The Future-Proof Workplace E-Book

Linda Sharkey

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 262

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Face the future on the crest of the wave while the rest are pulled under The Future-Proof Workplace is a survival guide for the new realities of business. The future is no longer some far-off destination; it is here, right now, and already changing the way we work. Historically, the sea-changes have advanced humanity and inspired us to reach even further; from the Dark Ages to the Age of Enlightenment, from agrarian to industrial societies--and today is no different. But only those who are ready for the changes will come out thriving. This book highlights the changes already taking place around us: the transition from skills to knowledge, the neuroscience approach to leadership and motivation, galloping technical advances, and more. Whether you're a CEO, a leader or manager, or just trying to survive the chaos, this invaluable guide is your wake-up call--the future is now. The new forces emerging must be understood now if your organization is to succeed. This book details the transformation every business must make to turn upheaval into opportunity. * Discover how emerging technologies and neuroscience research are already impacting the way we work * Learn how yesterday's biases are being replaced by modern values, culture, and relationships * Consider the "heart" of your organization, and whether it can stand up to the purpose-driven paradigm of the future * Find new achievement in the new organizational structure, and examine models that are already emerging Everyone knows that changes are needed--and fast. The question is: which changes, and how? The Future-Proof Workplace maps the transformation, and gives you an itinerary for each step of the way.

Leseprobe

Contents

Cover

Praise for

The Future-Proof Workplace

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Foreword

Chapter 1: Surviving and Thriving in Turbulence

Today, Not Tomorrow

Waves of Change

Digitization and Change

Changing Demographics

Globalization Is Now

Shock and Awe

Six Factors of Change

Looking Ahead

The Future Happened Yesterday

Chapter 2: Leadership: Leading the Future

An Old Brand of Leadership

Self-Focused Leadership

Greed

The Consequences

Twenty-First-Century Leadership

The Privilege of Leadership

Personal Values Create Company Values

Defining Values

Leaders with Heart

A Decision to Lead

Future-Proof Your Company

Future-Proof Your Career

Chapter 3: Culture: The Key for Innovation and Speed

What's the Difference?

Culture and the Customer

The Evolution of Culture

Understanding Culture

Fast-Forward Culture

The Values and Culture Connection

Bringing Culture to Light

How Do You Create a Culture That Hums?

Hard Choices

Leading a Future-Proof Culture

Future-Proof Your Company

Future-Proof Your Career

Chapter 4: Purpose: Navigating Turbulent Waters

Mission and Vision

What Are We Building?

Purpose

Purpose Is Inspiring

The Power of Purpose

Purpose and People

Banking on Purpose

Future-Proof Your Company

Future-Proof Your Career

Chapter 5: Relationships: Our Connected Future

A Tale of Two Parts: Morag's Story

Relationship with Work

Work in the Future-Past

Career Lattice

Relationship with Employer

Relationship with Colleagues

Relationship with Cultures

Relationship with the Community

Relationship with Our Network

Balancing Is No Act

Future-Proof Your Company

Future-Proof Your Career

Chapter 6: Diversity and Inclusion: Future Inclusion

Sea Change

The Facts about Women

Stereotyping Is Personal

When Bias Seems Pragmatic

Brain Science, Bias, and Diversity

Stereotyping and Personal Beliefs

Vicious Cycles

Bias in the Mirror

Rewiring Inclusion

Taking Action

Future-Proof Your Company

Future-Proof Your Career

Chapter 7: Technology: Resistance Is Futile

Technology the Disrupter and Enabler

Data Is Big

Genuine Intelligence

Uploading into Society

What's Your Response Time?

Future Workforce

Changing Identities

Everything Is Connected and Transparent

Personal Impact

Your Reality

Catching the Wave

Future-Proof Your Company

Future-Proof Your Career

Chapter 8: Learning: Curious Learners

The Hare and the Tortoise

Welcome to the Nano-Degree

Curiosity in the Driver's Seat

Introducing the “T” Learner

Soft Skills Finally Take Center Stage

Collecting Credentials Instead of Certificates

Are You Learning Agile?

