83% find a correlation between adherence to values and the
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degree to which goals are met.
(NES 2018)
Dare to let go To successfully create a self-governed organisation, we are required to let go of old rules and standards. Rules require surveillance and control, both of which inhibit the power of self-governance. Thus, having common values is a requisite for self-governance. Clear values and a clear framework and goals top the list when Nordic leaders give their answer to what is vital for the creation of a self-governed organisation (NES 2018). Without a doubt, there are still a number of challenges connected to establishing the values that make up the foundation of the organisation. It can, for instance, be difficult in a larger organisation to reach everyone. And regardless of the size of the organisation, it still takes a lot of energy to keep the dialogue of values alive. Yet, the work pays off; 83 % of Nordic leaders find a correlation between adherence to values and the degree to which goals are met (NES 2018).
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”
Values – The Red Thread of Evolving a Self-Governed Organization
Malcolm Larri Leadership & Culture Consultant Hammer & Hanborg
Malcolm Larri, Leadership & Culture Consultant Hammer & Hanborg Self-managing organizations offer the most important business advantage required to remain relevant in the marketplace today: speed of response. The speed at which business takes place now is so accelerated it’s literally reinventing what an organisational structure must look like. When we exchange the slow decision-making hierarchy of traditional organizations for the self-managing model that gives everybody decision making power, we create more responsive, innovative, and future proof organizations. However, when we trade traditional structures for speed of response, we also trade psychological certainty for more uncertainty. This is because people often just don’t know how to manage change alone or know what to base their decisions on, once the structures that they have previously worked in are gone. More than ever, organizations need to give their people a strong foundation of how to make decisions and lead themselves, so they can take full advantage the benefits the self-managing structure promises. And that foundation is values. When companies actively promote, discuss and connect people to the company values, they are creating a “red-thread” through all of the decision making and
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constant change the marketplace demands. The continual use of the values as a framework can create a strong sense of continuity and certainty within the organizations culture. The critical piece of the puzzle is connecting people to the values. When we work with an organization our goal is the have people become very clear about what the values mean to them and to get a clear picture of how they will put the values into action. This creates a deep sense of connection to the values and a strong sense certainty that they can make decisions that will be good for the organization and themselves long term. Without strong values to underpin the new way of working , Self-Managing Organizations risk creating a “wait and see” culture, where senior leaders are constantly having to step back in to provide the certainty that staff need. While values top the list of importance in our recent survey, 20% of leaders said their organizations did not have a defined values statement! These organizations are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to managing change at the rate the modern marketplace demands, a rate that will continue accelerate rapidly. Values will be the most important asset any organizational culture has to build on, in a future that will require us all to work in new, challenging and constantly changing ways.
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2. Learn to lead self leaders In a self-governed organisation there are no managers – everyone is a leader. The work, the process, projects and colleagues still have to be led, but on different terms. With more responsibility and authority shared amongst colleagues comes a higher demand on clarity in the organisation; you want to know what you do well and that you are on the right track. Mission, vision, framework, goals, expectations and ambition must be clear for the work and self-leadership to work.
In a self-governed organisation there is a higher demand of clarity on: Mission
KPIs
Vision Expectations
External limits
Ambitions
Goals Norms
66% agree that clear values, framework and goals are the most critical factors in the creation of a self-governed organisation (NES 2018)
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Leading in constant change Another important part of a self-governed organisation is to be able to lead in constant change. The world is changing rapidly, and the organisation needs to adapt just as rapidly to stay relevant (more on this in step 8: Innovation). We can already witness the adaptation in the leadership of the new organisational structures that are less hierarchical and without silos. We see it also in the changed values of the employees as well as in their behaviour. To succeed as a leader in constant change, soft qualities are important.
A few of the qualities that were listed in NES 2016 where:
Coaching, Inspiring, Flexible, Adaptable, Communicative, Open, Responsive, Empathetic and Courageous The role of the leader in a self-governed organisation In a self-governed organisation without managers, the role of the leader is transformed. Rigorous control and micro-management belong to the past. Instead, we achieve success by understanding what inspires and motivates each individual. The function of the leader is then to create the best possible conditions for each individual to perform, develop their abilities, and feel good. This coaching leadership, that creates the right conditions for specialists to succeed, is a leadership without instructions.
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Success is decided by
1. How clear you are on the boundaries and values of the work (66%). 2. How well you know your co-workers and how well you motivate and engage them even in adversity (53%). 3. How well you can get co-workers to work together and learn from each other. (28%). (NES 2018)
How to Lead in Constant Change – From NES 2016 we know what it takes to lead in constant change, an important aspect of leading in a self-governed organisation.
Change means changing
Inspire courage and confidence
Change does not come when we decide to change,
The task of a leader is no longer to tell the employee
but when we actually do things differently.
what to do and how to do it. Modern leadership is
New technology brings fantastic possibilities.
rather about inspiring than micro-managing. Inspiring
But the true transformation is about people, culture
courage and confidence is the most vital factor to lead
and leadership.
in constant change, according to Nordic leaders.
Success is to make people grow
Use the power of culture
Modern leaders are not managers. Successful
Culture might be the deciding factor in
leadership in constant change is the ability to
constant change. A strong culture is a factor
state clear messages and get everyone to
of success in an ever-changing world.
work accordingly.
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Everyone is a leader
Change crosses all borders
Skills and knowledge are no longer top priority.
Change is not an isolated question; it is something that
Self-leadership is even more important.
concerns everyone in the organisation.
Agile is everywhere
Reorganise for new business
Working in an agile way is no longer exclusive for
Traditional hierarchical organisation structures do not
tech-companies and start-ups. Today all industries
support new business models.
and sectors make use of agile methods.
Network organisation FTW
Drone traffic controllers and AI coaches
There will be no silos in the future. Change is sup-
The fast pace of change reflected in the emerging
ported by working in networks. Successful organisa-
new roles in the organisations.
tional structures are founded on networks. (NES 2016)
In short: leadership in a self-governed organisation is
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about making people grow. We call this competence The Enabler.
Enabler
The leader of the future – The Enabler Leaders capable of creating a safe culture where successful teams grow have good prospects to succeed. Their talent is to be an Enabler. The Enabler builds teams successfully by motivating and inspiring others in order to make best use of their talent. Clearly explains concepts and opinions and articulates key points of an argument. Identifies the different needs and aspirations of staff. Spends time attracting and retaining talents. Takes relevant decisions and handles difficult and challenging situations objectively. Encourages the team to act outside the team and contribute to the organisation as a whole.
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Ă…sa Saltin Meerits Managing Consultant, Nordics SHL
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To have a “soft” leadership style, in other words that which has previously been referred to as a female style of leadership, is what has proven to work best today.
Åsa Saltin Meerits Managing Consultant, Nordics SHL I often encounter companies who wish that their employees had the competence to lead themselves. It seems to me that this a consequence of the challenge large organisations face in offering their staff on-going development. By communicating that development is a personal responsibility organisations believe that they can avoid having to deal with the work involved in the development of the workforce and instead transfer this responsibility over onto each individual. In reality this is only partly true. By making it clear that each employee has a personal responsibility for his or her own development it is also a clear signal that you have to be proactive and thereby ask for help when you wish to develop yourself (learn more, acquire new skills, hone your competencies). Thus the individual is likely to seek help in the form of guidance, advice and coaching. In order for the culture of “self-leadership” to succeed, there is a pre-requisite that the individual’s leader must in turn assume the role of someone who leads and coaches as opposed to adopting the obsolete authoritarian style. This new type of leader needs to trust in the competence of their employees as well as having a genuine interest in people; a will to understand each person’s strengths, development areas and motivation. SHL’s research supports this view and shows that in order to be a successful leader attributes such as empathic, behavioural and trusting are the most effective attributes in the majority of contexts. To have a “soft” leadership style (in other words that which has previously been referred to as a female style of leadership) is what has proven to work best today (SHL och Gartner, 2017).
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SHL, the global leader in talent innovation, helps companies transform productivity through deeper people insight. Powering the future of business, our data and assessment tools are proven to drive stronger, more sustainable business outcomes. More at shl.com.
