Getting beyond “I’m fine”
Future of Work: The final 9 and 10 end states to aim for
Everyone is talking about mental well-being and the order in which customers, people and employers are stacked. We’re seeing systemic change in the workplace and now is the time to reboot workplaces of the future with a fresh focus on culture, purpose, diversity and empathy.
We’ve identified ten big themes that we’ve seen in the most successful organisations we’ve worked with, and we’re revealing them 2 at a time in a series of articles. Catch article 1: hybrid working and a clear purpose, article 2: autonomous teams and serendipitous workplace, and article 3 here: humble adaptable leaders with purpose, and article 4 here: Trust in people, continuing with #9:
9. Getting beyond “I’m fine”
As sustained homeworking continues, there are big concerns globally about the mental and physical wellbeing of staff, especially burnout. The head of compliance at a large asset management firm told us: “Top of the list [of concerns] is the welfare of staff, ensuring they are personally OK — mentally and physically — and can work for us in a way that supports the organisation but keeps them safe.”
“There will be a legacy from this and one hangover will be issues of mental health” Mark Allan, Commercial Director, Bupa UK
The pandemic has underlined the value of individuals and shown that taking care of them is imperative. Empathy became an essential quality of good leaders, and lack of it showed who fell short. Post-pandemic, with wellbeing now firmly at the forefront, that has to continue — with leaders leading by example by being seen to make time for their own wellbeing and not relentlessly working extended hours.
There’s been a shift to empowering staff to look after themselves. Leaders don’t have all the answers and must consider the question of what is their responsibility and what is the employee’s. They have to decide what support it’s right to offer, then ensure employees know what’s there and who to talk to. They have to foster the right environment; one where, for example, managers are mindful of workloads, employees feel they can ask for help, and they know they have permission to take the time for their personal wellness.
10. You change as fast as your customers
Before lockdown, online car retailer Cazoo found that 34% of UK consumers were willing to buy a car online. That’s a remarkable number, and was certainly enough to build a fast-growing business. In 2021, the number had increased to 64%. It’s an extraordinary shift, which is powering the firm’s £5bn flotation.
Understanding how the inevitable waves of change will affect your industry and customers will enable you to identify opportunities for growth. Consumer needs, priorities, behaviours and spending changed during lockdown and new ones developed, and we can’t be entirely sure yet which will stick. This gives most consumer-facing businesses the double challenge of both recovery and reinvention — while at the same time, customer behaviour is still evolving. New propositions with pivot potential are key, yet developing them is like building an aeroplane in flight.
Customers are number one, employees are number two and shareholders are number three.” Jack Ma, CEO, Alibaba
Getting closer than ever to the customer is crucial, to understand and anticipate their new and evolving needs, and to design products and services for them. Consumers across age groups and geographies expect full digitalisation and convenience. They’re buying less, buying more sustainably, and rethinking their spending;
60% worldwide say they’re making more ethical and sustainable purchases than pre-pandemic. Businesses need to balance these opposing demands for convenience and ethical practices. After all, there is little point in reengineering the business if it isn’t in service of the customer.
Take a look at article 1 — Hybrid working, article 2 — Autonomous teams and serendipitous workplace, article 3 — humble leaders with purpose and article 4 here: Trust in people.
This is an excerpt from our latest book Now for the tricky bit; it’s all about building stronger, happier businesses with purpose. Click here to request your copy now!
Magnetic is a design and innovation company that helps design better futures. We’ve worked with global businesses to build capabilities, products, services and transform organisations. To find out more, get in touch: hello@wearemagnetic.com.