Modernizing Talent Management

The Old Days of Too Young

We Can't Afford a Training Budget

Learning Is a Contact Sport

Build a Learning Culture

A Global Learning Mind-Set

Content Curation and Knowledge Management

Throw Out the HR Rule Book

Performance Management Becomes the Performance Moment

Rewrite the Training Policies

We All Want to Learn

Future-Proof Your Company

Future-Proof Your Career

Chapter 9: Workspace: The Future-Proof Workspace

Time to Take Back the Key to the Executive Washroom

Down with the Cubicle Farm

It Takes More than a Ping-Pong Table

From Water Coolers to Watering Holes

Anytime, Anywhere

From Corporate Campus to Community Campus

Designing for Wellness

Social and Environmental Responsibility

What Can You Transform Today?

Future-Proof Your Company

Future-Proof Your Career

Chapter 10: Future-Proof Workplace: Waves of Change

The Human Wave

Leading the Future

Culture Determines Innovation and Speed

Navigating with Purpose

Our Relational Future

Future Inclusion

Resistance Is Futile—Technology

Curious Learners

The Future-Proof Workspace

Work Matters

Tidal Waves

Overwhelmed?

The Future

Follow Our Three Es

Acknowledgments

Welcome to the Future of Work

About the Authors

Linda Sharkey, PhD

Morag Barrett

Also by the Authors

Linda Sharkey, PhD

How to Compete and Win in Today's Business Environment

Morag Barrett

Index

End User License Agreement

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

Chapter 1

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Praise for The Future-Proof Workplace

“By anticipating the future we thrive in it. Linda and Morag do an outstanding job of helping us see what is coming and then make both organization and personal choices to live and work better. Their ideas are insightful, stories captivating, and recommendations useful.”

—Dave Ulrich, Rensis Likert Professor of Business, University of Michigan Partner, The RBL Group

“The Future-Proof Workplace provides the insights you need to ensure your organization is prepared today for the changes that are already upon us.”

—Margaret M. Keane, Chief Executive Officer of Synchrony Financial

“Linda and Morag share their clear thinking regarding the future-proof workplace. It's a new day in the work world, and to stay alive and competitive, employers and employees must understand and appreciate the myriad factors affecting the workplace at an alarming rate. Staying abreast of how globalization, demographic shifts, and technological advances impact our world are the keys to success.”

—Dale Mason Cochran, President, Concourse Ventures, Inc.

“Future-Proof is a home run! It challenges us to embrace the most important discussion every leader must have—how to future-proof their organization.”

—Jason Jennings, New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Think BIG-Act Small, The Reinventors and The High-Speed Company

“The Future-Proof Workplace highlights a subject other management texts avoid—that the nature of work has changed and yet our approach to work, in many cases, has not. This book is packed with stories and practical approaches and solutions to future-proof your organization.”

—Jean Elizabeth Lee, Principal, PwC Human Capital Consulting

“Recent business and technology shifts have created a workplace that is almost unrecognizable from that of two decades ago. And yet many of our approaches to leadership have remained unchanged. Sharkey and Barrett wake us up—crystallizing the changes and giving us new, values-driven tools for powerful, effective leadership.”

—Jim Ludema, PhD, cofounder and director of the Center for Values-Driven Leadership, Benedictine University

“Linda and Morag have scored a Touchdown! They have challenged each of us to embrace the most important discussion that should be at the forefront of every organization—how to future-proof your organization in the ever-changing landscape of business.”

—Jason Carthen, PhD, The Leadership Linebacker™, “Are You Living Your Destiny?”

“The Future-Proof Workplace provides valuable insights that will help organizations seize opportunities in this rapidly changing landscape, transforming possible vulnerabilities into a competitive advantage.”