3. Rethink organisation In the same way that leadership needs to be adapted to make way for self-leadership, we need to adapt the organisational structure. In other words, how we organise ourselves, our work processes and information flows - so as not to inhibit the power of self-governance with hierarchical structures and silos. The professional lives of the future will be characterised by continued and accelerating technical advancement that will come to change many aspects; we will witness new industries pop up, with entirely different business models, new ways of working, new methods and a need for new types of competence.
“Structure replaces hierarchy� 76% of Nordic leaders agree that hierarchical organisations work less well today than they did 10 years ago. (NES 2018) Overall, this means that we need to organise the work in accordance with a different structure than the traditional, hierarchical organisation where power, mandate and information are concentrated to the top. This model worked better in a time where the world didn’t change at the rapid pace it does today, it kept employees in their place and slow structures ensured the stability of the organisation. The organisations of the future, however, must be flexible and agile to meet the demands of an ever-changing world. One way to achieve this is through the model of self-governance.
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Movement in the labour market, millennials, self-realisation, ethical approaches instead of monetary incentives, digital transformation etc. all means that fewer people want to work in a hierarchical organisation.
(NES 2018)
Examples of alternative organizational structures
Traditional organisation
Network organisation
founded on hierarchical
based on relations between stake-
structures and silos.
holders, and the structure allows the organisation to change and adapt to altered conditions.
Chaos organisation
Amoeba organisation
Loose structures and nonlinear
an open organisation that
processes, there are no silos
does not assign individuals
and while roles are defined
into certain roles or mandates
but allowed to adapt based on
but looks at each person’s
current need.
abilities and allows them to act without being limited by a role description. (NES 2015) 2:42
Organisational structures for self-governance In the traditional organisational structure, information is a power factor that is concentrated and managed from the top. Often, leaders took advantage of their information advantage when they led the organisation. Self-governed organisations, on the other hand, are based on networks in flat and transparent structures. Power, mandate and information are decentralised and flow freely, and decision-making is based on networks.
What are the benefits of a flatter organisational structure?
1. Faster decision-making process
2. Better use of employee talent
3. Better flow of communication
4. Higher work satisfaction
5. Better use of business opportunities
(NES 2018) In times of change, parallel ways of organising are common. This means that one part of the organisation might reflect a traditional organisational structure, while another looks more like a network organisation. In the transition to a self-governed organisation, it is likely that different structures exist simultaneously. The network organisation is considered to be the most appropriate organisational form for dealing with an environment in constant change. (NES 2016) It is also well suited for a self-governed organisation. The network organisation is based on relationships between different stakeholders, both inside and outside the organisation. Teams are 2:43
Self-governed organisations, on the other hand, are based on networks in flat and transparent structures.
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put together to solve a task, and some team members may well be external partners. Cooperation with suppliers, giggers, customers and colleagues happens every day. For this reason, it can be difficult to draw a clear boundary of where the organisation ends, and there may be more parts to the organisation that just the employees. An organisation structured as a network is quick to adapt to changed circumstances and this suits the growing gig-economy business climate that requires organisational structures that allow talents to flow in and out of the organisation depending on their own needs and wants. Cooperation across borders Nowadays, the different functions of the organisation need to work more closely and more cooperatively. More on this in chapter 1:2, The changing customer journey, where you will find information on how development, marketing, sales and customer service departments work together as an integrated entity. It involves having shared processes and sharing knowledge and data to build and maintain customer relationships. This, of course, applies not only to the aforementioned departments but to the entire organisation. When cooperation between different functions increases, the boundaries between different occupational roles are blurred. The roles become less fixed and the role description is no longer what controls which projects you work in, what information you have access to, what you are evaluating, etc. This is in line with the new leadership required in a self-governed organisation, where the task of the manager is to create the conditions for each individual to maximise their potential. In this case, one cannot be allowed to be limited by a role description.
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AGILE METHODS Self-governed organisations commonly use agile methods. Yet, agile work methods appear elsewhere as well: What started as a method in tech and start-up industries is now being used in all sectors and industries. Speed, flexibility, common goals and creating customer value are the reasons why large organisations and the public sector today work with the agile methods. Agile methods are used in different ways, here are four main categories:
• An agile organisation: Flexible roles, flat organisational
structures, virtual teams, cooperation with giggers, coopera-
tion with other organisations to increase customer value.
• An agile work process: Uses agile work processes, such as Scrum.
• Agile teams: Some departments or teams use agile methods. Common examples include R&D, IT and marketing.
• Agile projects: Agile methods are used in certain projects. (NES 2016)
Niklas Lindhart
Partner & Culture Builder, CaptureInnovation
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From the individual to the company, not the other way round.
Niklas Lindhardt, Partner & Culture Builder, CaptureInnovation In 2013, I quit my position as a unit manager in a major engineering business. I had a growing conviction that there had to be better ways of taking advantage of people’s commitment and competences than in the hierarchical command & control organisation I lived and worked in. The feeling of leaving a large part of me at the door every morning, and then to go on and do an okay day’s work entirely on routine had worn away at me, and it was enough. I read up on research concerning different ways of organising, on organisational innovation and the psychology of motivation. Together with my partner (in business, not in life) Eric, CaptureInnovation was started. This was an organisation that would be based on entirely different foundations. The employee was truly to get a central position in the company. So central that everything would be influenced by everyone. Nothing is holy, nothing is static. The strategy was, and still is, to be responsive to signals from the environment so as to rapidly and with agility be able to act on opportunities to always stay relevant. The future and direction are set together, several times per year, based on the individuals’ motivation. The base is a clear and thorough set of values, based on the employees’ individual, personal values. For we are convinced that values must flow in this direction to be effective - from the individual to the company, not the other way round. We have a cohesive and clear purpose – “Goodness for Man” as a guide to all that we do and all decisions we make. Asking the question “Does this create Goodness for Man?” and being consistent in decisions lets us act in certain ways, for instance to opt out of a certain customer segment because it does not conform to our base of values. 2:49
There are many essential and principal factors, here I have listed four of them: • Complete transparency – if decisions are to be made by anyone, then all data must available to all. Besides, transparency is an important cultural indicator. We do not keep secrets from each other. And yes, even salaries are transparent. We even set them together. • Rituals that found culture – What we do every day in ways that build the culture we want. They might be about small things, like how we initiate and conduct me etings, as well as larger matters such as common- strategy-and-direction days we ’
keep regularly, or when we set salaries for each other. • Development of each individual – he individuals make up the company, and by taking responsibility for the development of the individual, we secure the development of the company. • The process of strength-based co-creation – the only thing we can be certain of is constant change. And when everything changes, the most important process is to co-create new solutions through our strengths and available knowledge.
Operatively, the organisation consists of a number of defined functions, which correspond to areas that handle normal corporate operations etc. A few examples of such functions are: IT, Marketing, Sales & Cooperation, Individual Development etc. Tasks that are carried out within the functions are well defined, limited in time and scope, and can be done parallel to ongoing duties. The functions are complemented by Projects, in which bigger tasks or projects that do not fit in the aforementioned definition are handled.
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Each individual decides for herself which circles to be a part of. They decide by interest and energy, and competence: Where can I contribute, or where can I learn? So, what has this given us so far? Is this really beneficial compared to command & control and hierarchy? And do we really have no managers? To steal the quote of Covey, “begin with the end in mind�. No. We have no managers. We believe they are not necessary. On the other hand, natural leaders will appear in the functions and projects that we run. This kind of leadership usually turns out well, and becomes genuine and uplifting. And yes, we really believe that our purely employee-driven organisation yields benefits and results. One noticeable result is participation and co-creation. We feel a remarkably increased energy levels, increased affinity, and often we find completely new ways of doing things. Moreover, new ideas are born, and those ideas that gain traction live on. This, for instance, has resulted in the process where we set our salaries with Lego, and it has led to the foundation of two new businesses. One business is to help immigrant programmers to find work, the other is a new product concept. To continue, we need to grow. Many challenges wait as we pass different thresholds caused by increasing numbers. And I am convinced that together, with a strengthbased attitude, we will find new creative solutions that will lead us in the right direction even in the future.
