It’s Time to Reinvent Yourself, Your Work Style and Your Organization

by Ashley Ward

It’s not a secret that the past two years have flipped many businesses on their heads. Maybe this even happened to your business! There have been challenges that no one could have ever imagined having to face, and there is a secret to which ones were able to make it out alive: if they were flipped on their head, they learned how to work upside down.

It can be difficult to think about entirely different ways to work when you maybe have been doing the same thing for the past however many years. As the saying goes “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” Usually, I might be able to get on this train, but after experiencing the last two years, I see very clearly that the future of work is reinvention. 

According to this article from Korn Ferry, there are six ways that organizations will reinvent in 2022:

1. “Platform and Marketplace” businesses will spread rapidly resulting in new jobs, new ways of working and new business models. 

Working from home has never been more popular than it is now. This has allowed for many jobs to develop in different ways that no one could have predicted only 2 years ago. It has also allowed for many people to hone in on new abilities that they hadn’t seen as opportunities before. 

2. Organizations will respond creatively to changes in consumer demand and industry mash-ups will become the norm.

Consumer demand is always fluctuating. Now is the time, more than ever, to team up with companies that compliment your products or services so that you can present yourself in the most desirable way to the consumer. This could be in many different ways, such as a bundle deal or learning different tricks from an industry you might have not known much about before. 

3. Organizations will become more fluid. Expect flatter, non-hierarchical structures and more project-based working.

Part of the reinvention I envision includes the structure of companies, like this prediction states. Having an extremely vertical organization is something of the past. One of my favorite ways to motivate my team is by working on projects with them, rather than just doing my own thing. It’s important for employees to understand how important their work is, not only for themself but for the entire organization.

4. Production will become more personalized as technology continues to reshape how products get made, marketed and sold.

Many people want things these days that can be specified for them. For instance, when we are looking for a candidate, we rarely use the same keywords as another search. This is because every company is different in what they are looking for and who would be a culture match for their organization. In the same way, many products and services need to be tailored to the specific customer in order to optimize the entire process from start to finish.

5. Increasing numbers will find ways to augment humans’ productivity with machines. The focus will be less on the jobs employees perform and more on the capabilities people and technology can offer.

Industries are always growing. One way that I’m expecting to grow in the coming year is the use of technology in work. In regards to the “Great Resignation” that has affected companies around the nation, many companies will find ways to optimize the use of the talent that they have and do what they can with technology taking it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

6. Companies will reinvent where work gets done as they formalize hybrid models of working.

This last point ties into the first point made on reinvention. Working from home is not only something that many companies had to quickly adapt to but in the midst of the pandemic, many workers and companies alike have realized the value that can be created when working from home. This will be something that doesn’t change, even as we come out of the pandemic. Companies and employees will need to reinvent their attitudes and policies for working from home for the long-term plan, rather than just waiting for the full return to the office. 

In summary, the future of work is not what it used to be. You are no longer able to simply do what you’re used to, you must learn to reinvent yourself, your work style, and your organization.

Do you need help reinventing your organization? Check out our talent optimization services!