Future of work: from chinwag to strategic action

I’ve been curious to talk to people about the latest Future of Work forecasts, such as the rise of “tech, flex and a new multi-generational mix”. But recently, I’ve been noticing something interesting.

Very few of us are connecting these conversations back to our overall strategy.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good chinwag as much as the next person. But without this crucial strategy piece, all we have is interesting ideas, rather than actionable insights. To truly capitalise on future of work trends, you need to consider how they impact your strategy and integrate them into your strategic planning.

What does this look like?

Always ground discussions in your unique environmental context

Consider how these trends impact your industry. How might forecasted trends like new technology, new modes of working, or a multigenerational workforce be leveraged to address these issues?

By grounding your approach in your unique context, you can create more targeted and effective strategies. 

Capitalise on trends by plugging them into your biggest problem

Drill down to an organisational level. Identify the biggest problems your organisation needs to solve. Whether it’s improving operational efficiency, enhancing customer experiences, or fostering innovation, align your exploration of future of work trends with these core issues.  

Try flipping the narrative. Instead of focusing on what you have to lose, ask yourself: what can we gain if we successfully integrate these trends into our strategic plan?

Get uncomfortable: what is the boldest risk you can take?

Recognise that there is no silver bullet for navigating these trends. But the current climate does require two core ingredients:

1)    The courage to experiment

2)    The readiness to fail.

Organisations need to differentiate; to do this well when our platform is constantly moving and shifting, we can’t just tinker around the edges. We have to make bold calls.

This bold leadership is a whole new way of thinking for leaders and is going to feel deeply uncomfortable.

Remember, you can tap into the wisdom and support of the collective — your multi-generational melting pot — to see what unique mix of diverse ideas, perspectives and skills you have to leverage.

As a team, ask yourselves: what is the boldest experiment, one that makes us deeply uncomfortable, that we are able and willing to pursue?

Moving forward: strategic integration

The future of work is a complex and evolving conversation. Just remember — while you have your fingers on the pulse, ears to the ground and eyes to the horizon, make sure you keep your strategy firmly set as your lens.

Without it, you could be leaving yourself wide open for missed opportunities and disjointed organisational efforts.

I work with leaders to deliver on their strategy and sustainably win in the market by crafting the conditions for people and organisations to thrive.

Interested? Let’s talk.