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4. Unleash the power of passion Motivation and commitment are crucial for an organisation to be able to face the challenges of today’s fast-paced rate of change. We must all be prepared to make relevant decisions and act on opportunities. In a self-governed organisation, this is paramount. The employees’ passion is the engine that drives the organisation forwards, and to try to generate results by making demands and by strict control is no longer an alternative. The key question is to understand what motivates each individual. When Nordic leaders were asked about the level of commitment in their teams, they believed the average commitment in their teams stood at 76% (NES 2018). Yet, according to Gallup studies that number should be significantly lower; only 16% of the Swedish work force are committed to their work (Gallup, State of the Global Workplace). An explanation of the gap between the two numbers might be unrealistic beliefs of leaders concerning the commitment of their teams. Nevertheless, these numbers indicate that there is an enormous amount of unused potential – if only one knew how to get at it.
How large a part of your team do you believe are committed to their work? 76%
(NES 2018
Find passionate commitment Commitment is a must when the employees are running the business. A committed and motivated employee will notice opportunities and act on them – unlike the uncommitted employee who probably will not even see the opportunity. Further, commitment and motivation are key to creativity and innovation, the two of which are fundamental for the development of an organisation.
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To help each individual to find their passionate commitment and create the right conditions for him or her to incorporate this into their daily work will be a vital component of success in the self-governed organisation. As you can read about in step 2, leadership is about creating the right conditions for each individual to perform to their full potential. This is of even more importance in the self-governed organisation, where the energy and commitment of individuals needs to be channelled in a way that helps the entire team reach their full potential.
Do you know what motivates and stimulates colleagues in your team? Yes 41 % Partly 38% (NES 2018)
When Nordic leaders get the question of whether they know what motivates and stimulates members of their own team, 41 % answer yes (NES 2018). So, in order to create a well-functioning self-governed organisation, there is still a job left to do. Motivation and commitment in times of change A considerable challenge for many leaders is to maintain motivation and commitment among their employees – and themselves – especially in times of change. This could happen when a new competitor challenges the organisation or at times of great change within the organisation, such as a reorganisation. Nowadays we face changed circumstances every day, and to maintain commitment through this kind of adversity is consequently one of the critical challenges modern leaders face (NES 2016). To increase motivation in our teams, we are required to treat each individual in a way that strengthens their commitment. So, in a self-governed organisation where everyone is a leader, team members must get to know each other so as to know what are the wants and needs of each. A team member must know what motivates and demotivates every other team 2:55
member, and which situations make each person grow.
To generate results by making demands and by strict control is no longer an alternative.
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Anna Bloth Karling
Founder and Chief Purpose Officer, Hubbster
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To maintain commitment in an ever-changing world, then, seems to be a strategic question.
Anna Bloth Karling, Founder and Chief Purpose Officer, Hubbster Coworker engagement is one of the most powerful currencies in business today. Studies clearly show that engaged coworkers succeed 22% better than their disengaged equals, and on average give three times higher value per share (McKinsey, “Hidden value of organizational Health”). For many companies, this engagement is elusive, but those who succeed can show fantastic results and cultures that attract customers and talents alike. Current developments have shown us that an engaged workforce is not only a “nice to have”, it is a must. At any rate if you want to achieve your goals and attract the best talents. To a larger extent, businesses have changed from being heavily managed from the top to having ideas and commitment flow from the business – bottom up. We live in a world where purpose and belonging are more important than ever. Culture is for this reason a key factor in getting this sought after coworker engagement. Companies and organisations experience today a reality where the only certainty is that nothing is constant. This is a reality our minds have yet to adapt to. Fear of change is the norm; it is a part of our brains’ defence to create structure and clarity for us. How one understands and handles this fear is what will decide if you are a winner or a loser. To maintain engagement in an ever-changing world, then, seems to be a strategic question. One of the leading theories on motivation, Self Determination Theory, states that people need three things to be able to feel motivation and commitment. We need (1) to 2:59
understand the purpose of what we do (purpose), (2) to feel a forward development (mastery) and lastly (3) to use our self-governance (autonomy). If we do not have these three things in a combined and balanced way, we will have a hard time feeling that inner motivation that is the engine of our engagement. Most of us recognise these three factors as things we need for our own motivation. It’s usually enough to think about a time when you have practiced hard to get better at a sport, or buried yourself in books to learn everything about a subject you are passionate about. This is how entrepreneurs find the energy to work so hard for such a long time, and for this same reason larger companies strive to identify internal entrepreneurs, so called intrapreneurs. When it comes to willpower and perseverance, engagement is key. Purpose
Motivation & Commitment Self-leadership
Development
For this reason, a lot of companies today strive to create self-governance, the power to lead and motivate oneself to get the highest possible performance. Constant change and demands on adaptability render top-down micro-management too slow. Decisions made at the top are often not well enough anchored in the specialised knowledge of the coworkers in order to be implemented in a short time. The strength created by having all coworkers in the organisation with their own engagement making wise decisions in line with the common strategy and culture is therefore heavily sought-after. In this, research on motivation can give us important hints on how to succeed. Because self-leadership seldom works without using purpose and mastery as counter-weights. The balance created between the three give coworkers the context they need to reach their fullest potential – as the company’s best advisers. 2:60
5. Re-define talent Competition for talented employees has never been fiercer. There are lots of options for ambitious and curious people in today’s job market. The Gig-economy attracts interest by offering new ways of creating quality of life, and new industries with new jobs appear where we least expect it. Also, how we define talent is changing (more on this in chapter 3. What is a job?). A long time has passed since talent was synonymous with what was written on your CV. Experience and education still matter, but now there is more focus on motivation, values and potential. In a self-governed organisation, demands for the latter three are greater – it is no longer enough to have specific skills, instead we also need people who can lead, motivate and develop themselves.
Successful qualities for self-leadership
CURIOSITY
ADAPTABILITY RESPONS-
COOPERATION COURAGE
IBILITY COMMUNICATIVE
EMPATHY FLEXIBILITY
OPENNESS PASSION
INDEPENDENT (NES 2016) 2:62
The time has come for new definitions of talent When organisational structures and roles are changed, we also need to update our view of what it means to have talent in the professional lives of today and the future. Before, employers saw value in employees that followed rules and goals and respected their superiors. Today however, different qualities are demanded. 67 % of leaders say they look for different qualities today than they did a few years ago (NES 2018).
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What Nordic leaders look for when they seek talent for their teams Digital competence Flexibility Increased acceptance of change and faster changes Higher commitment More customer understanding Less focus on knowledge and correct education More focus on motivation Passion and the will to learn Matching values Independence and initiative Interest, not only technical knowledge Independent energy and drive Independent motivation Cooperation and self-leading people (NES 2018)
Successful behaviour in the future professional life A working life with higher demands on self-leadership and more self-governed organisations affects what competences are needed to succeed. Hammer & Hanborg’s Competency Model outlines the behaviour that gives the right conditions in the future professional life. We all have a mix of different behavioural competences, and the mix that is needed depends on the role, organisation and numerous other factors. Visionary The Visionary is curious and looks beyond the target and is not limited by existing truths. Works with an innovative approach and thinks strategically in order to develop visions for the future. The Visionary is brave and self-confident even when acting outside the/his/her comfort zone. Takes risks rather Visionary
than missing opportunities. Works with testing assumptions and investigates in order to produce solutions. Maintains an optimistic outlook even when
facing challenges. Maintains knowledge of market and competition in a visionary way in order to find new business opportunities. Change Maker The Change Maker actively seeks and introduces change with enthusiasm and acts on own initiative. Focuses on improvements that will enhance business performance. Questions existing methods and rules while promoting
Change Maker
new ideas and supporting the introduction of new methods . Handles ambiguity effectively and will act even if met with resistance. Acts consistently and
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fairly and acts as a role model for others. The Change Maker is committed,
trustworthy and a quick learner.
