Work 4.0 [003]

bringing work back to life

Author

Mathew Lazarus
August 08, 2024

For better or for worse, business boils down to one thing: Relationships. 

Every business exists to deliver value from one group of people to another. 

How is that value created? 

Through collaboration and communication between people. 

Many leaders want to avoid this fact. 

They say “Forget the people stuff – let’s focus on getting the job done.” 

This has been the predominant attitude for decades. 

And it’s part of why workplaces drain the life of so many of us. 

The harsh truth is that ignoring the power of relationships at work and failing to develop skills to cultivate them, creates huge inefficiencies and directly hurts bottom line. 

It’s just bad business, plain and simple. 

But if I go one step further and I’m really honest with myself…

Toxic relationships at work directly harm human health and well-being. 

I’ve seen that. I believe it in my bones. And yet, I haven’t really owned that story. 

Part of me has been afraid. 

As an early stage company, I want people to take us seriously. 

I get nervous that if we talk too much about relationships or “soft skills” then people will think we're a soft, fluffy business. 

So intuitively we stick to discussing KPIs. 

Recently something’s shifted.

I’ve looked enough customers in the eye over the last year.

And reached a point of no return.

I’m developing a new sort of leadership with myself. 

One that’s brave enough to own the truest story within the mission of our work. 

The truth for us is that I built this business because I care about people and relationships. 

I want people to have better relationships at work so that life can be better.

From now on, I’m excited about how we’ll own this more explicitly in everything we do.

Matt and I have been doing more podcast episodes just the two of us and they’re SO fun and hilarious…at least we think so.

Why should we be more hopeful now than ever before?

LATEST BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

Some Highlights From the Harvard Business 2024 Global Leadership Development Study

Leadership Training Goals
Respondents to their survey report that their current leadership training programs are being designed with the primary goals of:

  1. Implementing automation/robotic-based projects (50%)

  2. Incorporating GenAI/machine learning into business practices (43%)

  3. Strengthening corporate culture (40%)

  4. Building capacity to innovate (38%)

What’s Changing?

  • Demand for Widened Leadership Skillsets

    • 70% say it is important or very important for

      leaders to master a wider range of effective leadership behaviors to meet current and future business needs.

    • “The number one thing our business leaders need to do

      differently is to recognize that the things that have gotten them to the place they are—that they’re very good at— will not get us to the next level. [We all need] an internal introspection on not just our strengths and weaknesses, but on those things that we don’t like to do—and embrace the changes.” —Senior Director, Learning and Development at a Global Health Care Company

  • Challenge Paradigms and Patterns

    • 62% of respondents say that it is important or very important that leaders develop greater openness to adapting their behaviors to meet current and future business needs.

  • Manage Polarities and Paradoxes

    • “The challenges and opportunities leaders wrestle with today are generally more complex than they were even a few years ago…. These situations are referred to as “polarities” in the work of Barry Johnson or as ‘paradoxes’ by Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis in their book Both/And Thinking. Like inhaling and exhaling, neither force can exist without the other.”

  • Potentializing People

    • “Only 6 in 10 survey respondents reported being highly satisfied with the results of their employee engagement efforts, leaving a significant minority that isn’t.”

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MATTERMOVERS: 🔥 3 Upgrades for the Future of Work 

Elizabeth Sandler | Heart at Work

🗝️ Radical Acceptance → “We need to challenge ourselves with discomfort and put ourselves into positions where we have to accept and understand diverse perspectives, even when they feel uncomfortable to us. This radical acceptance helps in building more inclusive and effective workplaces.”

🗝️ Intentional Structure → “Create enough structure where people can feel comfortable and safe, but also push the envelope of discomfort to get the best out of them. This balance between structure and flexibility is crucial for fostering creativity and innovation in the workplace.”

🗝️ Machine-Assisted Humanity → “Leveraging machine intelligence to help humans be more human. AI can assist in reminding us of our better behaviors and reactions, helping to cultivate a more empathetic and compassionate workplace environment.”