One of the major global trends in 2023 is redefining the meaning of work, considering hybrid arrangements and related factors.
- Companies must ensure that meaningless work is not an option for their employees.
- Deepening trust and prioritizing mental health form the foundation for stable and predictable organizational development in times of uncertainty.
- Five Essential Cognitive Skills for Employees to Create Order and Transition from Stability to Sustainability:
- Goal setting[1] and outcome orientation[2]
- Adequate self-assessment
- Self-management and self-organization
- Honesty
- Responsibility
- An organization built on these competencies gains a competitive advantage. Soft skills account for 85% of success, while hard skills contribute only 15%.
Remote Work vs. Office Work: Different Dynamics
- Remote and office-based work represent fundamentally different modes of operation. Transitioning an established office team to remote work differs significantly from building a remote team from scratch:
- For RUN processes — when business processes and solutions are well-established and the goal is maintaining performance — remote work proves effective.
- For CHANGE processes — when tackling large-scale new initiatives, launching projects, or forming and aligning teams — office and offline presence typically enhance efficiency.
- The distinctive aspect of remote work relates less to technical considerations and more to personal factors. Employees suddenly gain time to be alone with themselves, to look inward. Previously, this was hindered by the distraction of various office activities beyond core duties, or the commute chaos.
Who Will Be Your Organization’s Chief Meaning Officer?
A new role is emerging in organizations, which might be called the Chief Meaning Officer — the person responsible for the meaning of work. Depending on each organization’s historical and cultural characteristics, employees currently in the following positions may be best suited for this role:
- People Operations / HR — These employees, through experience and job responsibilities, understand personnel needs. They often have specialized education in psychology.
- Innovation, Digitalization, Digital Transformation — Everything connected to new technologies forms the foundation of company strategy and development in uncertain times.
- Flexible Business Process Organization — Coaches and ambassadors in Agile, Scrum, Kanban, OKR. These individuals understand how to build processes that maintain employees’ understanding of current tasks and the methods/technologies needed to address them.
Ilona Khvatikova, Business Analyst, Business Intelligence and Solutions Department, LavoroSolutions
[1] Goal setting is a key factor in enhancing personal effectiveness. “Either you manage your own effectiveness, or someone else manages it.” “Do you even think? How do you do it?” This question usually stumps people. “I try to think — I set aside special time for it.” — G. Gref, speech at Sberbank Corporate University’s 10th anniversary.
[2] Outcome, not output.
Image: Freepik