Co-Creator The Co-Creator establishes networks effectively across all levels both internally and externally. Negotiates skillfully by gaining agreement and commitment. Operates across functions and disciplines showing a cross-cultural awareness. Co-Creator
Shares information openly and proactively with others and encourages others to do the same. Acts with integrity, keeps promises and maintains confidenti ality. Understands and shows interest in other people’s point of view and attitude and wants to learn from others. The Co-Creator is diplomatic and without prestige. Performer The Performer takes responsibility for own work and makes things happen while keeping a focus on customer needs. Sets clearly defined objectives and priorities in order to drive projects to results. Copes well with unexpected change
Performer
and remains focused on work when under pressure. Acts quickly in many work situations. Applies specialist job knowledge and expertise while seeing the opportunities in using new technology. Enabler The Enabler builds teams successfully by motivating and inspiring others in order to make best use of their talent. Clearly explains concepts and opinions and articulates key points of an argument. Identifies the different needs and aspira-
Enabler
tions of staff. Spends time attracting and retaining talents. Takes relevant decisions and handles difficult and challenging situations objectively. Encourages the team to act outside the team and contribute to the organisation as a whole.
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6. Explore the magic of diversity & inclusion Effective teams can be magical in that the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. In a self-governed organisation, functioning and effective teams are essential. For this reason, it is important to consider which parameters we use when putting together a team, and how we ensure all team members can contribute to the full extent of their ability.
Personality Skills/Qualities Experience Diversity Roles Parameters considered by Nordic leaders when assembling teams. (NES 2018)
When Nordic leaders were asked which parameters they consider when assembling their teams, personality came out at the top of the list, before skills and experience. Diversity in several dimensions Diversity is something many organisations endeavour to display, not in the least through digital channels. The diversity on show is usually about external qualities, such as age, gender and ethnicity. Yet, if they all have the same socio-economic background, live in large cities, have similar education from the same schools, then perhaps changing the colour of the skin does not make much difference? Diversity is about a lot more. 2:68
e nc
e om c In
yle Lifest
Orientation
de
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Sexual
Ethnicity
l
Age
Gr
e te n c y M o
Gender
Reli gion
Lea de rsh i
Wor kE xpe rie
ion iat ffil pa ou
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Physical/Mental Ability
Geogr aphic Location
Work Location
Model of diversity in four levels
Inside out: Behavioral, Internal, External, Organizational The model is based on diversity wheel, Loden & Rosner 1991
As stated earlier, it is easy to get stuck in the second layer when considering diversity. This is especially the case as factors in this layer can be excluding or even discriminating. But, by considering the other dimensions we create real diversity. Diversity as a competitive advantage Diversity has many benefits and gives the organisation better financial results, higher competitive strength and makes it more attractive in the competition for talented employees. • Better financial results According to studies by McKinsey, companies with a more diverse management achieve better financial results. For example, they found that companies with a management with both women and men were more profitable and that ethnic and cultural diversity increased profit margins (McKinsey “Delivering through diversity”, Report January 2018). • Higher competitive strength Apart from making it easier to understand customer needs and perspectives when employees reflect customers, many customers today choose whom to do business with based on values (The Communicator 2017). Almost 90% of participants in the survey agreed that it will be more important to share the organisation’s values in the future. Read more on this in chapter 3. What is a job? • Attracting talented employees Millennials prioritise these questions and many actively disregard companies that fail to consider them. Work on diversity is for this reason a way to increase attractiveness towards talented employees now and in the future.
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Diversity is not enough No matter how careful we are in assembling a team, considering all dimensions of diversity, it will be all for nothing if we do not at the same time work with inclusion. All members of the team must be included in a way they can and want to contribute. Otherwise, diversity will have no effect.
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To maintain commitment in an ever-changing world, then, seems to be a strategic question.
” KOMMUNIKATÖREN 2017
7. Craft a culture of continuous feedback In team-based work environments, it is important that we learn from each other to facilitate development of the individual and the group. In order to grow and develop, we have to communicate constructively with each other. In 2018, it is well known that feedback is decisive for success. This becomes clear when as many as 50% say that they have an explicit feedback-culture (NES 2018). Of these, the majority have set up routines and processes to make feedback a natural part of the day.
50% have an explicit feedback-culture in their current work place. (NES 2018)
Unfortunately, many organisations are still stuck in a judgmental culture that neither benefits the individual nor the organisation. As stated in step 3, Organisation, we will in future cooperate both inside and outside the boundaries of the organisation; we will become more dependent on specialised colleagues’ knowledge, and we must be able to communicate in a constructive way. These skills will be even more important as the tempo increases. In a self-governed organisation, everyone has the responsibility to help themselves, each other and the organisation to develop. This requires that we create a culture where people are allowed to give their own subjective view on a situation. Everyone must feel that they can give feedback and input both to colleagues and to decisions in the making. By working on the development of a healthy culture of feedback, both individuals and the organisation will grow.
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Feedback takes practice To give, and take, feedback is difficult. Properly given feedback can speed up learning, while sloppy feedback can be perceived as indirect criticism and be destructive. Organisations have to learn how to work on giving feedback in the best way to achieve the results they desire. But it will take a lot of work for the entire organisation to learn this skill. A few things that can facilitate the creation of a feedback-culture are:
• Routines and processes to make feedback a natural part of the day
• Being clear with the fact that a feedback-culture is decisive for success
• Creating opportunities to take courses in feedback for everyone in the
organisation
• Reward the ability to give, ask for, and take feedback.
• Evaluating managers’ and leaders’ ability to give, ask for, and take feedback.
There is openness to taking feedback in Nordic countries, and most agree that they are willing to take feedback from as many as possible (79%), while only one per cent say they are not comfortable in taking feedback from anyone (NES 2018). There is, then, a solid foundation for establishing self-governed organisations in Nordic countries.
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Initiatives to facilitate a feedback-culture: 1. Created routines and processes to make feedback a natural part of the day (38%) 2. Been clear with the fact that a culture of feedback is decisive for success (34%) 3. There is possibility to take a course in feedback for managers and staff (12%) 4. Rewarding of the ability to give, ask for, and take feedback (8%) 5. Evaluation of managers’ and leaders’ ability to give, ask for, and take feedback (8%) Answers from Nordic leaders who work in an organisation with an explicit feedback-culture, when asked which initiatives have been taken to facilitate that feedback culture. (NES 2018)
8. Benefit from a learning organisation The next step in creating a self-governed organisation is to make sure knowledge and ideas are made easily available and that they are transferred between colleagues, to create a learning organisation. Usually, we are good at looking outside the limits of the organisation, at external courses, in our quest for knowledge. But we forget that there is valuable knowledge that already exists within the organisation. Finding ways to use and spread this knowledge will be a factor of success. In a fast-evolving world, it is necessary to always be learning new things and to put old experiences in new contexts. Learning is a must in order to keep up with customers. By learning from each other’s mistakes, the organisation can move faster and avoid making the same mistake twice. Moreover, the increased level of cooperation demands the sharing of knowledge, ideas and experience. As stated in step 3, Organisation, the different functions of the organisation will work closer to each other and cooperate more and more. Roles are not as set as they were before, and the cooperation involves colleagues as well as “giggers�, suppliers and customers. For this, we have to be excellent at sharing knowledge. A learning organisation is more of a mind-set and part of the organisational culture than it is a method. It is all founded on employees willing to share, and the structures that enable this.
Is your workplace a learning organisation? Yes 57% No 29% Unsure 14% (NES 2018)
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A success factor As many as 98% agree that a learning organisation is a success factor, while only 57% would say that their workplace is a learning organisation (NES 2018). In other words, for many organisations there is some work left to do to maximise the benefits from the knowledge that exists internally.
Is it an important success factor? Yes 98% (NES 2018) Let the silent knowledge be heard We need to ensure that both knowledge and ideas are shared between colleagues. Unfortunately, there is not always enough incentive to spend time on sharing knowledge, so it stays with the individual. This knowledge is sometimes called “silent knowledge”, since it does not get heard. Individuals might even sometimes benefit from keeping their best tricks to themselves. To reveal silent knowledge is a must in reaching a state of constant development and increased competitive strength. If you have worked through the earlier steps, you will have a good starting point from which to create a learning organisation. 2:79
• By working with organisational values and culture, a foundation is laid for the will to share knowledge and ideas. • The leadership creates conditions for each individual to develop and perform, which decreases competition and increases the will to share. • The right organisational structure makes it easier to spread knowledge through the organisation.