—Nazneen Razi, Chief Human Resources Officer, Health Care Services Corp

The Future-Proof Workplace

Six Strategies to Accelerate Talent Development, Reshape Your Culture, and Succeed With Purpose

Linda Sharkey, PhD ● Morag Barrett

Cover image: © Volokhatiuk/iStockphoto Cover design: Wiley

Copyright © 2017 by Linda Sharkey and Morag Barrett. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

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ISBN 9781119287575 (cloth); ISBN 9781119287643 (ePDF); ISBN 9781119287742 (ePub)

For Tom, whose love and support made my life sing.

—Linda

For James, Matthew, and Christopher. My future.

—Morag

Foreword

The focus of my entire career has been to assist leaders who are successful to be even better. This is not just my career, it's my purpose. I am very humbled and proud to have been named a number one leadership thinker in the world by Thinkers50. It is a great honor to be recognized for the work that I'm so passionate about by such an outstanding organization.

That's why I'm excited about the book you now hold. The Future-Proof Workplace puts forward six critical factors that must be addressed for the twenty-first century. These cannot be ignored in these turbulent times. They must be embedded in how you do business every day or you won't survive.

Whitewater rapids are the new normal in business. Many of the lifeboats captained by twentieth-century leaders will capsize. Linda and Morag lay out powerful research and arguments about why we need to embrace these factors now. How we lead and work today is being shaped by massive globalization, seismic demographic shifts, and game-changing technology.

Jobs that used to be the bedrock of the workforce are disappearing. Leaders with self-centered behavior will go the way of dinosaurs. Toxic cultures are being exposed for what they are and no longer tolerated.

I have had the pleasure to meet both Linda and Morag to exchange ideas and things we have learned. Their experience is not only deep but also wide, spanning many industries and public sector organizations.

I've worked with Linda over the years, and we share a common passion for helping shape great leaders. Linda has successfully used the behavioral coaching process outlined in my book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There, in a Fortune 100 company, and in many other organizations.

What most impresses me about this book is that Morag and Linda spell out a winning formula for exactly what leaders need to do to thrive now and continue thriving. They share their vast experience working with Fortune 500 organizations and CEOs to prepare for what is happening tomorrow, today.

The real-life stories and examples they share are fascinating and packed with tips to “future forward” your career. Not only are they serious researchers but they have a wealth of experience as hands-on practitioners.

We are on the cusp of major change. Many of the paradigms that held true in the twentieth century no longer apply. The way we shape and design our workplaces, develop talent and leaders, including our people practices, must be retooled for this century. And it must begin now.

This book is a real pay it forward gift to everyone leading organizations today. Whether you are a CEO, senior leader, team leader, aspiring leader, or human resources professional, this book is a must-read for anyone serious about thriving today—and tomorrow.

—Marshall GoldsmithCoach, Speaker, Author, and Professor of Management Practice at Dartmouth Tuck School of Business

Chapter 1Surviving and Thriving in Turbulence

The future depends on what you do today.

—Mahatma Gandhi

Look out! In workplaces across the globe, conventional wisdom is being thrown out the window.

Approaches that were tried and true are being challenged and debunked. Rules that once made sense no longer seem to apply. Everything around us seems to be in flux—from how we conduct ourselves to how companies are functioning.

For example, just 61 companies that were in the Fortune 500 in 1995 were still on the list in 2015. Only 12 percent remained.1

Products that were staples are going away forever. Good-bye landline telephones, cable television, and personal computers. The music industry has been changed forever by downloads and streaming. While few use single-tasking cameras, more than 20 million photos are uploaded to social media every minute of every day.

Information ricochets around the world in mere seconds. Facts are checked instantaneously. Truth can be uncovered quickly, and fiction can be spread just as quickly. As a result, politics in most countries are in a constant state of upheaval.

It's a strange new world, and all indicators predict it will only get stranger.

Today, Not Tomorrow

The future of work is not tomorrow. The future of work is today!

In our work with business leaders and teams around the world, we see too many companies missing out—still operating according to twentieth-century mind-sets, practices, and technologies.

We also see the careers of too many gifted individuals needlessly stalled, and ended, because of ignorance or fearful resistance.

