a workmatters summary guide to the future of work...• organizational agility is a top priority or...

2018 WorkMatters Consulting Ireland. All rights reserved.

Kevin Empey

Managing Director, WorkMatters

[email protected]

A WorkMatters Summary Guide to the Future of Work

mailto:[email protected]


A WorkMatters Summary Guide to the Future of Work – Outline Contents

2

Section Page Number

Introduction to WorkMatters 3

Summary of Key Points 4

The Future of Work – context and key forces 5

Organization and People Implications 10

Organizational Agility – WorkMatters Proposition 15

Closing Thoughts 32


“People & Leadership Solutions for the Changing World of Work”

Future of Work

consulting and

training

Organizational

Agility

Consulting

Culture ChangeLeadership

Consulting &

Coaching

People Strategy

& Solutions

3

www.workmatters.ie

Introduction to WorkMatters


WorkMatters Summary Guide to the Future of Work – the key points

• We need to move on the debate regarding the ‘future of work’ and how to prepare for it

• The concept of Agility provides a useful and important starting point

• Need to consider Agility holistically at Organizational, team, leadership and individual

level for it to be a successful strategy

• AgileHR – a great opportunity but also a challenge for HR

• How agile are you ?

4

2018 WorkMatters Consulting Ireland. All rights reserved.5

Future of Work, VUCA…. - The changing world of work - media hot topic or a genuine leadership issue ?

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiX1-HLloXNAhWKLsAKHUiTCykQjRwIBw&url=http://lyndagrattonfutureofwork.typepad.com/lynda-gratton-future-of-work/the-shift/&psig=AFQjCNF40pKuRuHVbuiC5wleaCXL15mBRg&ust=1464813665133996


Kiva robots increasing efficiencies in order fulfilment and

warehouse managementhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2017/03/07/new-robotic-solutions-for-the-

warehouse/#5f46a5fb6506

RBS announced the shedding of 220 jobs to be replaced by

robo-advisershttp://www.bbc.com/news/business-35801498

Eve, an artificially-intelligent ‘robot scientist’ is designed

to automate early-stage drug design and make drug

discovery faster and much cheaperhttp://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/artificially-intelligent-robot-scientist-eve-could-boost-

search-for-new-drugs

Amazon Prime Air is a service that will deliver packages up to five pounds in 30 minutes or less using small droneshttps://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Prime-Air/b?ie=UTF8&node=8037720011

6

Enabling technology and digitalization certainly impacting all industries…

https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2017/03/07/new-robotic-solutions-for-the-warehouse/#5f46a5fb6506

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35801498

http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/artificially-intelligent-robot-scientist-eve-could-boost-search-for-new-drugs

https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Prime-Air/b?ie=UTF8&node=8037720011


Ocado, a British online-grocery company, is using air-

traffic- control systems and Artificial Intelligence to co-

ordinate 700 factory robotshttps://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38892383

GE uses Virtual Technology to enable users learn and

interact with GE’s power systems products and solutions in

a simulated 3-D environmenthttps://www.ge.com/reports/yes-hes-playing-video-games-but-its-work-how-ge-has-tapped-gamers-

to-build-virtual-worlds-populated-with-its-technology/

AI software diagnoses cancer risk 30 times faster than a

human doctor with 99 per cent accuracyhttp://www.wired.co.uk/article/cancer-risk-ai-mammograms

PwC launched online market place to tap into ‘gig economy’

(2016). Talent Exchange matches freelancers with internal

projectshttp://fortune.com/2016/03/07/pwc-freelance-marketplace/

7

Enabling technology and digitalization certainly impacting all industries…

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38892383

https://www.ge.com/reports/yes-hes-playing-video-games-but-its-work-how-ge-has-tapped-gamers-to-build-virtual-worlds-populated-with-its-technology/

http://www.wired.co.uk/article/cancer-risk-ai-mammograms

http://fortune.com/2016/03/07/pwc-freelance-marketplace/


Not just about Technology: Other forces transforming the world of work

Globalization and

customer expectations

Resources

Society and workforce

Technology &

ConnectivityChanging

Demographics

Pace of Change

Talent Scarcity

and changing

skills 8


Federal Government of Germany, Nov. 2016 Office of the President, USA, Dec. 2016Taylor Report, UK, July 2017