• Committed and motivated colleagues are more willing to share.
• Talented individuals that are successful in a self-governed organisation are
open to cooperation and exchange of ideas and experience. • Inclusion of all team members sets the right conditions for sharing knowledge and experience. • A feedback-culture where we can communicate constructively with each other enables the exchange of knowledge
A learning organisation also has a good starting point to be good at the next step, Innovation.
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PHOTO BY EMIL FAGANDER
Silvia Ernhagen VD Hungerprojektet
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This way, the vision is developed and new solutions to reach the goal are identified.
Silvia Ernhagen, VD Hungerprojektet The Hunger Project (Hungerprojektet) is a non-profit organisation that focuses on women and trains and strengthens them to lift themselves from hunger and poverty. Our best tools are education, information and working on changing people’s view of themselves and their possibility to change. These are values that not only grow with time, but are also transferred to more people. In this way, we can slowly and strategically change an entire society. We are active in 12 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In the African countries we work in 10-year cycles. In Sweden we work with information, education and raising funds. Three basic components decide if we will together be able to create sustainable change in an effective way: equality, social mobilisation, and cooperation with the local authorities.
• Equality
A large part of the world’s problem with poverty and hunger is due to women’s
lower social standing in comparison to men. In our programs, women are edu-
cated to be decision-makers, to take their rightful place amongst the strongest
leaders of the community, and to be entrepreneurs on equal terms.
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• Social mobilisation
When we start working with a community, usually only a few individuals see the
potential and engage with us. To create development in the entire society, there
needs to be a vision that many participate in and work for. For this reason, we
make sure participants formulate a vision founded on a future without poverty
and hunger. When vision, commitment and solution are the people’s own,
change will last.
• Cooperation with the local authorities
Change is not only about spreading knowledge and commitment among the people that live in the villages; we are also targeting strategic partners that exist outside. In the creation of lasting change, it is important to engage communities together with local decision-makers and authorities. The Hunger Project educates people about their democratic rights, so as to give them the power to make their voices heard and strengthen their roles as citizens. Working on improving the relationships and increased understanding between citizens and the different political levels are a key factors in laying the foundation for healthy societal structures.
Together with the people who live in the societies in which we are active, and with representatives of local authorities we organise workshops to create a vision, a commitment and a plan of action (Vision, Commitment and Action Workshop). Each participant in the workshop is encouraged to develop a plan of action for a personal goal that is connected to the vision, and then with the help of his or her specific skills and resources achieve this within three months. The workshop is repeated several times, and each time new members from the society are engaged. This way, the vision is developed and new solutions to reach the goal are identified. During the first workshop the most committed participants are identified and they act as voluntary leaders. These people receive special training so they can lead similar workshops across the society involved in the project. This is a way of spreading knowledge in a wider way.
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With this method – inviting more and more people in a society that faces great change to create their own vision, identifying problems and solutions – we create commitment and transmit knowledge to the large amount of people that are required to create sustainable and lasting change. Together, they realise their own abilities, learn from each other and feel change is possible. They have learned methods to create a plan for how to move themselves, their family and the entire community from a life of poverty and hunger to a life of self-subsistence with power over their own lives.
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Together, they realise their own abilities, learn from each other and feel change is possible.
9. Learn from entrepreneurs As we have often stated, we live and work in a world that is in constant transition. In order for the organisation to remain relevant, we have to evolve at the same rate as the world around us and keep the customer in focus. Innovation becomes a key issue. The biggest challenge of working in an organisation that is in constant transition is to make the employees realise that they need to adapt to this change (NES 2016). Many organisations have strategies in place to meet the challenges that arise during change (Kommunikatรถren 2015), but for the strategy to be implemented, everyone in the organisation must understand and accept the importance of changing. Authority and responsibility need to be delegated in order to inspire and engage all parts of the organisation. For a self-governing organisation, this is an absolute must. Innovation is the daily improvements Innovation is not just about the big innovative steps but also about daily adjustments and small improvements. Previously, the idea was that innovation was something for business development departments. Today, many organisations have realised that innovation involves everyone and that each person can contribute to improvements and adjustments in daily work. In self-governing organisations it becomes crucial to involve everyone as individuals and teams are steering their own work. This means that structures and methods need to be adapted to allow and encourage that type of work.
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The rise of change agents Everything and everyone in an organisation are affected by, and affect change and development, regardless of title or position. It does not come from the top, instead this is a behaviour and a competence that everyone can have. To succeed with innovation, change needs to be embraced as a multidisciplinary issue that involves the entire organisation. We need change agents that can lead and support change at all stages, especially in a self-governing organisation. These people become key players to drive development. It is about opening up for cooperation - between departments, between teams, between individuals and with other organisations. The future is co-everything.
Who in your organisation is involved in innovation?
• Everyone35%
• Management 32%
• Business Development 30%
• The function is not important, it is a personality issue 19%
(NES 2018)
Use of the power of innovation It is clear that innovation is something that interests larger parts of any organisation. 35% think that every employee is involved in the innovation to some extent (NES 2018). This is because many people have shifted to a customer perspective. Many 2:89
have also mentioned that it is not the function itself that is important, but it is a matter of personality. This is something that almost every fifth respondent thinks (NES 2018). In order to make use of the power of innovation, it is not just about breaking barriers between different departments and functions, but it is equally important to see the full potential of each individual in the organisation. We miss a lot of internal potential when we only see a function. By analysing the potential within the organisation, we can find the hidden nuggets of gold. Maybe it is the person at the front desk who is best suited to lead innovation? Biggest is best ‌ Or? Digitalisation and technical development are transforming industry after industry often with new business models as a result. Traditional hierarchical organisational structures do not support a flexible and rapid way of working and organisational changes become more frequent. In 2016, nearly half of the respondents reported that they were undergoing a major organisational change. The most common reasons were new business models and changed customer behaviour (NES 2016). Another consequence of this development is that the biggest is no longer best. Previously, size had an impact and was a competitive advantage. Today, it’s flexibility and speed that give competitive advantage. Large organisations are undergoing transition to become agile, more innovative and have a greater appeal to local audiences.
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Kristina Närman Possibility Mindset Trainer and Founder of Care of Next
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Practise seeing opportunities. Take meaningful risks! Release your beta version.
Kristina Närman, Possibility Mindset Trainer and Founder of Care of Next How do you become an intrapreneur? If we start with the origin – entrepreneur – then I would claim that we are all already entrepreneurs; we humans have an innate desire and ability to be creative and create, to find solutions and to test if they work. It is also interesting to note that the definition of entrepreneurship is changing; today the entrepreneur is associated with a person who sees opportunities dare to push them. (Forbes.com 14 05 2013). The new definition hasn’t anything to do with starting a business; the entrepreneurs may therefore as well be found within the organisation. So, that is where we find them: the intrapreneurs. Why are intrapreneurs so important both today and in the future? One reason is the rapid and constant change. We must utilise the opportunities that occur to continue to be relevant. Another is digitalisation. As we move towards having more robots and AI in working life, it will be our creativity and imagination that pays the bills - simply because those factors cannot be digitalised. However, to see and to make use of opportunities and to be creative requires training. As we know, our brain is more susceptible to negative information than positive (called negativity bias). We must therefore actively work to focus on solutions instead of ending up in the ”it’s not possible” loop. In self-leadership, there are some key factors to help us; Our passionate commitment, our inner motivation, is the engine that drives us forward. A prerequisite to trigger our inner motivation is that we need to manage
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and control our own work. If we also add the experience of developing and connecting what we do to something meaningful, a higher purpose, and we’re all set. Another key is to stop thinking of innovation as something to be treated so seriously. In order to become intrapreneurs we must dare to fail. Development and innovation are about exploring the unknown – and this brings the risk things will not turn out as planned (but in fact that is how many really successful innovations have come about). I mean that we should see our work and ourselves as constant beta versions. Yes, there are bugs, but the only way to know what these are and how they should be addressed is to get out and test. The organisation must allow and encourage failures. Sloppiness and nonchalance are of course not acceptable, but failure for the sake of development is good - even desirable - when it comes to becoming innovative intrapreneurs. The fact that more organisations open up for everyone to participate in innovation and development work is good news. More people will lead to better ideas. And as all entrepreneurs know, there are no ”self-made millionaires”. Instead, it’s about surrounding yourself with people who complement you. Here the intrapreneur has a pole position - they already belong to a team. When the team gets to know each other’s strengths and special interests, innovation can accelerate. Organisations that work actively to develop self-leadership and allow self-government create good conditions for intrapreneurship. By training change agents tasked with developing development and innovation efforts, these possibilities are maximized. Provide them with the tools and knowledge to involve and support their colleagues, customers, partners, whoever is necessary to put their creativity into action and contribute.