It doesn't have to be this way. We want you, your career, and your company to be future-proof. That's why we're sharing our perspectives with you and your teams.

There are plenty of writers who give their predictions for the future, and we enjoy many of those books and articles. But this book deliberately avoids the crystal ball. Instead we offer pragmatic business solutions based on our research and experience. Solutions you can, and should, implement today.

The drivers of change in the workplace are hiding in plain sight. We want to challenge your thinking by exploring six factors, because the way we think about tomorrow influences what we do today.

Waves of Change

There are three waves of change that test the limits of human convention and create havoc—and opportunity—in the workplace:

Digital technology—the increasing ability to create new ways of doing things.

Demographics—the changing mix of, and interaction among, people.

Globalization—people's ability to do business in a shrinking world.

These waves of change are having a profound impact on how society, politics, business relationships, and innovation are shaping the twenty-first century. The ways we created strategy, managed people, and built organizations no longer apply.

As a result, power is shifting in ways that make many uncomfortable, others exhilarated, and leave some just shaking their heads wishing for the calmer waters of the “good old days.” Of course, change has been wreaking havoc on the status quo since the beginning of mankind. What's new today is the pace of change.

New technology and globalization, in the broadest sense, have always been around. It's the pace and reach of change that are transforming everything we do in business. Think about how the automobile changed not only transportation but how, when, where, and what people purchased.

Can you imagine life today without electric light? This invention revolutionized commerce, manufacturing, and almost every industry.

In their time, just over 100 years ago, these examples were seismic shifts for people. The changes created new business opportunities overnight while destroying other industries. They disrupted whole industries, shifted the skills required for workers, and changed the work environment forever.

And let's be frank, there will be winners and losers, as there always have been as the world spins into the future.

Digitization and Change

Last night, while you were sleeping, white collar jobs were being replaced—by computer algorithms.

In the financial sector, software can analyze data, reveal trends, and pose probabilities faster than a human analyst can open a spreadsheet. We are able to mine data for predictions that we could never see previously. This analysis enables us to debunk myths and see new solutions to problems that we could not comprehend before.

These insights will change how we practice medicine, how insurance is sold, and how we transport ourselves to work—or stay home to work.

Today's 3D printers can create almost anything we can imagine. And our cars want to drive themselves! Robots and artificial intelligence are taking over tasks humans once did. In fact, one hotel in Japan is staffed by robots, with only a skeleton crew of humans.

But the new discoveries of the twenty-first century are only just beginning to be realized. A 2014 survey of executives by Forrester/Russell Reynolds cited that over 75 percent of those in the finance, health care, and government sectors believe that their business will be significantly disrupted in the next 12 months.

In the past few years we've seen Netflix go from darling to dumpster—twice! You can bet its executives, and every other media company, is looking to analytics to tailor content by region and by user in order to ride the wave of the future.

A “me too” strategy is not a strategy. If you're copying a business model, you're building in obsolescence and extinction.

Established corporations known as manufacturers, like General Electric, are working to reposition themselves as tech companies. GE is moving its headquarters to Boston, a decision we believe is intended to move the company closer to innovation hubs like MIT.

NV “Tiger” Tyagarajan, president and CEO at Genpact, LLC, recently shared with us that Genpact does not have corporate headquarters and instead spreads its teams around the world in hubs close to their customers. He also noted that their ability to use robots made communication with customers instantaneous.

Through the robot interface, the customer, sitting in New York, could meet the team—based in Poland—that would work for his organization and understand how its processes would be managed. It is quite revolutionary.

Changing Demographics

Much is written today about the millennial generation. And much of it is derisive: “Millennials don't want to work hard. They want to be immediately rewarded with big jobs.”

Go back 30 or 40 years and read books and articles about the young people coming into the workforce, and you'll see the same criticisms and concerns. In fact, the same themes were a part of social commentary 1,000 years ago.

Yes, millennials are different, but every new generation has challenged conventional ways of doing things. And there is one constant: the entry-level generation cannot understand why they are not getting the big jobs in three years. And they have much to say about how things should be done.

