The whole world has changed, and we have changed with it, which means we are moving forward. Due to covid disruptions, we have accelerated the process of a new way of working that was already on its way. 

Undeniably, remote and flexible working is here to stay. But there is a lot more to it than just where we work from. We have reevaluated our lives, formed new habits, and gained autonomy over our work-life balance. 

What’s even more exciting, technology and our confidence with it has also increased and accelerated immensely—opening a range of opportunities to the way we can do things in the future. 

It’s now the job of managers and business leaders to find the strengths and weaknesses of old and new systems. Then, put everything we have learned into a new world that maximises the potential of both. Thus, allowing us to perform better, not only professionally but personally. 

Unfortunately, to get there, we need to accept failure as part of the journey. Since we are building something new, there is a high possibility of making mistakes along the way. The positive side is that failing is neither permanent nor irreversible. 

CHANGING OUR PERSPECTIVE 

We usually see failure as something negative, but it’s time to change our perspective. We learn a lot more from our losses than our victories. Every mistake helps us uncover a valuable lesson.

“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” – Henry Ford.

Much like an app development process, we find ourselves in the ‘MVP’ stage. We need to test it and update it until we identify the right solution. 

George Anders of LinkedIn says, “Be ready to build a new plan — not just once, but maybe two, three, four times. What worked for your people and business in April may not be the same as November.”

We are innovating, and innovation and creativity come with a learning curve. But it’s all part of a learning experience. 

THE OPTIMIST LEARNING EXPERIENCE TO BUILD THE NEW NORM

As we all attempt to change our perspective and make the most out of this learning experience, there are a few things you need to be ready for:

Open your mind. Creativity and innovation can’t happen in a closed mind. It’s all about experimenting with new ideas. So, you need to consider different points of views and broaden your thinking. 

Being honest and upfront. Being authentic, honest and upfront with people is essential during this process. People need to feel included and valued if they are to participate and improve. In addition, honesty is the only way to build trust, something critical if you are to collaborate and work well together. 

Communicate through the process. If we want to act fast and achieve positive results, communication must be constant, bidirectional, and honest. It will enable us to collect information quicker but also bring everyone together. 

When thinking about communication in the virtual world, it’s essential to pay special attention to our tone and body language. One of the reasons for zoom fatigue is that our brain is trying to make sense of other details apart from our words, which is a lot more difficult when online. So focusing on more clear communication can be hugely beneficial to reduce the stress caused by video calls. 

Manage your expectations. Expectations are not real; we create them based on data and information. While they are necessary to measure our progress, they can also make us more stressed when in unprecedented situations. By removing some of the pressure of not meeting expectations, we can act more freely and bounce back faster. 

Focus on data. We are moving into the unknown, so collecting as much information as possible is essential. Knowing what people need to adapt to this new situation can help us better understand what needs to be done. The more data we have, the easier it will be to make the right decisions. Since we are changing the way we work, it may be necessary to adapt how we measure results too. 

THE OPTIMIST VIEW 

As Optimists, we couldn’t feel more excited about what’s coming. We are all in the process of creating a new future that, planned well, can have a considerable impact both on business and individuals. 

The new norm could help propel us even quicker towards achieving equality, diversity, inclusion within the workplace, as well as helping us accomplish our ESG goals that are so relevant and important right now.  

Even more, the power of communities, relationships, mental health and work-life balance has gained even greater importance. Having realised this and learnt this lesson, we must continue to focus on individuals, teams and networks even more now, both at work and home. 

At Optimist Performance, we know how important the above lesson is, and we are here to help in the process. 

Both our motivational talks and executive coaching centred around the development of both teams and individuals. Our experiential events are focused on bringing your team or clients together through an unforgettable experience. 

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Here are five essential points for leaders to focus on in the near future:

Relationships, human connections and the wellbeing of people

Over the recent weeks and months, the value of human interactions and how important meaningful relationships are to us has become very clear.

This last year has shown us how essential those relationships are to us all, and with it, it has brought an increased awareness of how much an absence of these relationships can impact our mental health. 

Leaders will need to keep this in mind when looking at the future: 

Workspaces need to be redesigned with social integration and community creation at their heart, instead of the traditional function of office space. 

Activities need to be reengineered to centre around building substantial and deeper connections between individuals. So that those relationships become more powerful and deep-rooted in the future. 

Implementing mental health programmes that help safeguard and support people moving forward. This action will create safer environments in which people feel comfortable talking about their issues. 

Adapting to new generations coming into the workplace

Leaders have to be aware and prepared to provide the relevant environments if they want to bring in new and valuable talent into their teams.

Younger generations are increasingly looking to people and organisations that play to their passions and beliefs, with money becoming less of a motivator. 

They want to work for organisations that care about important issues and try to play their part to solve them. 

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Awareness has been rising for years now, and it will continue to increase in the years to come. 

Leaders have to make a more considered effort to create a more inclusive workspace by placing diversity and equality at the heart of everything they do. 

Moving towards a more agile, flexible and independent work environment

People have demonstrated that they can be held accountable and trusted without being monitored every minute of every day. Leaders have seen that it is possible to be productive even when people are not in the office every day. 

Creating new strategies where flexible and remote working is the new norm would be essential for leaders who want to attract and retain the best talent. 

Using technology to deliver value

Technology has been one essential part for everyone at work this past year. We all have grown accustomed to it now. 

We have learnt that creating relationships, working together as teams, and having valuable conversations is possible through our computers. And even though it will never replace human connections, it still offers excellent opportunities for leaders to deliver against leadership’s core values.

Technology offers multiple channels for open and constant communication. Which could help leaders deliver a more authentic leadership style and message. 

It presents new methods for people to work remotely while still working together as a team. 

It allows new and better opportunities for leaders to acquire the best possible talent for their organisations. 

CONCLUSION

The current situation provides opportunities to create better environments, with inclusion and diversity at its core. Leaders need to do their part, but so do we. We all have a role to play and must take action to create a new and better future. 

At Optimist Performance, we help businesses and teams to create a culture to succeed. 

Get in touch with us for a free consultation about our transformational talks, workshops and 1-1 coaching sessions. We run all our sessions online at the moment. 

What do you think will change in the near future in the world of work? Let us know in the comments. 

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