The Future of Work Holiday Wish List
As we round the corner to finish out a wild and interesting 2020, it seems like years since we first started talking about the grief change cycle and the gifts and challenges of the pandemic. The devastation has been real and so have the blessings, gratitude, and lessons!
In all of this, one reality is holding true. The future of work is here to stay, and now more than ever, it’s personal. The pandemic accelerated major workplace trends already underway including remote and flexible work environments, AI and digitization, purpose-driven organizations, agile strategies, open-minded inclusion, and human-centered leadership.
Leaders who have embraced their more compassionate human side are seeing team members flourish, trust barometers off the charts, innovation leaps, and resilience skills growing. As we consider these evolving trends in work, consider what gifts this more personally-oriented workforce wants for their holiday season and beyond.
Let’s count down the top ten gifts for the workforce of the future, starting with #10.
10. An ergonomic home workstation to protect our posture in the home office!
9. Health programs that cover mental well-being and prevention.
8. Leaders who encourage (and practice!) face to face video meetings because 93% of communication comes from non-verbals like body language and tone.
7. Agile/SAFe team practices and training that inspire, motivate, and empower people to drive and own their solutions together (yes, even virtually!)
6. Easy to use workflow process and collaboration tools to support hybrid models of work from home, work from the office, work from anywhere at any time structures.
5. Resilience life skills that can be applied to both work and personal life since change is only speeding up these days!
4. Alignment between personal values and organizational impact and purpose since research shows that people who are “living their purpose” at work report well-being 5x higher than those who are going through the motions.
3. Compassionate leaders and colleagues in an environment of collaboration that builds trust and respect for everyone.
2. Work that aligns with our unique gifts and talents and fosters a growth mindset.
AND the #1 item on the wish list for everyone this year……….
1. End to the pandemic so we can HUG each other again! Research shows that holding a hug for 20 seconds improves heart health and giving / receiving 8 hugs per day is recommended for releasing oxytocin and improving happiness levels.
I hope these will help with our holiday gift-giving! Many of these items cost nothing but mean everything to the people we work with. Reach out today and spread some gratitude, compassion, joy, and respect. And if you need any help shopping, GVG has some great tools for organizations that will be useful.
And most of all, have an amazing, safe, and happy holiday season! Remember that we control our mindset 100% so let’s #choosejoy #choosegratitude #chooselife.
Wishing everyone a safe and joyful holiday season!