9

Future of work also a growing concern globally for Government policy

makers


Organization and

People Implications


To critically assess the Organizational, leadership and individual

implications presented by the ‘future of work’, a good place to

start is to establish some consensus about what we mean by

this commonly quoted but undefined term……

“The future of work is the fusion of rapid business adaptability, Organizational agility and fundamental changes to work and the

workplace” - A working definition for the ‘future of work’…..

11


Issue: pace of business model change is too fast for traditional approaches…

▪ New, technology enabled

business models

▪ Rapid customer solutions

and product Innovation

▪ Partnerships & alliances

▪ Leadership &

engagement

approach

▪ Culture and ways of

working

▪ New people

practices, careers &

work arrangements

▪ Adaptable work processes &

technology

▪ Workforce strategy

▪ Alternative models for getting

work done

Strategy

&

Structure

Processes &

TechnologyPeople

Organization

of the Future

Future of

People @

work

Business

of the

Future

FROM TO

12


This context presents a number of organizational and business challenges…

Business strategy and delivery model options

including partnerships, alliances, outsourcing, rapid mobilisation etc.

Changing workforces and expectations

(demographics, diversity, older workers, generational differences)

Increasing pace of change requiring multiple responses to how to manage

change

Increasing recognition of

culture as a competitive

advantage and imperative in an open and social media savvy world

Increasing influence of digital strategy requiring new capabilities and mindsets

The HR Challenge including declining engagement,

people strategy, HR delivery

model and capabilities

Organization and

Work Design to maximise

operational effectiveness as

well as resourcing flexibility at

the optimum cost

New Leadership

capabilities and

styles required ?

13


Underlying Fact: Moving into more complex and fast moving times…..

14

Zimmerman & Stacey


What is the implication of this increased complexity for Organizations,

leaders and individuals ?

Our Proposition…..

The concept and associated principles of Agility provide a useful basis for

developing practical strategies in preparing Organizations, leaders and individuals for the future of work….

15


What does the research say about the role of agility and the future of work

? - An observable quality at the Organization, leadership, team and individual

level….

16

“The concept of the

agile Organization is the

most predominant and

popular of the

proposals regarding the

problem of dealing with

unpredictable, dynamic

and constantly

changing

environments”

(A. Muduli)

“Agility, along with

resilience, at

organization, team

and individual level is

a key adaptive quality

required to deal with

increasing and

turbulent change”

(McCann and Selsky)

“Business leaders and

individuals will need to

adopt agile practices

and mindsets in order

to thrive in this new

landscape”

(Linda Holbeche)


Business leaders seem to agree on the importance of agility for future

business success and survival …

• Organizational Agility is a top priority or within top-three

priorities for three-quarter of the respondents

• 81% of respondents in agile units reported a significant

or moderate increase in performance since their

transformation began

• Agile units are 1.5 times more likely to outperform their

peers in financial performance

2017 McKinsey Global Survey, Organizational Agility

https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-

insights/how-to-create-an-agile-organization

• 94% of the surveyed companies believe agility and

collaboration are critical to Organization s’s success

Deloitte 2017 The organization of the future reporthttps://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/focus/human-capital-

trends/2017/organization-of-the-future.html

• 90% of CEOs and CIOs surveyed said agility was

critical for their business success

Economist Intelligent UnitGlenn, M. Organizational agility: How business can survive and thrive in turbulent

times. Economist Intelligent Unit (2009).

• Agile firms grow revenue 37 percent faster and

generate 30 percent higher profits than non-agile

companies

Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyWeill, P. MIT CIO Summit. MIT Sloan School of Management’s Center for

Information Systems Research (2006).