Millennials have more sophisticated information tools and are usually more adept at using them in the workplace. In other words, most have the data and social skills to back up their assertions.

Children today know more because they can discover information much more quickly—and with the right environment, they can use that information to create exciting products and services. Today's 5-year-olds can create items that a 12-year-old could not create 10 years ago, or adults a generation ago.

There always has been, and always will be, generations that challenge the status quo with more knowledge and creative capability than their predecessors. But the new dynamic is how different generations must coexist in larger numbers in the workplace.

Increased health and longevity has a huge impact on the workforce. For many, retirement at the end of a career no longer makes sense, but sabbaticals during careers may.

In the past, people retired at age 65, expecting a lifespan of about 10 more years. Today, many young people can expect to be active and productive for 20 or 30 years past age 65. The 100-year life will be a reality for many. The trend also means there will be many generations at work. This is the first time in history that five generations are in the workplace together.

Globalization Is Now

The ability of more people to move around with easier access to transportation has created huge upheaval in societies. It is hard today to find a truly homogeneous national culture. Even the traditionally insular country of Japan finds itself needing to embrace immigrants from other parts of the world to fuel its economic growth.

Going back to where everyone is “just like us” is not an option. The old days are gone forever—or rather—the perception of the old days.

Humans are explorers by nature. And we're naturally cautious. Whole societies were set up to ward off onslaughts of others into their tribes. The story here is not just globalization and demographic shifts, but how easy it is for people to move around the world now—whether virtually or in person.

Societies are no longer as homogeneous as they were before, which can create tension in how work is done. This new era of globalization is a business phenomenon that is outpacing societies and outpacing companies.

Talent mobility has increased dramatically and that trend will continue. Once people get the taste of new workplace opportunities, as well as new products and services, they can never go back.

Shock and Awe

Along with change comes disruption. And with disruption comes opportunity. Jobs and companies are going away in the blink of an eye, and start-ups are appearing just as fast. How many cell phones have you had in the past five years? The pace of change is only increasing.

The author Alvin Toffler predicted this in his seminal book, Future Shock. The future that Toffler predicted in 1970 is upon us—and has been for many years. He predicted the explosion of information sharing and the disruption of the formalized workplace culture.

Despite the writings of Toffler and other futurists, most people—and most companies—have not stayed ahead of the waves of change.

We have seen through our research, discussions with leaders, best-selling authors, and many of our Fortune 500 clients that the three waves of change are causing the following six factors to emerge. These factors have everything to do with how we deliver goods and services, motivate and engage people, and build relationships to fulfill our shared need for a sense of contribution in our daily lives.

Six Factors of Change

Here are six factors transforming the workplace from the twentieth to the twenty-first century.

Six Factors

Twentieth Century Attributes

Twenty-First Century Attributes

1.Leadership

Command and control

Flexible, people-focused, shared, values-based

2.Culture

Uniform and not driven into fabric of the organization

Values-driven and embedded into organization decision making and processes

3.Organizing Principles

Mission, vision, shareholder value

Purpose, compelling social impact, customer endearment

4.Relationships

Individualistic, team-focused, and transactional; not concerned with relationships

Interdependent, deliberate, personal, and emotional

5.Diversity and Inclusion

Concentrated power, quotas driven, and program-focused

Recognizing unconscious bias and brain science reality of differences—distributed power

6.Technology

Process improvement focus

Innovation-, data-, and fact-based decisions and digital advancement

These factors require considerable reshaping of fundamentals in any enterprise:

How you develop people

How you organize work to deliver value to your customers

What human relations practices you put into place to advance your workforce

Google, and other forward-thinking companies, have proven that emotional connections are the key to a successful twenty-first-century business. And all six of these factors require a fresh look at the human side of business.

Robots and Artificial Intelligence may demonstrate logic, but they have yet to exhibit heart and emotion (unless you are the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz). They aren't able to display the truly unique aspects of humanness.

