Wanted - Change Managers hungry for new paradigms
Unprepared. Fragile. Tied to apron strings.
That is how the (real) economy felt when the Covid-19 sanitary crisis struck Europe, spreading heavily during the first 2020 quarter. Our interdependencies with other countries, continents or economies suddenly appeared as a weakness (and not as a necessary evil any more).
Most companies were forced to either suspend all their activities within a couple of days or activate the temporary unemployment programmes for (part of) their workforce. The “luckiest” employees had to work from home, leaving parents having to deal with bored children while getting their usual tasks done.
This unprecedented situation led many people to set priorities for themselves and reassess what mattered for them. As such, I believe there are many changes to come on the labour market.
1. Uncertainty rules ; agility is key
It is certain : Covid-19 is just one of many existing viruses that can be passed on from animals to human beings. Let’s not be candid, there is no reason to believe that this economy lockdown is a one-off experience in our lifetime. (Oops, I didn’t ruin your day, did I ?) Actually, we need to be prepared for any sudden change in the economy and the labour market. Allowing employees to work from home whenever it is possible is just one step in the right direction, as it makes labour resilient.
At this stage, many employers notice that working from home is not only feasible, but expected from employees as a way to improve their work-life balance. Still, it requires a change in leadership style in many companies.
2. Changing is living
As some businesses are shut during lockdown periods and need to reinvent themselves (restaurants, cafés, hotels, sport and cultural industries will probably pay the highest bills), lots of other businesses receiving no ‘safety net’ from governments will go bankrupt, triggering a domino effect. Before a hypothetical and efficient vaccine is conceived and deployed, businesses will need to adapt to the new reality of wearing masks and respecting social distance.
Luckily, there is need for new businesses to emerge, provided they are agile. Indeed, we have seen clothes brands suddenly turn into textile mask makers, businesses going online, etc. As food security is (finally) becoming a major concern for governments across the world, agriculture and industries will be needed across Europe, so the economy structure and, therefore, the labour market is likely to change over the coming years.
3. Purposeful work is trendy
Some employees forced to work from home while dealing with children were quickly confronted with dilemmas; how to work efficiently while ensuring some school work gets done? How to print your child’s homework when you don’t have a printer home? How to avoid your children to spend too much time on screens? How to work-and-play-and-cook-and-shop-and-clean-and exercise-and-rest? Monoparental families were especially hit.
With food security being jeopardized by this sanitary crisis, some people suddenly realized their job wasn’t as meaningful as they thought. “Bullshit jobs” are not only a waste of money and resources, they also endanger the resiliency of our economies. Each job must create value for the society and should be justified, no more than ever.
Let’s do it!
3.A. Reward policies
At this stage, many companies that once were reluctant to implement “Working from Home” policies have had to admit that their business has not fallen into pieces. Besides, most employees are now taking this way of working for granted. So if you haven’t done it yet, it is high time to draft a “Work from Home” policies that take this new Covid-19 paradigm into account.
3.B. Organisation (Re-)Design
Besides, the global decay of all European GDP is an invitation to redesign company purposes around security and purposefulness. It is now time for most companies to redefine their core values and make sure this reflection is carried out from top to bottom. It is no secret that some companies may need to delayer or lay off in the coming months. Each position must be carefully reviewed and justified. In this context, it is obvious that an efficient Organisational (Re-)Design is a necessity!
3.C. Agility
If you experienced that your company was unable to quickly adapt to the new situation, it is now time to question your traject towards “Agility”. In most companies, this concept only applies to processes, when what we actually need is the ability to adapt to market needs. If you cannot deal with a fast-evolving market and high variations in demands and supplies, you simply are not agile.
In the coming months and years, companies will face as many internal as external changes. Those who will be reluctant to change may have to disappear. Change is inevitable, as we know Covid-19 is not going to disappear in the next couple of months. So what is your corporate attitude towards change? Fight, flight, freeze… or drive?