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10. Work well, feel fab In many ways the workplace sets the framework for how we work. It needs to reflect the flexibility that’s needed for us to work effectively and at the same time create an environment where people feel good. When we create a self-governing organisation it is important not to forget the physical conditions that the workplace brings with it.
70% aconsider that their workplace enables productivity (NES 2018) As work becomes more flexible, mobile, global and based on co-operation then the workplace can instead function more as a symbol for the organisation. It becomes a display window that exhibits the organisation’s culture and ambitions and it becomes a tool to attract employees, investors or partners. More workplaces Today many people can choose where they work. To have one place of work is uncommon, instead we choose where to work based on what we need to do and what fits best into other activities in our lives. Working from home or from a café has become a norm.
Can your team choose where they work? Yes65% (NES 2018) But there is also a counter-trend. For example Marissa Mayer made herself famous (or infamous) for her initiative of prohibiting working from home when she became CEO of Yahoo! She maintained that the best insights are gained from meeting new people 2:96
and from spontaneous team meetings. Even if flexible working has many advantages for the individual, Mayer claimed that it did not benefit the business. Some saw this as a step backwards to an old-fashioned method, but others have still followed suit. An example is IBM who declared that their marketing team must work together as there work is iterative and must be understood and carried out in real time. They claim that genuine teamwork cannot be created through flexible working, even when working for a technical giant. (Hays Journal nr 14 2017) But is a ban really the future? Is it not possible to co-operate and at the same time allow flexibility for the individual? When we create self-governing organisations we hand over responsibility for how and where work is carried out to the individual. It is then up to them to judge to what extent they need and allow flexibility and how to organise the work. It can feel strange if the office is suddenly empty – is anybody actually working?
THE WORKPLACE
WORK-
PRODUCTIVE
PLACE MOBILE SPACE FOR MEETINGS
BASED A DISPLAY
FACILITATING
WINDOW
CO-OPERATION
FLEXIBLE
FUNCTIONAL A DOOR TO THE WORLD
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ACTIVITY
But finding an alternative place of work based on what needs to be done today can foster both inspiration and effectiveness. Maybe the best place is the cathedral, the gym or satellite local office? Read more about the workplace of the future in chapter 10. The changing workplace Around a third of respondents are considering changing the workplace. Most are considering a workplace that is more activity-based, more mobile and more function-based, with open spaces to allow for the creation of cross-functional teams to encourage more people to co-operate.
1/3 are considering changing the workplace (NES 2018) In recent years activity-based offices have been a trend. 33% say that they have activity-based offices.
Do you have an activity-based office? Yes 33%Â No 62%Â
(NES 2018)
Even the trend of creating activity-based, often playful office spaces with large open areas has a counter-trend. Some people ask themselves if cool offices with table tennis tables in the lobby are really what the staff wants. Regardless of which choice you make it is important to think about the workplace in order to make it a place that promotes both work and well being. 2:98
3.
What is work?
PHOTO BY RUSSN_FCKR
More aware customers demand
”
that their suppliers practice what they preach.
KOMMUNIKATÖREN 2017
What is work? Collaborations based on values and passion In “manager-free” work life, we will find new ways of organising ourselves. To meet the fast pace of change we need to allow – or even encourage – people and competence to move into and out of the organisation. Instead of rigid structures, we will work in competence clusters that develop to solve an assignment. This is also a natural result of the growing gig-economy. Gig-artists already work today in competence-based clusters in traditional workplaces and in temporary teams who deliver a solution to the client. From duty to passion How we view work is changing. From being about duty and performance, it will in future be more and more about lust and passion. The possibilities to make a living based on your passion have already increased, and we see how being an influencer is growing as a new industry. So how do you know when you are working and what will be the definition of a job? In short, one can say that a job is when your passion creates value for others that they are willing to pay for. That passion will gain in importance in future professional life means that our private and our professional identities will become ever closer to each other. This in turn means that it will be all the more important to share the values of your employer. Almost 90 percent think that it will be more important to share the values of your employer in future [1].
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Value-based customers, staff and organisations The changed view of work is a reason why values will become more important in the professional life of the future. But, values are also important when we as workers choose an employer, when we as customers choose a brand and when we as employers choose who we will employ [1].
As an employee or contractor, we want to work for an employer who has the same values as we do – this is important for our identity. “More and more choose employers based on values. It is difficult to be passionate about something you don’t believe in” (Quote from the employee perspective in Kommunikatören 2017)
The customer cares more about values today as business becomes more and more personal. Clear values become a means to promote customer loyalty. “Ever more aware customers demand that their suppliers practice what they preach” (Quote from the customer perspective in sKommunikatören 2017)
Employers want employees with similar values, as they are the best ambassadors for the brand. All employees are representatives for their organisations. This spills over into the private sphere and on Facebook, Twitter etc. (Quote from the employer perspective in Kommunikatören 2017)
Knowing when we are working or not will probably be more difficult to define in future. However, when your work is based on what you are passionate about and when you are co-operating with people and organisations who share your values, maybe this does not matter so much. 3:3
“Employers want employees with similar values, as they are the best ambassadors for the brand.” KOMMUNIKATÖREN 2017
PHOTO BY EMILY DAHL, ARENSIKFOTOGRAFI
Linda Hรถrnfeldt
CEO and Founder of Influencers of Sweden
�
Go in for what you find fun.
Linda Hörnfeldt, CEO and Founder of Influencers of Sweden: “Go in for what you find fun” Linda Hörnfeldt is CEO and Founder of Influencers of Sweden, a trade organisation for social-media influencers. Below she talks about the development of a new carrier opportunity, and turning a hobby into a profession. From power factor to entrepreneur Being an influencer in social media is a relatively new type of job. Linda has been a blogger for 16 years, or since “blogs were babies” as she says herself. During this time, she has seen how the role as influencer has become more and more professional. “Being a blogger in the beginning consisted basically of writing a diary on the net” says Linda. However, today we see several skillful Influencers building whole groups of companies based on their social media presence. Linda started Influencers of Sweden in order to support influencers in professionalising their role. The organisation works to create the economic conditions required by influencers as well as spreading information and promoting the profession. Influencers have long been a power factor. What is new is that it is now possible to earn money and do business based on the role as influencer. “Advertisers have realised that these are the people to work with. There has been a real boom. Now even influencers have realised that there are business opportunities,” says Linda. 3:7
The boundary between a hobby and work is only in your head!
�
Having your hobby as a job Being an influencer in social media almost always starts as a hobby. You share information about something you are passionate about and interested in. When the account grows and advertisers start showing interest the hobby can turn into something else. A challenge for many influencers is to begin to see themselves as professionals. “The boundary between a hobby and work is only in your head. There is still a strong belief that if you think something is fun and you are good at it then you should not demand payment – as it seems too simple! However that is exactly what you should get paid for, as that is your special area of competence,” says Linda. At the same time as the role is becoming more accepted as a profession, more and more influencers are exploring the possibilities of working directly with their followers. They create their own brands, write books, and do business directly with their fans. “In the future I think that more people will establish their own small media businesses where influencers create several different income streams. I think we will see an increased level of entrepreneurial thinking. These people already have fans, and more and more of them will see the possibilities of creating their own products or services that their fans want, instead of selling products from others,” says Linda. At the same time she thinks that the co-operation with advertisers will continue, but with better quality. The influencer will be able to place new demands on the co-operation, which will be positive for future development.