• 89% of CEOs believe agility is critical to their company’s

future success

• 96% said they will need to be more agile in the future to

be successful

IESE / Oliver WymanReport on Organization al Agility, 2018

17

https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/how-to-create-an-agile-organization

https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/focus/human-capital-trends/2017/organization-of-the-future.html


“Organizational Agility is the strategic and

operational ability to sense environmental

change and to quickly respond by flexibly

assembling resources, processes, knowledge

and capabilities” (Yang and Liu)

“flexibility with purpose”

Better clarity and agreement required for Agility to be successful- Many definitions of Organizational Agility highlighting the importance of having a

clear vision for what Agility means for you and your Organization ….

18


What is clear from both practice and research is the need to look at Agility

holistically from a number of perspectives……

1. Strategic Agility

6. HR Agility

5. Personal/ Individual Agility

2. Organizational Agility

3. Agile Teams

4. Leadership Agility

19


1. Strategic Agility- Maintaining and exploiting current business, while exploring and sensing new

growth and value in a rapidly changing environment

McKinsey’s Three Horizons of Growth

20


2. Components of Organizational Agility – all levels needed for success

Organizational Agility

Team Agility

Leadership & Personal Agility

Organizational Agility• Strategy & Culture

• Structure & Processes

• Technology

• Workforces & HR Practices

• Learning & Customer Mindset

Team Agility• Shared Goals & Alignment

• Agile Processes, Problem Solving &

Decision Making

• Supportive Relationships

• Accountability

Leadership/ Personal Agility• Leadership Agility

• Personal/ Individual Agility Factors

21


2. Testing for Organizational Agility

– The WorkMatters SCOPE ‘Heath Check’ tool

Health Check

Category

Description

Strategy ▪ Agility contextualized and evaluated for own sector and business model

▪ Strategy explicitly calls out organization appropriate agile principles & approach

Culture ▪ Culture of setting up, executing and learning from experimentation

▪ Agile values with safe environment for innovation, learning and disruption

▪ Agile leadership practices and behaviours

Organization ▪ Structures, systems and technology enabling agility

▪ Operational and decision making processes have capacity to implement changes (both

incremental and discontinuous) and to convert these changes and resources to

performance

▪ Agile team structures and processes

People ▪ Agile talent strategy and practices

▪ Agile HR capability and business support model

External Focus ▪ External partnerships, linkages and relationships

▪ Capacity for scanning environment to identify opportunities and risks

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3. Agile Team Working: The way work gets done is also changing -Emphasizes collaboration, focus on outcomes, team self management, customer

interaction, experimentation, continuous improvement and the flexibility to adapt to

emerging realities

23


4. Agile Leadership levels – from ‘expert’ to ‘agile’ leader

Agile

Leadership

Level

Key features

Expert ▪ Subject matter / domain expertise, positional authority

▪ Success through incremental improvements to existing strategy

▪ Largely tactical, supervisory

Achiever ▪ Motivated to achieve outcomes of value to the organization

▪ Motivating others recognized as important, strategic

▪ Successful where episodic shifts in strategy and change exist

▪ Strategic, managerial

Catalyst ▪ Facilitative, visionary, sees beyond current strategy and sets out to

create a participative culture. Longer term, open, change oriented,

able to think beyond basic assumptions

▪ Successful in a high change, volatile environment

Leadership agility is

probably the most

important

competency for

leaders to have in

today’s rapidly

changing world”

- Marshall Goldsmith, author

of What Got You Here Won’t

Get You There

Joiner & Joseph

24


5. Personal Agility

- What are the qualities most associated with personal agility ?

