No More Business as Usual
The workforce has adopted new expectations for their careers and worklife
Last week the New York Times published an interesting article exploring what it dubs the emerging “YOLO Economy.” YOLO (You Only Live Once) describes the ethos currently motivating many young Millennials who, as a result of the pandemic, have reprioritized what’s truly important to them. As the article notes, the overarching theme is this: “The pandemic changed my priorities, and I realized I didn’t have to live like this.”
Before 2020, many embraced a work-hard mentality and willingly sacrificed personal success in order to have professional success. But after experiencing a life-changing global pandemic, many had time—while working from home—to reassess and realize that professional success should not come at a cost to personal fulfillment. The Guardian also noted this shift away from the “productivity cult” to a life of real meaning.
In other words, they realized making lots of money and climbing a corporate ladder perhaps wasn’t as fulfilling as more mundane but enriching experiences like time with family or working remotely from new unexplored locations. They want freedom, they want balance, and they want to create a better way of being for themselves. For some, that means starting their own business or turning a hobby into a revenue-generating career.
This is a noteworthy trend for conscious leaders because it presents a huge opportunity. Conscious leaders seek to create a workplace and world where everyone has the chance to thrive. We build purpose-led companies with passionate teams. As the values of team members change, conscious leaders can lean into their conscious leadership values and understand how best to offer an environment where staff can express their values.
There’s no doubt work-as-we-know-it is forever changed. Employers will need to be even more empathetic and creative in order to hire and retain talent. That means looking at each employee and their dreams and determining a plan that works best for both employer and employee to reach their goals. It could mean hiring the best talent around the globe, not just in your ZIP code. It could mean flexible hours and better benefits. It’s time to get creative.
It’s estimated two out of three employees are considering looking for new work this year. Much of that dissatisfaction with current employers is how they treated their teams during the pandemic and how well they are responding to the shifting values of their teams. The workplace will be more competitive now, and conscious leaders will succeed by knowing how to respect their teams and finding ways to help them thrive.
There is huge opportunity here for those who embrace and live conscious leadership. It portends a bright future for work, employees, and our communities—if we’re willing to embrace conscious leadership’s bold vision of the better world we can create for all.
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
The way we work and build teams is rapidly changing. Leaders often feel unprepared to navigate the transition. As a conscious leadership coach, consultant and communicator, Meredith helps leaders and their teams create new ways of working and relating so they can prepare for the future by consciously co-creating it.
Contact her to develop your conscious leadership and transform your organization into the workplace of the future.
You can support my work developing more conscious leadership in the world by investing in a paid subscription to this newsletter. Upgrade your subscription today!
Connect with Meredith on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for content related to these topics.