Preparing For The Future Of Work: Dr Patricia Anderson On The Top Five Trends To Watch In The Future Of Work
An Interview with Phil La Duke
Move from transactional to authentic transformational leadership. The transactional approach to work has been “produce and get paid.” Employees are looking for different types of engagement. Lean into authentic transformational leadership (inspirational motivation, idealized influence, individual consideration, and intellectual stimulation.) In short, inspire, motivate, model, stretch your EQ muscle, and promote critical thinking.
There have been major disruptions in recent years that promise to change the very nature of work. From the ongoing shifts caused by the COVID19 pandemic, the impacts caused by automation, and other possible disruptions to the status quo, many wonder what the future holds in terms of employment. For example, a report by the McKinsey Global Institute that estimated automation will eliminate 73 million jobs by 2030.
To address this open question, we reached out to successful leaders in business, government, and labor, as well as thought leaders about the future of work to glean their insights and predictions on the future of work and the workplace.
As a part of this interview series called “Preparing For The Future Of Work”, we had the pleasure to interview Dr. Patrcia Anderson.
Dr. Anderson is a professor at the Forbes School of Business and Technology with more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership and business. She has combined years of extensive behavioral research with her proven abilities to manage complexity, volatility, and ambiguity in the realm of leadership, to become a leading expert in Authentic Transformational Leadership (ATL). Dr. Anderson’s mission with ATL is to position leaders and businesses to create people-powered, future-proof solutions and sustainable success through authenticity, transparency, and mutual real-time accountability.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers like to get an idea of who you are and where you came from. Can you tell us a bit about your background? Where do you come from? What are the life experiences that most shaped your current self?
My pleasure! I was born in Jamaica and moved to St. Croix for a few years, then settled in Philadelphia for the majority of my life where I attended high school and college. I moved to Georgia, where I am currently. Life experiences that shaped me include my tenure in the Army (learning discipline). In the COVID-19 era (which included multiple disruptions), my research and practice in authentic transformational leadership has reoriented my views on effective leadership, prior to, during, and post disruption.
What do you expect to be the major disruptions for employers in the next 10–15 years? How should employers pivot to adapt to these disruptions?
We are currently experiencing a buyer’s market; employees have the power. Employers must shift to employees’ demand for more meaningful experiences at work. The talent landscape has changed from the status quo and employees are determining how they want to work. The workplace has been redefined to workspace (from a place to a state). Employers (and employees) have to adjust to the ubiquitous “workspace.” Augmented reality will play a part in how teams collaborate at work.
Drop the organizational personae, employees want to connect to the real you.
Incentivize work from home; pivot savings from onsite engagement to support the home/work environment.
Provide at-home technical support.
Employees’ mental health is a critical success factor for high engagement at work. Prioritize this above all else.
The convergence of people and things: WW3, will revolutionize how we work, learn, and collaborate. It also has implications on the talent lifecycle (attraction, retention, growth.)
The choice as to whether or not a young person should pursue a college degree was once a “no-brainer”. But with the existence of many high profile millionaires (and billionaires) who did not earn degrees, as well as the fact that many graduates are saddled with crushing student loan debt and unable to find jobs it has become a much more complex question. What advice would you give to young adults considering whether or not to go to college?
The future is yours; you showed us recently how to redirect focus to critical issues and you have the power to drive how the future is shaped…keep that in mind. Remember that when you “see” millionaires/billionaires you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Hard work, persistence, innovation, critical thinking, and preparation lie beneath the tip. Don’t get caught up in what is “presented” on social media. With that said, I remember when I went to college (I actually went to get out of a marriage proposal!) I did not have the sense of what I wanted to do, as did some of my friends, so college it was. The discipline, critical thinking and learning how to prioritize, that I gained were far more significant than my course of study. Learning should be a lifelong endeavor (whether you go to college or not.) If you have a plan (not a dream) then you should take risks and execute on it. When considering whether or not to go to college, conduct a SWOTT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, Trends.) Objectively view the analysis of both courses of action. This will give you an idea of how to proceed. Finally, count the financial costs and have a way out if needed.
Despite the doom and gloom predictions, there are, and likely still will be, jobs available. How do you see job seekers having to change their approaches to finding not only employment, but employment that fits their talents and interests?
Be flexible, upskill or reskill. Education has gone beyond the traditional BAM (brick and mortar) model. YouTube University and other learning platforms are great sources for the knowledge-thirsty. Break away from “social media only” reporting to explore more solid possibilities. Smart candidates can “make” their jobs in interviews by providing innovative ways to solve problems. Remember, it’s a buyer’s market. Get mentored, find someone where you are aspiring to go and be willing to learn, and put in the work.
The statistics of artificial intelligence and automation eliminating millions of jobs, appears frightening to some. For example, Walmart aims to eliminate cashiers altogether and Dominos is instituting pizza delivery via driverless vehicles. How should people plan their careers such that they can hedge their bets against being replaced by automation or robots?
Expand your analysis to focus on other aspects of operations that will not be automated. This is another opportunity to upskill and reskill. Yes, some jobs will be eliminated, but only the mundane, repetitive tasks that in the long run, do not suit healthy human cognitive development. Learn to program or service these automated devices, write apps, or pivot to a new career.
Technological advances and pandemic restrictions hastened the move to working from home. Do you see this trend continuing? Why or why not?
