Understand that people are inherently different, even when they may present as similar.
- One size fits all, while often the marker of consistent policy, inherently removes the people factor from decisions that squarely impact people. Creating policies and ways of working that are built to be more elastic provides greater flexibility in every meaning of the word.
- Two things can be true at the same time. People can enjoy time in person or feel the benefit of coming together in a physical space, but also not want to pay for a commute or live in a less expensive location. We need fewer binaries and more thoughtful design parameters across our solution sets.
While the path is forged in real time, transparency and clarity around goals and measurement are important to keep building and iteration on track.
- At every turn, ask the question “what is this in service of?” Are your choices pointing in the direction of the goal you’re trying to achieve? Are they aligned to the longer term ambition you’re working towards?
- KPIs will vary for every organization at different stages of the process. While fundamental principles apply, just like people, businesses have remarkable differences and what matters most and how that’s determined will and should impact how things are prioritized, measured and valued.
Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond
If you take anything from this article, it’s that we have everything to gain ahead of us. We’re not at an impasse, we’re at an inflection point.
- Change isn’t going away, but how we adapt to change will define our future.
- Building for the future is an exercise in patience and practice, not perfection.
- This is the time for organizations to reflect on their honest perspective about how they see people as a part of the business and bridge the gap between vision and reality. Decide the company you want to be, the type of talent you want to attract and the culture you aim to build. Like any brand exercise, knowing who you are, what you stand for and how you show up in the world is how you get to clarity. This exercise is no different.
- Focus on building with people in mind. Not in the superficial way, but in the human-centered design thinking way. A system and structure that supports new norms and prioritizes people can lead to a more equitable, more accessible, more integrated workforce that produces the best work possible under the best conditions possible.
Nothing about this is easy. We’re working with a large and complicated set of variables. But progress doesn’t mean perfection. It means a commitment to change for the better. Better for women, parents, caretakers, people who are disabled, people who are neuro divergent and people who don’t live in one of the major urban markets.
