Leading Forward to Work
As the pandemic begins to recede in some regions of the world, and organizations grapple with what comes next, workers are making clear that the world has changed. They have changed. We all have changed. Many of us are no longer willing to trade away the quality of our daily lives for a paycheck. This is true even if we enjoy our jobs, companies, and teams. The pandemic awakened a sense of urgency to make count what poet Mary Oliver described as “our one wild and precious life.”
Witnessing the Awakening
At A Human Workplace throughout the year, we witnessed this awakening in our Gatherings with people from around the world. People processed the stress and traumas of 2020 and eventually rediscovered their values and priorities, recalibrating their lives.
One man described how incredibly important it was to him to be there when his young son woke so that he could fix him breakfast. Another woman found peace and happiness looking out her kitchen window at her garden each morning rather than out the windshield at traffic. Still another person valued the health they enjoyed from taking walking breaks throughout the day. A Person of Color reported feeling relieved to do their job from home free from the grate of constant micro-aggressions.
After years of slogging along, with dwindling quality of life, many realized their lives matter. They can live to honor their lives, finding meaning and connected to what they love and who they love. This is profound and should be held with the greatest regard by leaders as organizations make decisions for their next phase of work.
But be aware! Back-to-work planners who brush aside this revelation as incidental do so at the risk of their organization’s health, reputation, competitive edge, and ability to recruit.
Leading Organizations Show the Way
In contrast, leading organizations realize that a human workplace is not a quaint idea or a “nice to have” feature after meeting “real” business requirements. Leading organizations realize that now a human workplace IS a business requirement!
Leading organizations have a Forward to Work Strategy.
They involve team members in designing the future of work to optimize business outcomes without compromsing work-life integration and well-being.
They create a new set of cultural strategies at the intersection of company values, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction.
They retain and engage workers, attracting top talent and consistently delivering value to customers.
Leading organizations are going “Forward to Work” with stability, energy, creativity, and success!
Read our next blogs for more about the necessary steps to move ahead.
Are you ready for this conversation about how to go forward not back? We can help you create your strategy for going Forward to Work. Contact us today for a free conversation to explore your needs for leading Forward to Work.
