Contribution to the NewOrg SOLUTION blog
If you ask three people about New Work, you will get four answers. That is why the last NewOrg blog article focused on finding common ground among the many current interpretations of the term. Here is a closer look at the three key characteristics and starting points of New Work that currently form the intersection of the many opinions in the literature:
1. Meaningful use of individual labour: by taking specific strengths and interests into account
Approaches to this have long existed in all companies. Just think of HR processes such as performance appraisals, personnel development, potential analyses and talent management.
In my opinion, however, the impetus for this regularly comes from the human resources department and has not yet become a priority for all managers. As a result, these approaches remain sporadic and half-hearted, which frustrates many employees – especially the committed ones. They want constant challenges and support so that they can grow and develop their potential. Those who are not offered much in this regard will soon look for a new field of activity.
Yet it would be so easy! After all, we learn most “on the job”. There are regular opportunities to ensure the personal growth of team members, which is also in the interests of the company. What are these opportunities?
- Taking on a smaller project that encourages independent work;
- or a larger project that allows them to gain their first leadership experience;
- or a presentation in front of an important audience – on a small scale as part of a company presentation or on a large scale as an expert at a conference.
There are plenty of opportunities. Managers just need to start looking for them regularly and adopt a growth mindset. As implementation consultants, we at NewOrg ensure that awareness of this is created among the management team and then provide the necessary start-up assistance in concrete terms.
2. Democratisation of work with greater employee participation, combined with a new understanding of leadership
Those who put their heart and soul into their work also want to leave their personal mark there. However, this only works if individuals are given the necessary freedom and can participate in important decisions.
During the long lockdown period, this freedom has already grown out of necessity, as managers were no longer able to constantly look over their team members’ shoulders. The results were overwhelmingly positive. This benefited the basic prerequisite for democratisation – trust in the abilities and commitment of employees.
The tasks of a manager will undergo further change in this decade. It is not that agile working no longer requires leadership. But leadership looks different: people today are far less willing than a generation or two ago to simply accept hierarchies and follow instructions.
Instead, I believe that the manager of the future will have no choice but to master the art of transformational leadership:
- they must be there for their team as a benevolent companion on an equal footing,
- set inspiring goals,
- show team members their special contribution to this
- and support them individually through assistance or correction.
This role requirement will also change the pool of candidates for leadership positions. More than ever, attention must be paid to personal aptitude and interest in a coaching leadership approach.
At NewOrg, we support this transformation of leadership. This is aided by the joint creation of leadership guidelines or a series of workshops on the transparent alignment of each area with the company’s goals.
3. Flexibility in terms of time, location and work structures
It is easy to understand why the New Work concept has experienced an upswing in recent years and, once again, since March 2020. Digitalisation has already relieved us of a lot of routine tasks, and this trend is continuing. This frees up resources that can be put to use in more value-adding, individualised work. This is one more reason to focus on strength-based working.
In addition, digitalisation has created the technical conditions for working not only in the office, but almost anywhere in the world. At least as long as the PC is the tool of choice. This applies to just under 50% of the working population in Germany.
Now, the coronavirus measures have also led to the acceptance of flexible working in terms of location and time, in addition to the technical requirements. Although the choice to work from home was not made for reasons of individual work organisation, but was a practical necessity. The future business as usual, often referred to as the “new normal”, will be hybrid working – a mixture of working in the office and from home. Surveys on the preferred format among employees currently show an average of two home office days per week.
Finally, the response to the current crisis has once again clearly shown that only flexible, adaptable companies can be successful in an environment of constant change. In recent years of continuous acceleration, working in agile teams already seemed to be the organisational answer. Today, the discussion is less about whether and more about who. In other words, it focuses on which units should sensibly become more agile and which are better off not doing so in order to work efficiently.
NewOrg supports this flexibilisation, for example:
- by initiating workflow-oriented digitalisation solutions even beyond company boundaries,
- through regulations on flexible working hours and locations
- and by introducing agile processes in the appropriate areas.
Approach to change
There are therefore many points for an approach to change towards New Work. Not every point can be addressed in isolation because there are cross-connections. These are one of the main reasons why the term New Work is so difficult to grasp.
There is definitely no such thing as a one-size-fits-all model. Just as employees want to be seen as individuals, companies must also be assessed individually. This applies in particular to their internal and external goals and to how these goals can be supported by selected New Work methods.
As the NewOrg SOLUTION network of consultants, we work with medium-sized companies to develop the right concept and support its implementation. We contribute our many years of management experience as well as our complementary perspectives from the areas of organisation, Human Resources, IT and Finance. Contact us now to find out how we can help you move forward in your current situation.
[Note: The NewOrg SOLUTION cooperation has since been dissolved.]
COVER PHOTO: adobestock.com / sitthiphong