The Future of Work after Coronavirus
Now is the time to reevaluate what work means to us
The question on everyone’s mind right now is… how long will this last? As the coronavirus (COVID-190) outbreak has quickly spread across the world, each day brings escalating anxiety and concern about what will happen for the next six weeks and beyond. One thing is certain: after this collective experience, many things will change in the world. Hopefully many of those things will change for the better. Among those things I deeply hope will change is the very nature of work as we know it.
For the last seven years I have coached nonprofits on building strategic communications plans and strong teams. I’ve coached many marketing professionals and the leaders of their organizations through transitions. It’s a deeply rewarding opportunity to help others. But one thing always nagged me as I worked with genuinely intelligent, kind, talented individuals all across the country: many of them struggle with management and leadership at their organization.
It’s not that they don’t like the leaders of their organizations, nor were they dispassionate about the work they do. In fact, working in nonprofits, they are deeply passionate about the work they do; it’s a cause to which they are absolutely dedicated. And they very much care for their coworkers whom they view as fellow patriots in their mission. But more often than not, they find themselves frustrated with the structure of the modern American workplace and the constraints that shackle so many otherwise bright, industrious talents across the nation.
This got me thinking about the very nature of work and why we have certain corporate norms across industries. Is it really necessary for people to work 5-day, Monday-Friday, 40-hour weeks? Do we need middle managers? Why isn’t remote work more prevalent in a service-oriented economy that has amazing technology for enabling this kind of flexibility? I started writing a book and a training program on the topic of conscious leadership for remote teams because I’ve been concerned about the imbalance in our nation’s work culture. Then the coronavirus (COVID-19) appeared and everything changed.
Suddenly and literally overnight millions of people found themselves working from home, changing their daily routines, and fundamentally questioning the very structures to which we’ve conformed for so long. In this surreal environment, we’re able to question the habits and customs that we normally just accept as “this is the way it is.”
Author Vishen Lakhiani refers to these beliefs as “brules,” or “bullshit rules.” They are things that we just unquestioningly accept because we were told to by parents, teachers, bosses, pastors, politicians, etc. But when our normal life is so unexpectedly and drastically altered, we’re able to question these brules and determine what truly serves us and our society. Sometimes it takes a crisis to wake us up from our daydream and get us evaluating what’s really important—both on a personal and societal level.
Many people are throwing around the term “new reality.” As in, nothing will be the same after this crisis passes. Life as we know it will be different in many ways because of the crisis’ ongoing impact on so many lives and businesses. Yes, we will recover and certain things will return to “normal.” But now is the time to make big changes to the parts of life, work, and culture that weren’t serving us well.
If you’re an employer, I encourage you to take this time to evaluate what the future of your company will look like. Conscious leaders look for the win-wins for their team and key partners. So what will you organization BE after this current crisis passes? What is your mission? What kind of impact do you want to have? What values do you want to demonstrate in the world as it adjusts to a new way of operating?
Leading a remote team right now is your opportunity to reflect up on your core values as a leader and your organization’s mission. Perhaps now is the time to evaluate Democracy-inspired systems like Holocracy, which seek to make organizations flatter, and more nimble, and empowers employees instead of chaining them to a system.
If you’re an employee, I encourage you to take this time to evaluate the work you do. If you aren’t waking up every day eager to contribute to your role, you may not be in the right organization. Or perhaps you love your organization, but you want to promote change from within. You have the ability to do so.
This pause in the daily routine to which we’re all accustomed is the opportunity to discover your true passion and purpose so you wake up every morning knowing you’re in clear alignment with your life’s passion.
There are many dynamic coaches who can guide companies and individuals towards achieving their deepest desires through what they contribute in the workplace. I love working with such organizations and people—because they end up having a huge impact, which ripples throughout communities and increases the overall consciousness of our societies.
It’s true that none of us planned this sudden departure from life as we know it. But we can shift our perspective and instead embrace it as our opportunity to consider what truly matters in work and life. And then we can move towards the dreams and aspirations that deeply connect with our truest self.
I will soon be launching a training series for employers and employees to hone their remote work skills. Stay posted for these exciting and timely new courses!
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