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“Today there are several players who are too flexible with their brands. With a business model built on trust, the personal brand is everything. A more restrictive approach will lead to better quality in this type of co-operation and promote trust which will be a winwin for all parties,” says Linda. Ease of recognition and ready availability Linda thinks that more and more people will see the opportunity to make a career as an influencer as there will be more success stories that people can relate to and recognise. The big difference today is that everyone has the possibility of making a career based on what they are good at. Earlier you probably good at either singing, acting or sport in order to be an influencer. Today you can just as well convert your interest in computer games, travel or food into a career. The ready availability and ease of recognition – this is for ordinary people just like me – is critical thinks Linda. “The differences between influencers such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z and a social media influencer like Pewdiepie are noticeable. When Beyoncé and Jay-Z visited Disneyland the whole park was closed to the public. When Pewdiepie was there all his fans also wanted to be there to say hello. The ease of recognition and ready availability are crucial,” says Linda. Even for Disneyland, the differences are noticeable. In the first case, it is costly to close the park for the visit, and the value is in the news that Beyoncé and Jay-Z visited Disneyland. In the second, Disney is seen as a player that the public can interact with in the same way as their idols. When the public flocks to see their idols, the income for Disney increases too.
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The boundary between a hobby and work is only in your head. There is still a strong belief that if you think something is fun and you are good at it then you should not demand payment – as it seems too simple! However that is exactly what you should get paid for, as that is your special area of competence.
As influencers become more available, not only will more people see the possibilities of a new career, also companies and organisations will need to re-think how they strengthen their brands and reach out to their target audiences. So what is a job in the future? So what will a job really be in the future? Linda thinks that work in the future will be independent of location and more often in the form of a project. “Those that build highly functional work platforms will be winners. For example, the possibility to have a meeting in VR, seamlessly and without any time lag, a service that makes it feel like you are in the same room,” she says. This would also give many more the possibility to work. Linda means that people, who for various reasons cannot do a 9 to 5 job, will now have the possibility to create a working life that suits them. “It could apply to people with mental problems or physical disabilities who suddenly become available due to their competence,” she says. She also sees the growing gig-economy as a huge opportunity. More and more consultant hubs will be created where people can work together in projects. In Influencers of Sweden we already work in that way. We have access to so many qualities and skills in the network that we use for our projects.
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Your values are crucial What and whom we work with will be based on our values and form part of our personal brand. Linda agrees that private and professional identities will merge, a trend driven by social media in her view. “This makes values crucial. I can’t work with people I do not like – and I do not need to,” says Linda. Long-term relationships are built with people I like who do good things. Linda emphasises the importance of building your own personal brand in the professional life of the future. Having clear values yourself and choosing whom you co-operate with based on those creates credibility. That is crucial, especially as an influencer says Linda. “Go in for what you find fun. If it is fun then you will become good at it, and then it will be more rewarding. This is a positive spiral! You can in principle work with anything. If you haven’t found your calling yet then keep looking,” she says. In future, fewer jobs will be Monday to Friday where you just do your time. More and more realise that if I do not like my job then I can do something about it. However, creating a career based on your passion is not a walk in the park. Linda emphasises that you have to be prepared to work hard. “You must make an effort – and you will do that when you like what you are doing,” she says. Linda’s main tip for succeeding in future professional life is to be a good person. “Be empathic, be open as a person and with your knowledge, be fair and accommodating. I believe in karma – if I give when I can, then I will get when I need,” she concludes.
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�
Be empathic, be open as a person and with your knowledge, be fair and accommodating.
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5 tips for success 1. Do what is fun Focus on what you want to do rather than on what you should do. You will become more passionate about it, which will make collaboration with you attractive. 2. Know your values Be conscious about your values, and where you will not compromise. Then you can find win-win collaborations. 3. Think multi In future professional lifewe will probably have more than one career. Maybe we have several different jobs in parallel or several different careers during our working lives. Ensure that you are equipped to explore several routes. 4. Dare to switch Changing jobs often is no longer seen as a problem. Today it is fine to change jobs often and to change both your job and your form of employment. 5. Identify your value Knowing your strengths and what you contribute with is a condition for co-operating in the competence clusters of the future.
Glossary Gig-artist: A person who choose to work on shorter assignments and projects instead of in permanent jobs. They are usually self-employed and are usually part of various networks. Gig economy: The economy that develops as more people choose alternative forms of employment and shorter assignments. Usually services run by for example by Taskrabbit, Airbnb or Uber are called part of the gig economy. Influencers: Individuals with many followers and therefore high levels of influence in social media or the blogosphere.
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4.
Constant development towards undefined goal
PHOTO BY ANDY BEALES
Constant development towards undefined goals Stop and fall behind
+ -
Future professional life will require other competences, abilities and knowledge compared to today. And it will change quickly. However, the rapid rate of change is not something that scares people -65 per cent experience change as something positive [1]. Advantages with the rapid rate of change
[1]
1. I am learning new things 2. It gives me the feeling that everything is possible 3. The change gives me energy 4. It benefits diversity in working life 5. My personality fits better in the new working life
”Personally, I have got a new and fun job in an industry that I barely knew existed. Purely thanks to the rapid changes.” (Kommunikatören 2017) Disadvantages with the rapid rate of change 1. I feel stressed 2. It takes up a lot of my working hours 3. I do not have time to reflect 4. I have to change the way I am 5. I have to adjust my way of working
“Everyone may not be able to keep up” (Kommunikatören 2017)
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[1]
Fewer people sitting inside with truths, which breaks up the old power structures. KOMMUNIKATÖREN 2017
When we have to develop into
�
something undefined, once again values will play a major role as a guide and navigator.
KOMMUNIKATĂ–REN 2017
Despite the dramatic changes in working life predicted by the intrusion of robots and artificial intelligence, few fear losing their job. Only 14 per cent answer that they are afraid of losing their job due to the rapid changes [1]. However, many point out that there is a great possibility that their jobs are going to change [1]. We simply seem to be sure that we need to develop and that we will manage it, but we do not know what we will develop into. Developing into something not yet known will characterise the working life of the future. In order to keep up with the new working life, it requires that we develop constantly and keep moving - even though we do not know what we are developing towards. The effect is that those of us, who may think that working life is good as it is and choose to settle, will experience that they end up falling behind when everyone else is moving forward. Stagnation becomes the same as regression, and status quo is no longer an option. Strength-based development When we are expected to develop into something undefined, it becomes even more important to start from the resources we already have. For each individual, it is about taking care of and building on their strengths. Identifying and further developing our unique mix of strengths and competencies, and applying it in a way that creates value based on the new prerequisites, is the key to success. Good-bye long-term goals When we have to develop into something unknown, values will play a major role as a guide and navigator. Also, the importance of a clear destination or goal is reduced; simply because it cannot be foreseen. Instead, it is our values and our mission, our purpose, which sets the direction for our professional development.
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Annika Castwall Founder Kitlab
�
It is important to be well trained.
Annika Castwall, Founder Kitlab: ”It is important to be well trained” At Kitlab, we work to help leaders to drive change, and above all the change of behaviour, to achieve the organisation’s goals. Here, founder Annika Castwall, provides her view on what is needed to cope and succeed at constant change. Choose development and cope with change We often talk about change in a negative way, which is not so strange because change is associated with an unknown that can create fear and uncertainty. This is actually totally unnecessary. Even if research on the brain has confirmed that we are strongly influenced by our fears - something that we have known for a long time - change is a something completely natural. Change is around us, all the time; we grow older, the seasons change, our appointments change from one day to another... ”With this approach, constant change becomes only way to feel secure. When time stops, then we have every reason to be worried! ”Annika says. Change and fear often hang together in the same way as security and development. It is like a seesaw; we can choose to feel safe or scared, choose to see development or change. Understanding keeps us calm and allows us to make choices Annika tells us that understanding of how the brain works has made her calm and helped her become aware of why she reacts the way she does - and why others react the way they do. The brain is part of us and we have got the ability to control it. Annika talks more about choice.