Purposefulness

Learning mindset

Change orientation

Autonomous / empowered

Relationship management

Collaborative

Empey, 2017

25


Empey, 2017

Collaborative▪ Team oriented▪ Collaborative▪ Committed to

knowledge sharing

Relationship Management▪ Builds trust▪ External and internal network▪ Demonstrates impact and

influence▪ Comfortable with handling conflict

Autonomy & Empowerment

▪ Psychologically empowered

▪ Enabled /Supported

Purposefulness▪ Purposeful, self-knowing▪ Self-starting, action oriented▪ Committed, positive▪ Personal / Organization al Alignment

Learning Mindset▪ Systems thinking, integrative▪ Openness▪ Personal Mastery / commitment

to learning ▪ Creative and resourceful▪ Quick acquisition of new skills

Change Oriented▪ Adaptiveness, responsive and

proactive towards change▪ Resilient

26

5. Personal Agility

- What are the qualities most associated with personal agility ?


Work Architect & Strategist

Culture and Employee Experience Shaper

Talent Planner and HR Builder

Facilitator, Leader & Coach

27

6. HR’s Role in shaping this new ‘future of work’ ?- Future of work environment both an opportunity and a challenge for HR

2018 WorkMatters Consulting Ireland. All rights reserved.28

6. Emerging HR- Next practices being underpinned by agile practices and principles

Traditional (from) The AgileHR Way (to)

Hierarchical structures and centralized Collaborative networks and distributed responsibility

Secrecy Transparency

Prescriptiveness and control Adaptability (e.g. menu approach v fixed) and facilitative

Jobs and roles Work and skills (machine, human, external / internal)

Policies, rules and standards Supporting flexibility, speed and collaboration, trust

Deliver programs and processes to customers Co-create with customers in design and delivery

Specialist HR roles T-shaped people professionals, value stream based HR

One size fits all No size fits all

Project management, implementation Continuous change management capability

Technical precision Experimentation and iteration

Adapted from Agile People, Thoren


For example: Learning and Growth – emerging practices and principles in an AgileHR environment, signalling shift

towards continuous learning and optimization of technology

LESS OF / TRADITIONAL MORE OF / FUTURE

Structured and planned training and development

programmes

Continuous, on-demand, on the go, lifelong learning approach, digital skills

registry

Company led More employee influence, self led, enabled

Few days per year A few hours per week/month

Static and individual learning (consumers) Online and peer / community learning (serial learners)

Class, instruction and materials led Online, micro-learning, VR, MOOCs/SPOCs, mentor / group follow up

Functions outsourcing learning to HR / externals

following training needs analysis

Co-created design and content, partnership, HR facilitated but not led,

optimum internal / external / technology mix

Learning professionals focused on content,

delivery and procurement

New learning roles, network managers, marketing and communications

techniques etc. Consumer mindset

Transactional / functional experience Transformational, technology enabled, self-led and community learning

experience. Consumer grade experience for retention as well as growth

and productivity

29


Aligning and adapting HR programmes and structures to the new work

models will be required

Design Thinking

principles

needed to

challenge,

transform and

‘future proof’

traditional HR

processes and

approaches

Planning

Sourcing

Selecting

DeployingDeveloping

Rewarding

Separating A new

‘consumer

grade’

experience

AgileHR

principles and

mindset

30


What is actually changing in practice and why ? - 10 Themes Impacting the Workplace

Source: The Future Workplace Experience (Meister & Mulcahy, 2016)

What workers expect from

work

Make the workplace an experience

Use Space to promote culture

Be an agile leader

How Technology will

transform the workplace

Use technology as a disruptor and

an enabler

Build a data driven recruiting

system

Embrace on-demand learning

The changing composition

of the workforce

Tap the power of multiple

generations

Build gender equality and capitalize

on diversity

Plan for more gig economy

workers

Be a Future of Work activist

31


Closing Thoughts

• Need to move on the debate regarding the ‘future of work’ and how to prepare

for it

• Does Agility provide a practical and useful starting point ?

• Need to consider Agility holistically at Organizational, team, leadership and

individual level

• AgileHR – both a great opportunity and a challenge for HR

• How agile are you ?

32

Thank You

33

a workmatters summary guide to the future of work...• organizational agility is a top priority or...

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