Conscious Leadership Archives - Page 2 of 2 - The Future of Work Exchange

There’s So Much More to the Future of Work

Business Leadership Direct Sourcing HR Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/14/2022

There’s so much more to the Future of Work than what we’ve experienced thus far.

Around two years ago, during the very first summer under pandemic-era living, we had all had a strong taste of what the so-called “Future of Work” had to offer: remote work became a normalized attribute of the modern business, corporate leadership was consistently changing in the face of survival, and digitization proved to be a competitive differentiator as enterprises moved operations as a direct plan of attack against transformative times.

Since then, we’ve collectively learned to “live” with a life-changing virus whilst embracing the major changes in the way we address how work is done. While some businesses have instituted “return-to-office” plans, many others have settled on models that work well for both productivity and the satisfaction of flexibility for the workforce.

More so, businesses are operating in environments that are increasingly more digital and more human, two vastly different elements that are shaping the Future of Work for organizations across the world. The Future of Work Exchange has covered these aspects since its inception, however, there is so much more to this movement than what we’ve experienced thus far over these past two-plus years:

The (continued) transformation of talent acquisition and the power of “open talent.” The extended workforce continues to grow. Freelancers and contractors, sparked by The Great Resignation, are “resettling” into new and different (and most importantly, flexible) roles that better suit their needs and purpose. The technology behind how we find and engage talent has been centered on innovation more now than ever before. We haven’t even begun to truly think about how functionality like blockchain can change the Future of Work game; just look at an organization like the Velocity Network Foundation, which blends digital wallets, blockchain-fueled credentialing, and a truly foundational, evolving “rulebook” that guides candidates/talent and businesses.
The real-deal application of artificial intelligence within the confines of “work.” Just because an organization currently leverages a flavor of AI does not mean that this translates into a true application of the technology. AI can become even more of a Future of Work gamechanger when organizations apply deeper elements of its powerful reach, including driving efficiency in hiring, powering predictive and prescriptive insights, and enabling stronger efforts in recruitment. Platforms like HiredScore, Glider.ai, Eightfold.ai, and ModernHire are taking AI in talent acquisition and talent management to a new and exciting era in today’s frenetic labor market.
The rise of conscious leadership. The realm of conscious leadership follows a similar path to the one paved by empathy, in that nearly every facet of human contact between an executive and his or her colleagues and staff is rooted in a meaningful, genuine purpose. A leader’s core approaches involve them becoming more aware of their actions, more aware of how kind and, yes, conscious, those actions and insights may be perceived by the organization’s workforce.
Strategies that began as extensions of extended workforce management that will become table stakes for the world of talent and work…particularly direct sourcing. Direct sourcing experienced its biggest spike in both prominence and utilization since the beginning of 2020 and there are no signs that businesses will slow how they leverage talent pools and talent communities to inject top-tier talent into their organizational projects and initiatives. Direct sourcing technology is evolving, too, in such a way that “Direct Sourcing 2.0,” which follows AI-fueled, digital recruitment-led functionality (as well as next-generation talent curation), will become the prominent form of direct sourcing as businesses progress their utilization of these critical platforms. Providers such as WorkLLama, LiveHire, Prosperix, Opptly, High5, PRO Unlimited (Direct Source PRO, which has recently integrated WillHire into its solution), and AMS are all contributing to the Direct Sourcing 2.0 revolution.

Flexibility Is a Catalyst for the Next Great Iteration of the Workplace

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on 05/16/2022

There’s enough discussion around the technological component of the Future of Work movement: artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, digital staffing, etc. While “innovation” in and of itself is one of the three major foundational legs of the Future of Work (the other two being “the evolution of talent” and “the transformation of business thinking”), there’s so much more to the very notion of work optimization than just automation and new technology.

As we’ve learned over the past two-plus years, the workplace itself has become a living, breathing entity that has the power to determine the overall productivity of a business, and, more importantly, how emotionally tethered the workforce is to the greater organization. For the record, it’s not just a matter if or when a business offers remote or hybrid work options, but rather how deeply rooted flexibility truly is within all facets of how work is done and how the workforce is ultimately managed.

Now would be the best time to bring up the annoying factor in every business-related conversation: “The Great Resignation” continues unabated, sparked by a veritable “Talent Revolution” that has restructured the way workers perceive their jobs, roles, and career paths. The very concept of flexibility is not just a “perk” for talent; it’s become a determining factor in whether or not a professional chooses to remain with an enterprise or search for greener pastures.

From here, flexibility is catalyst for the next great iteration of the workplace. There are undeniable roots from the larger idea of flexibility, including empathy-led leadership (more flexibility in how leaders lead), leveraging new models to get work done (distributed teams, new functional collaboration, etc.), more humanity within the fabric of the workplace, and, of course, more malleability in where workers work (remote work, hybrid workplace, etc.).

And, when we bring up this idea of “flexibility,” it doesn’t just translate into specific aspects of the workplace, but rather all of them. That’s right: the next iteration of the workplace centers on how work is done rather than on archaic principles of control and authority, including:

Promoting an inclusive workplace that welcomes and values all voices, no matter their differences, disabilities, etc.
Relying on empathy-led and conscious leadership that takes into account worker emotions and perceptions.
Offering various outlets of paid leave (maternity, paternity, wellness, etc.).
Embracing flexible work models, including fresh takes on shift-based work, four-day work-weeks, collaborative-led schedules, etc.
Supporting remote and hybrid work options (including offering proper hardware, software, leadership support, etc.).
Augmenting these remote and hybrid models with digital workspaces.
Measuring both employee engagement and productivity, and;
Detailing flexible work options within new job requisitions (to attract talent).

