Rethinking Your Future 🤔 💭
A weekly roundup of the latest future of work and conscious leadership news and insights
This week Adam Bluestein penned an insightful article about how the COVID pandemic has impacted my current hometown, Austin. He describes how just months ago Austin was on track to replace Silicon Valley. Cranes clutter the skyline as glimmering new buildings were constructed to house the hundreds of new businesses and their employees moving to the city.
But now the future is uncertain.
Once thriving companies are laying off employees and shutting down offices. Leaders who envisioned changing the world are grappling with losing their dreams. Bluestein wonders whether Austin will be the “crash test dummy to demonstrate what happens when a very fast-moving economy slams into the brick wall of a pandemic and a recession.”
While the pandemic is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime type experience, all of us will continue to face various challenges and setbacks in life. The key is learning how to bounce back. How can you rethink your future when the one you’d planned is suddenly derailed?
Working with a coach can be a life-changing way to examine your situation and where you want to go. It can help you rethink your future and what you want to create for yourself. The end of one dream can mean the beginning of a new, yet-unimagined dream.
Last year when Víctor and I were struggling with the immigration process, we received as an engagement gift this sign to remind us that even though some plans were changing, our goal would never waver:
We did have to change our plans many times. But ultimately we achieved our goal of marriage and being together here in Austin.
If you’re struggling right now with envisioning your new future, or you want to take time to work on being the best version of yourself possible to achieve your goals through new plans, let’s connect. Every minute you spend investing in yourself will reap rewards beyond your immediate influence. You will BE the change you want to see in this quickly-changing world.
Here is some of the future of work and conscious leadership content I found interesting this week:
Wired featured a post from GitLab’s CEO that describes the difficulty of having a hybrid remote team. “If an office is the “glue,” and processes and systems don’t adapt for a remote workforce, remote team members will not feel included and will face constant communication barriers. This will make it harder for them to perform at the same level as their in-office peers.” The article explains the inequalities of trying to have a hybrid team. Having a remote team requires greater intentionality, something a remote team coach can help you achieve more quickly.
VentureBeat featured a column about the 4 things CEOs didn’t expect about remote life. “There’s a ‘we’re-all-in-this-together’ feeling that transcends the usual professional camaraderie.” Echoing the Wired article above, the author notes how going all-remote with his team has leveled the playing field on employee engagement and collaboration. The author also notes how quickly we’ve shifted our perception of what seems impersonal. While in the past, in-person meetings were prioritized, but could take months to schedule, a quick Zoom call creates connection and can happen same-day. “Ironically, in this time of social distancing, it’s never felt so easy or comfortable to be in touch with people.”
A recent study by Adecco found employers should use the pandemic to 'hit reset' on traditional schedules. The survey uncovered how “a gap now exists between workforce expectations and entrenched processes.” Adecco’s CEO observed, "As we step into the new era of work, now is the time to establish better norms that will enable a holistically healthy, productive and inclusive workforce into the future." Conscious leaders consider what each team member needs to successfully execute their responsibilities, without counting hours or micromanaging.
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
Meredith’s coaching helps conscious leaders step courageously into the future of work. Contact her to develop your conscious leadership and transform your organization into the workplace of the future.
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