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�The vision has to reflect customer benefits and create feelings, in that way it engages both employees and customers.�
”Our brain allows us to make choices. We have a millisecond to identify a thought and then reflect; is this thought a feeling or a fact, and is it dangerous? She says that the thought process gives us an opportunity to choose how we are going to act. When the manager announces that the department is to be shut down, I can choose to either see myself as a victim and get stressed, or I can choose to see the situation as an opportunity. At the same time we need to respect the fears we feel and see they give us information. In some situations we may not be able to choose as factors we cannot control create chaos around us. Nevertheless, we can always choose how we relate to things.” Annika sees both advantages and disadvantages with the rapid rate of change. Change creates uncertainty, while at the same time giving room for new thinking and learning. ”A disadvantage with the pace of change is that it creates stress and worry. The prerequisites for running certain types of businesses are disappearing, while at the same time providing the opportunity for brand new companies to be created,” she says. “We see threats or opportunities and it is my attitude that will determine if I get stressed or if I feel - Yes! An opportunity is being created and good things can happen!” Create commitment with a clear vision and short-term goals Because we as individuals want to be involved in developing the business, a clear and engaging vision is needed so that everyone knows how they are supposed to work and why. ’We are expanding to 100 million’ does not work as a vision. The vision must reflect customer benefits and create feelings, in that way it engages both employees and customers, Annika says.
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We also need to have goals. The goals should be short-term because of the rapid rate of change. Short-term goals also give us more occasions to celebrate our success. Then our internal reward system gives us a sense of well-being, which motivates us to continue. Continuing to establish short-term goals also gives us adaptability that makes it easier to reach long-term goals. It is harder to achieve a few long-term goals than several short-term ones, according to Annika. ”We can learn from fast-growing companies who are good at having a few short-term goals. Objectives give employees the opportunity to contribute – and we all want that. Most of us want to have fun at work and therefore we want to contribute and develop,” she says.
We have to take care of ourselves, both physically and mentally.
”
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‌
and learn to acknowledge yourself and others.
Make sure you are well trained... So what is needed for us to grow and be successful in an ever-changing working environment? Annika believes that we must take care of ourselves, both physically and mentally. ”Being well trained (fitness, yoga, training) is an important factor in managing stress and anxiety. We need to be able to sort out what is going on around us, both at work and at home, ”Annika says. Being physically well trained helps us to cope with mental stress and vice versa she continues. - You need to feel well. Even though the manager has responsibility for the working environment for eight hours a day, you are responsible 24 hours a day, Annika says. ... and learn to acknowledge yourself and others Another thing that makes us feel good is when we are acknowledged. But in future professional life we cannot rely on the acknowledgement we need coming from the manager. We are more likely to work on shorter assignments and thus change context more often. Therefore, we need to develop ways to acknowledge what we like among others and thereby also for ourselves. ”We need to be kind at work and care about our colleagues. In flat organisations where people move in and out, it becomes harder to get acknowledgement. Therefore, it is important that we all care and take responsibility and accept each other, ”Annika says. For example, listen when colleagues talk, keep deadlines, communicate difficulties in time or ask for help. Just asking for help can allow the person we ask to feel acknowledged. 4:12
The choice is yours Annika highlights the approach again and claims that responsibility is another example of something that is often negatively charged and perceived as difficult. ”But responsibility is really an opportunity. An opportunity for me to influence,“ she says. Sometimes it may be nice when someone else tells us what to do, but ultimately it is our own responsibility to make sure that we feel all right, learn new things, develop and contribute to the organisation. “If you do not know what the goals are or how to contribute, ask. Everyone needs to have goals in order to have a direction to work towards, be able to prioritise and make decisions in everyday life. And if the answer is unclear to you, create your own so that you know how to direct your energy,” Annika says. Finally, Annika turns back to our ability to make choices. By being aware of what we feel and reflecting on whether the feeling is just a feeling or if it is substantiated by facts, we can make a choice on how we want to act. But it requires effort. ”We choose how we want to look at change, if we want to see it as something positive or negative. In order to be conscious about our reactions and to reflect, we need to be mentally and physically prepared, “she concludes.
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5 tips for success 1. Be curious! Let your development be steered by desire and not fear. Curiosity is the key. 2. Start from what you have By taking care of and building up your strengths, you make sure you are prepared to meet an undefined future. 3. Contribute to a welcoming culture that promotes creativity There is a need for a secure starting point to have the ability to change. Make sure you have a secure base to start from. 4. Focus on your potential Focus on what you would like to do in the future and on your potential instead of looking back and doing what you have always done. 5. Make time for reflection Finding opportunities for reflection becomes necessary to have the energy to change.
5.
The Future Workplace
PHOTO BY KALEN EMSLEY
The Future Workplace In the future professional life jobs will be about value creation. A consequence is that the workplace will be the place that lets you transmit your passion and knowledge to others. The office as a workplace was already out-dated in the nineties. And for a sustainable working life large, mostly empty, office spaces will be unsustainable. They also create largely empty city centres after six o clock. Instead, the workplace has moved home or to a cafĂŠ, and all respectable cafĂŠs have free Wi-Fi and electrical sockets available. But where will we work in the future? We will probably have several different workplaces depending on what we want to achieve and in what phase of a project we are. Here we present five possible workplaces for the professional life of the future.
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The Gym More and more realise the importance of physical activity for well-being, sustainability and performance. To cope with a high work rate we need to be fit. And to have time to get fit it is practical to work at the gym. The gym will therefor become a natural workplace. Here, in addition to training possibilities, there is healthy food, energy boosts and the advantage of not having to change clothes to shift focus – in the office gym it is okay to wear trainers all day. In the US there are already gyms that offer working stations with electrical sockets and meeting facilities to use between morning yoga and weight lifting of the afternoon. When will Sweden’s first office gym open?
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PHOTO BY SCOTT WEBB
PHOTO BY LUKASZ SZMIGIEL
The forest The sun and the wind have given strength to humanity since time began. In our times they also give us electricity. With an appliance for renewable energy from the sun, Wi-Fi in Google’s hot air balloons and a cloud-based archive and storage; all give the forest the perfect conditions for hectic professional working life in the future. Being outdoors in a natural environment gives us a calm feeling that is difficult to match. In the forest, thoughts are given a chance to grow. When the forest gives you the infrastructure your work requires – as well as inspiration - it transforms it into the perfect place to grow and develop new perspectives.
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The Cathedral Long have we limited ourselves to small office cubes at work, despite the fact that big ideas require big spaces. At the same time, in our secular society there are many elegant rooms that today are under-used. In the cathedral there is space for great visions and crazy creativity. Instead of empty church halls, we will in the future see entrepreneurs meet and together work on different projects. This is the perfect place for the person who really believes in their idea.
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PHOTO BY MICHAEL B BECKWITH
PHOTO BY HAUKE IRRGANG
The Satellite In our connected world some of us will from time to time experience information overload. We will therefore require a secluded and isolated workplace. In satellites, individuals or teams will isolate themselves to focus on their inner creativity – the creativity that requires the absence of outside impressions. There, time for reflection and introspective monologue will be available. In its most extreme form, this probably takes the shape of a satellite shot out in orbit, or a tiny submarine in the darkest depths of the Mariana Trench. An everyday example could be an “impression-free” cube with an aluminium ceiling – and trendiest on AirBnb will be the countryside cottage in the north of Sweden, perfect for team hangouts or deluxe time for reflection.
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The Community The opposite of the satellite is the community. Here, the parole is sharing is caring. The climate is open, everyone comes along, and ideas are bounced around and developed together. Think of when you drew a character where you only drew the head, folded the paper and let the next person draw the body. The difference compared to, for example, lean, is that here there is no correct answer, no set goals to work towards. It is instead about finding new solutions by opening up and gathering as many perspectives as possible. Because nobody had thought before-hand that we would create a new delivery service for nut cakes by crossing a squirrel’s head with the body of a baker standing on a hoverboard.
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PHOTO BY TOA HEFTIBA
Suggestions for new workplaces
The gym chain Equinox is one of the first to invest in workplaces at the gym.
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This church of entrepreneurs in Stockholm turned its church halls into a co-working space for entrepreneurs.
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©Hammer & Hanborg October 2018 Source: (1) Kommunikatören 2017 Design: Kikki Högberg, kikki@kikkihogberg.se Illustrations: Mustasch Reklambyrå, mustasch.se Photographer stated next to each photo.