Top 3 Challenges Leaders Face in the Future of Work [Free Toolkit]

The global lockdown, which occurred during the first quarter of 2020, was originally thought to be temporary but is developing into a more permanent one. People are not returning to the office; instead, they are continuing to work remotely. Spending is down, and budgets have been tossed out. Now is the time to reevaluate your organization's work schedules, projects, meetings, and goals. It is time to move from a temporary reaction to the COVID pandemic to a permanent solution. 

How can you begin transitioning from temporary to permanent? How can your organization create a sustainable, realistic, profitable workplace as you move into the future?

The first step to making any change [professional or personal] is acknowledging the most significant challenges you are facing. 

Below are the top three challenges employers [like you] are facing as they begin developing a plan to move forward:  

1. Cultivating and Inspiring Company Culture 
2. Establishing and Maintaining Trust 
3. Managing and Engaging a Remote Workforce

Now let's take a deeper dive into these challenges and discover how you, as a leader, can introduce the solutions into your workplace. 

Challenge 1- Cultivating & Inspiring Workplace Culture

Establishing and maintaining workplace culture is challenging in ideal times; however, with a global pandemic, unrest, anger, and an impending economic downturn, this is most definitely not ideal times. Workplace culture has been pushed to the back burner by many organizations. You may believe focusing on workplace culture during a crisis is impossible and unnecessary, but in times of crisis, workplace culture is critical. Workplace culture reinforces your company's voice, sets clear guidelines, and creates a path to accomplish your goals.

A strong company culture strengthens your organization's higher purpose and drives your team. When your employees believe in your organization's higher purpose, they are more loyal and productive, resulting in higher profits for your business.   

"Strategy is what you think, brand is what you say, culture is what you do."

Jenn Lim •CEO & Co-founder, Delivering Happiness

Solution-[Re]Define Values:

Decisions start with values, and values begin with you! Within the Employer Toolkit, you will find an interactive exercise designed to help you discover your top 3 personal core values. We also included a pre-recorded webinar [presented by our coach|sulting team] that will walk you through the ME VALUES exercise.

Challenge 2-Establishing & Maintaining Trust 

Trust is at the core of every relationship, both personal and professional. Trust makes it possible for you as a leader to motivate your employees, build robust and profitable client relationships, and contribute to the overall success of your business.  

A study published in The Harvard Business Review compared employees in low-trust companies with those in high-trust companies. The outcome of this study revealed employees in a high-trust workplace reported:

• 74% less stress 
• 106% more energy at work 
• 50% higher productivity 
• 13% fewer sick days 
• 76% more engagement
• 29% more satisfaction with their lives 
• 40% less burnout.

How can you, as a leader, establish and maintain trust within your organization? 

Solution- Build a Culture of Trust

Inside the Employer Toolkit, you will find ways to build trust within your organization. We also included a tool you can use to measure your own personal happiness level at work.

Challenge 3-Managing and Engaging a Remote Workforce

A recent Gallup poll showed that 7 out of 10 US employees are working from home due to COVID. That is nearly 70% of the US workforce. Remote work has been a rising trend over the past several years; many workers are drawn to the flexibility remote work offers. But as the pandemic thrust the majority of the workforce into virtual work, many workers discovered it is not all pajamas and flexible schedules. 

The downside of remote work [that no one tells you]:

• The isolation
• Difficulty maintaining healthy work-life integration.
• It can stifle creativity due to a lack of collaboration. 

Your employees have a desire and need for human connection more now than at any other time before. They have lost water cooler check-ins, lunch dates, and breakroom chats. The loss of this human connection contributes to feelings of isolation. Your employees want social interactions; in fact, Microsoft analyzed new data and discovered virtual "social meetings went up 10% and scheduled one-on-ones among Microsoft employees went up 18%." 

The Microsoft data also showed "managers are bearing the brunt of the shift to remote work." This can be seen in increased work hours and interactions Microsoft managers are experiencing:

• Additional collaborating hours [8+ per week]
• Team calls doubled from 7 hours to 14 hours per week 
• Instant Messages went from 50% to 115% more in March. 

Twitter and Square have offered employees the option to work remotely "forever." Google, Apple, and Facebook have committed to allowing employees to work remotely, at least until the end of 2020 and possibly into 2021. Remote work is no longer an up-and-coming trend for the future of work. It is the new reality of work. 

Since remote working is here to stay, how can you, as a leader, manage and engage your remote team?  

Solution: Nurture Well-Being Within Your Organization

Our Employer Toolkit will provide you with insights into the need for workplace well-being. The challenges leaders face as they implement and maintain well-being programs and specific data which support the impact of a happier, engaged employee.

As we have discussed above, Values, Trust, and Well-Being are imperative to a successful, profitable business. The Employer Toolkit will further explore these areas and how your organization [regardless of industry or size] can employ them in order to thrive in the future of work. A happier, thriving business starts with your employees.

Download your FREE Employer Toolkit: