Читать книгу Experience, Inc. - Jill Popelka - Страница 16

For those in positions of leadership, it may feel daunting to try to manage the pace of change today. But we all know it's necessary in order to stay relevant and succeed. Because people change. Society changes. Constantly. On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., with my daughter, Kalie, I came across these words etched in stone: “Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times.” Thomas Jefferson said that more than two centuries ago, and it's still true today.¹¹ Companies and their practices must change to keep pace with the progress of the human mind.

It's hard to argue that the changes in work from thousands of years ago to a century ago were greater than what we've experienced in just the last two generations, or the last five years. The word disruption has been overused, yet it accurately describes what has been going on for the last decade and even more recently. Business leaders have seen a massive reorientation around the notion of work.

Your work life was once far less flexible. Today, there's more choice, thus companies need to compete harder for your attention and loyalty. Since 1972, average gross domestic product (GDP) per capita around the globe has increased more than tenfold, which translates to more personal discretionary spending, which means more people who are able and willing to tolerate a few months out of work looking for their next job.¹² Many people are no longer satisfied simply by reaching the base levels of Maslow's iconic hierarchy pyramid – physiological (food, shelter, etc.) and safety/security (employment, social stability, etc.). They want to scale the upper levels, right to the top of the pyramid: self-actualization.

Who – during the Great Depression – would have thought that self-actualization was something to expect from one's job? Work was about a steady paycheck. Now, more people are willing and able to make trade-offs. Do I want to spend x more hours making y more money? Or do I want to spend more time meditating? “What if paid work is not the only worthwhile use of one's time?” The New York Times' Farhad Manjoo ponders. “What if crushing it in your career is not the only way to attain status and significance in society?”¹³

People want and need to feel fairly compensated and secure in their job. But people today are increasingly interested in moving around, changing jobs; résumés read like novellas. If employees are unhappy at work, they can leave. Maybe they want to do good, or more good, or see a bigger picture, or they're no longer willing to feel like a cog in the machine.

Companies can't expect to attract the best talent, and therefore grow and succeed, without examining what they're offering. “Businesses have to understand that they need to attract and work with people in a different way if they expect to keep us,” says Mark, an executive who just returned from four years in Asia. “I'm happy to be back in the San Francisco Bay area but I can work anywhere in the world. I have a talent set and I have a network. If I had an offer for a job back in Asia, I wouldn't have to move there to do it.”

Leaders must think more purposefully about how they're helping their people. Today's worker will not be won over easily by empty corporate campaigns or initiatives that offer perks like foosball tables in the breakroom, ostensibly to improve their experience. These gimmicks might get you a better rating on workplace surveys but, as much psychological research shows, if companies are not offering something meaningful, they will fail. Genuine improvements in the work environment are those that affect intrinsic motivation and allow the worker to contribute and have a voice. These are much more predictive of employee fulfillment and business success. Some forward-looking companies are redefining their HR processes to focus more on human experience management (e.g., aspiration, work style, growth) rather than its previous focus, human capital management.

We're in the midst of a societal renegotiation. Those in a position of power must provide a better roadmap for how to engage and reward everyone. As machines get smarter and more ubiquitous, how do we ensure – or, in some senses, restore – humanity in the workplace?

Yet technological advancement is just one reason for the improvements in the way employees work and the way they are treated. In August 2019, Business Roundtable, the respected association of CEOs of America's leading companies, announced that “shareholder capitalism” was dead, replaced by “stakeholder capitalism.” For more than 20 years, Business Roundtable had issued proclamations on the raison d'être of the corporation, and the shareholder was viewed always as the most important constituent. Finally, Business Roundtable changed its tune. “Major employers are investing in their workers and communities because they know it is the only way to be successful,” said Jamie Dimon, CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and then Chairman of Business Roundtable.¹⁴

It's interesting that it took until 2019 to formally elevate the status of workers and others, but better late than never. While “stakeholders” is a large collection (it comprises customers, employees, suppliers, communities, and shareholders), conscientious leaders understand that no one should rank higher than the worker – for humane reasons and business reasons. The day-to-day, lived employment experience of workers is inextricably connected to the success of their company.

It has become clear that the things employees value most from a job are no longer mere wants, but expectations. The employee feels that the employer should be involved, even responsible, for their well-being; offer learning opportunities; listen to workers; and speak out on social issues. The employee wants to find a sense of purpose in a workplace that's productive for and welcoming to everyone.

The World Economic Forum's 2020 report on Talent/Human Capital framed the reset of values in the new world of work.¹⁵ This included moving from a process-centric “Employees and Jobs” focus to a more human-centric “People, Work, and Skills” focus.

The World Economic Forum has also established a set of recommended metrics for businesses, to help drive sustainability as it relates to people. The themes are Dignity and Equality, Health and Well-being, and Skills for the Future. As companies strive to be more sustainable, it will be important that they also focus on a shared future.

Leaders know they must deliver. In a 2020 Forbes survey, the heads of Human Resources and other departments were asked to name their top initiatives. The top answer, ranked first by half the respondents, was employee experience.¹⁶