We may be in the midst of a digital revolution, but it's the people revolution that will determine whether we ride the waves of change or drown.

Let's look at these six factors in a bit more detail.

1. Leadership

More has been written about leadership than probably any other business topic. Search for “leadership books” on Amazon and you'll get to sort through almost 200,000 results.

Still, for some reason, we often get it wrong.

We've seen management in the financial sector ignore technology, choosing to resist computerization with the excuse of not wanting to disrupt their employees. As a result, entire departments, and companies, were wiped out.

In the end, company success boils down to leaders: what they value and how they behave.

While much was espoused about empathic leadership, the twentieth-century leadership style was, and still is, predominantly “command and control.” According to Harry Kraemer, former CEO of Baxter, and professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, only about 20 percent of leaders practice inclusive, people-focused, and values-driven leadership.

Command and control is the default position of leaders when under intense deadlines and profit pressure. While leaders may wish to adopt a different posture, the culture invariably drives them to conform to “the way things are done around here.”

We've worked with many executives to help them change their leadership style, but when new ideas are introduced, the cultural “antibodies” drive out the change agents. The inertia is caused by other leaders in the business who don't walk the talk, and everyone knows it except them!

In the previous century, leadership referred to the C-Suite. But business leadership exists in every department and inside every person.

The twenty-first century demands a shift in leadership to be one of engagement, collaboration, and adaptability. These are also the hallmarks of organizations that can innovate.

Without leaders who can appreciate other points of view and engage with others in an authentic way, organizations will not survive. Globalization, demographic shifts, and technological advances are here to stay. Leaders today must not only accept this fact but embrace it. They must be transparent, because others will find them out—and quickly.

Leadership is the critical factor. Without a shift in our leadership mind-set and our leadership behavior, none of the following factors will be future-proofed.

2. Culture

In the late twentieth-century, the notion of corporate culture was beginning to get some traction. Leaders realized they could have the best strategy on earth, but if the organizational culture did not embrace the strategy, it was going nowhere. Strained relationships and lack of trust could effectively erode any efforts for strategic implementation, let alone innovation.

We remember talking to leaders many years ago about trust, respect, and other factors that affect culture. Very few “got it.” The prevailing view was this is “fluff” and like other soft skills, it didn't matter because it didn't contribute to the bottom line. Most leaders we spoke with said, “We don't have time for this. We are focused on shareholder value.”

When there was a deeper understanding of company culture, it focused around uniformity, respectability, and conformity. People were supposed to look and act the same, to give customers a sense of comfort and predictability.

The twentieth-century IBM model comes to mind, with the company-mandated blue suits and briefcases.

The concept of company culture was only understood in the more sophisticated companies, and, in some cases, culture's impact on the bottom line was measured. In fact, a recent Harvard Business Review article showed that certain positive cultures could increase productivity.2

In the twenty-first century most organizations understand that culture and values have everything to do with profitability. As Peter Drucker once said, “culture eats strategy for lunch.”

Leaders now realize that values are the underpinnings of their culture. If they want a culture that truly empowers people, they must behave consistently with those values.

Companies like LinkedIn start their business meetings with a discussion of the culture and how they are living up to those ideals. Decisions about what companies to partner with include serious consideration about compatible cultures. Even at the bottom-line-focused Wall Street Journal, you'll often see references to corporate culture as the driving force in success…and failure.

A healthy culture, and living the values in daily behaviors, is essential for growth, adaptability, and innovation. No one can be left behind in the creativity department.

3. Organizing Principles

In the twentieth century, almost every medium to large organization had to have a mission and vision. In addition, these organizing principles of mission, vision, and strategy sometimes had values tacked onto the framework.

You'd read the same verbiage on the walls: “We are collaborative,” said the poster, which was written and posted by the CEO without input from other employees. “We're customer-centric,” read the banner, in plain sight of everyone in the long line waiting to speak to a customer service representative.

Companies spent millions developing clever statements, which were highly polished and completely ignored in day-to-day operations.