Interested in learning more about the critical role of flexibility in today’s transformative world of work? Join the Future of Work Exchange at its inaugural in-person, roundtable-styled conference on June 14 in Boston:

Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange Announce “FOWX LIVE,” An Executive Roundtable Event

Events by Christopher J. Dwyer on 05/05/2022

It’s clear that the world of work and talent has changed. Many facets of modern business have been transformed, from talent acquisition and talent engagement to workplace culture and workplace structure. For today’s business leaders, navigating these revolutionary times requires a Future of Work-first focus on work optimization, enhancement of core workforce management strategies, and major, flexibility-led shifts in how executives think about their talent, their operations, and their workplace.

Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange are excited to announce its inaugural Future of Work event, “FOWX LIVE,” a half-day executive roundtable conference that will bring together business leaders at the historic Harvard Club in Boston, MA on June 14.

The event will include both presentations by industry luminaries and executive roundtable discussions for networking and the sharing of best practices between attendees (as well as an elegant lunch to cap off a whirlwind day!).

Registration is complimentary for procurement, HR, and talent acquisition executives. Sponsored by Utmost, WorkLLama, and Atrium, this event will highlight the major issues driving the Future of Work movement, including:

The necessary strategies for managing a remote and distributed workforce.
The approaches for navigating a volatile labor market.
The Best-in-Class strategies for implementing new technology and innovative tools to enhance how work is done.
The ideal pathways to more effective business leadership, and;
What the future holds for the world of work and talent.

Conscious Leadership Should Be a Future of Work Focus

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/28/2022

In the earliest months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a dearth of the one thing that every person thrives on that, unfortunately, we had taken for granted for far too long: human contact. Every video conference with older family members, every Friday afternoon virtual cocktail hour, the absence of fun evenings at the local sushi joint down the street…there was always that missing sense of human contact that nipped at the back of our minds as we experienced a crisis together.

While we are clearly out of the “emergency phase” of the biggest health crisis of our lifetime, with vaccines and immunity leading to a more “normal” way of life (barring another serious surge of cases), it doesn’t mean we should be abandoning the newfound focus on aspects such as empathy, compassion, and emotional-led thinking both in our personal and professional lives, however.

The Future of Work Exchange has long been a proponent of empathetic leadership and its many, many benefits. We even wrote about it last week and discussed why the Future of Work movement required more humanity within its innerworkings. It’s with this backdrop in mind that business leadership must continue to evolve; what the Future of Work needs today is conscious leadership.

Enterprise leaders in 2022 sit in a very, very different position than they did just a couple of years ago. And while the pandemic played a very critical role in how leadership has changed for the better, the fact is that the business arena would eventually experience this revolution of leadership simply because the workforce, the enterprise vision, and getting work done all now require a reimagined and strategic approach towards leadership.

“For years we’ve recognized that people’s dedication to their work has shifted: whether that be in time, energy, or emotion spent. People have the opportunity to reap so much from their careers, but only if the environments in which they work recognize and honor that and play an equal part in the relationship,” said Ashley Andersen, Leadership Coach and Partner at 10X Leadership Lab. “No longer are people just happy to have a job. They want and deserve more from their work- they want to use their work to create a positive impact and they want their work to in turn have a positive impact on them.”

The realm of conscious leadership follows a similar path to the one paved by empathy, in that nearly every facet of human contact between an executive and his or her colleagues and staff is rooted in a meaningful, genuine purpose. A leader’s core approaches involve them becoming more aware of their actions, more aware of how kind and, yes, conscious, those actions and insights may be perceived by the organization’s workforce.

Andersen and her 10X Leadership Lab team are focused on helping leaders become more conscious in their overall styles and approaches, augmenting leadership strategies with positive psychology and an emphasis on the fundamental behavioral change that is required for executives to reboot their approaches towards revolutionary leadership.

“At 10X Leadership Lab, we see leadership as a tremendous responsibility and, in that responsibility lies to the opportunity to have real impact – not just on the bottom line, but on the overall well-being of those around you and the systems you work within,” said Andersen. “Think about the last time you felt really heard, seen, understood, and valued at work – what was the impact of that? The leaders who show up in that way are the ones we’re willing to go the extra mile for, the ones we want to stick beside and learn from, the ones whose feedback really matters.”

One of the most critical aspects of conscious leadership is purpose (which we’ve written about recently). Workers desire work that has purpose, that is fulfilling, and aligns with their own specific journeys, goals, and life objectives. Leadership must change and evolve to suit this critical Future of Work tenet. Leadership must have the capability to be influential, purposeful, and deliberate in how it drives the overall vision of its staff, its product, its culture, and the greater organization.

“Everything begins with purpose at 10X, whether you are working with us in 1:1 coaching or at the systems level through our Thriving Culture work, because it’s the foundation that determines how we operate, the decisions we make, the attitudes we hold, the language we use,” said Andersen. “At 10X, our purpose is to make the world better by making business better. If we meet with a prospect who doesn’t share an interest in maximum impact beyond profit, we aren’t the right company for them and we politely part ways. It’s not always an easy decision to make, but it’s one that leaves us standing in integrity, which feels a whole lot different than the alternative. This work isn’t easy, that’s not what it’s about, but it’s always worthwhile. It’s what the Future of Work demands and deserves from us, and it’s what we are most passionate about.”