I believe there will be a hybrid of on prem and online work. Employers are giving employees the flexibility to choose, or they require a minimum engagement on prem: some collaboration is more effective in person. Since some employees are choosing remote work only, employers have to widen the net to capture the market for talent, as they come from the most unexpected places. If the employer wants on prem employees, they may have to incentivize as health concerns and flexibility may be an issue.
What societal changes do you foresee as necessary to support the fundamental changes to work?
The emphasis is on people vis-a-vis The Rise of the Human. People want more control on how they work, engage, and are treated. Societal norms will reflect the “workspace” mentality and support workers in many different spaces. Commercial spaces are increasing their technological assets so there are connection points for computers, tablets, etc. Women are increasingly caring for aging parents and should be supported in those efforts. Men are being more vocal about their mental health challenges and should be supported and provided safe spaces to express themselves. The Gig economy will continue to thrive as employees look for multiple streams of both income and meaningful engagement.
What changes do you think will be the most difficult for employers to accept? What changes do you think will be the most difficult for employees to accept?
Employers:
Managing remotely; in lieu of visually confirming work is being done, they have to trust that remote employees are being productive.
Engagement will be an issue, so will the talent landscape which has expanded to be more diverse. Hire up; talent may not check all of the responsibilities boxes but they possess the capacity to learn and adapt.
Employees are increasingly looking to the HR department to assist them with mental health, financial health, physical health direction and support. Their Human Capital Management assets have to scale up to support those needs.
Adoption of 360-degree evaluation by employees
Employees:
Many employees struggle with working remotely as working on prem has been the status quo; they miss the social aspects of being on prem and are challenged in establishing virtual connections.
Other employees are used to being “managed.” Self-management also poses challenges to them in terms of meeting deadlines, prioritization, and communicating virtually.
Immersion in the home/work environment prescribes a wider lens on multiple priorities in the “workspace.” Child care, elderly care, intrusions, in addition to work responsibilities, occupy the same space. Employees have to modify their home/workspaces to be efficient and productive.
The COVID-19 pandemic helped highlight the inadequate social safety net that many workers at all pay levels have. Is this something that you think should be addressed? In your opinion how should this be addressed?
The exposure of these inadequacies was a good checkpoint for everyone. Employers are responsible for the overall health of their employees while at work. Employees are increasingly expressing concerns in the interview process as they represent crucial decision points. Employers can use effective practices as a selling point to prospective employees, however, they have to ensure that they are maintaining those standards and not just riding the wave from the COVID-era. Think sustainability; there most certainly will be another disruption, perhaps the next one will be “going dark”, i.e. no Internet access. COVID-19 exposed gaps in operational efficiencies, which is an optimal time to revisit the organization’s mission/vision.
Despite all that we have said earlier, what is your greatest source of optimism about the future of work?
It will be interesting. Technological advances will influence how we work and live. It is an exciting time to see what options we have for improving our quality of life in the 4th industrial revolution. The seamless integration of AI, IoT, genetic engineering, quantum computing, robotics, etc. presents many opportunities for learning and interacting differently and more effectively. The human experience (internal and external stakeholders) will provide the single source of truth that drives organizational activities. In the future, we will normalize disruption in order to get ahead of the unknown unknowns.
Historically, major disruptions to the status quo in employment, particularly disruptions that result in fewer jobs, are temporary with new jobs replacing the jobs lost. Unfortunately, there has often been a gap between the job losses and the growth of new jobs. What do you think we can do to reduce the length of this gap?
I believe we are doing it now; employees are increasingly more prescriptive about the work they perform and employers are adapting to meet their demands. The Fourth Industrial Revolution will provide opportunities to close those gaps as more jobs are being created. We can use other metrics to measure the gaps, for example, “jobs” may define traditional structures (9–5, W2, etc.) The Gig economy may not be represented in those metrics.
Okay, wonderful. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “Top 5 Trends To Watch In the Future of Work?” (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Transparent, ethical, accessible leaders. Drop the organizational personae and the suit and engage with your stakeholders, at the human level.
- Inclusive talent landscape — explore all opportunities for diverse talent, hire up, upskill, reskill.
- Redefine the workspace. Pivot from a (physical) place to a state (of mind). Assess where talent is more productive and adjust accordingly. This is an iterative process so they may elect to work from home then on prem, so be flexible.
- Move from transactional to authentic transformational leadership. The transactional approach to work has been “produce and get paid.” Employees are looking for different types of engagement. Lean into authentic transformational leadership (inspirational motivation, idealized influence, individual consideration, and intellectual stimulation.) In short, inspire, motivate, model, stretch your EQ muscle, and promote critical thinking.
- The Internet of Things. The convergence available in WW3 presents yet another digital disruption. Consider how this will impact the talent lifecycle, and get ahead of the disruption by adopting incremental strategies.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how this quote has shaped your perspective?
I have to say that in the context of the topic, Occam’s Razor (the simplest explanation is usually the best.) At the core of disruption, and working, and employer/employee relationship is the human being. Studies show a positive correlation between human needs (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) and their level of engagement in the workplace. Lean into that model to guide your leadership practice.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Mark Cuban. He has a unique perspective on business and is a disruptor.
Our readers often like to follow our interview subjects’ careers. How can they further follow your work online?
DrPatriciaAnderson.com
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success and good health.
My pleasure, same to you!
