073: 10 Activities Leaders Must Embrace to Lead With Impact in the Future of Work

As we close out 2022, I’m focusing this month on how I can best prepare myself – and you – for a successful 2023.

In my world, this time of year is typically filled with prediction posts and podcasts, where thought leaders share what they believe will be the challenges and opportunities ahead in the new year, related to the world of work.

Since my focus is on preparing leaders – like you – to embrace the future of work, and to develop the skills necessary to lead with impact, instead of making predictions that may or may not come true, I’m sharing with you 10 areas that are critical for leaders to focus on, in order to lead with impact in the future of work.

1. Fight for Flexibility for Your Team Members

People want to effortlessly work how, where, when, and for whom they want. 40% of respondents in McKinsey’s Great Attrition Great Attraction Survey published in September 2021, said that Flexibility was the number one reason they accepted their current job.

• According to Shiftboard’s State of the Hourly Worker Report, scheduling is the #1 complaint of hourly workers and the #1 cause of turnover.
• 85% of the hourly workers who participated in the survey reported that scheduling affects their overall job satisfaction.

2. Prioritize Career Growth and Development Opportunities for Your People

• According to Gloat Research Group’s Great Resignation 2.0 Report, the number one reason given by employees who took a new job as to why they would leave again was the lack of career development opportunities.
• The same survey revealed that 54% of the employees surveyed reported that their employers either don’t take their future interests and aspirations into consideration enough or not at all.

3. Help Your People to Connect with Meaning and Purpose in Their Work

Connect people to something bigger than themselves and help them contribute.

According to Gallup research, a 10% improvement in employees' connection with the Mission or Purpose of their organization leads to an 8.1% decrease in turnover and a 4.4% increase in profitability.

I love this quote from Laszlo Bock – the current CEO & Co-founder of Humu and former Google SVP of People Operations -> “The single biggest thing you can do [as a leader] is make the work feel meaningful.”

What is an organization’s Purpose? It’s what we do for our customers. Some good examples:

• Nourishing families so they can flourish and thrive - Kellogg
• We fulfill dreams of personal freedom - Harley Davidson
• We help people get jobs - Indeed.com

4. Commit to Real Change and Action with Your Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Efforts

• Set meaningful goals
• Track progress
• Hold leaders accountable
• Incentivize leaders

To learn more about how to do this, check out Impact Makers Episode #51 - The Value of Taking a Strategic Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Jennifer Ingram

5. Invest in Your Leaders – Specifically Front-Line Supervisors

The biggest gains businesses will witness in the future will come from hiring and training the right managers, who care for, develop, and maximize the strengths of every single employee.

70% of the variance between the highest engaged teams and persistently disengaged teams is just the manager. (Based on meta-analytics of 100 million employee interviews – Gallup)

6. Focus On Skills Identification and Development

Quote from Jonas Prising - Chairman & CEO of ManpowerGroup:

“Helping people to pre-skill, upskill and reskill for in-demand roles in this Skills Revolution remains the defining challenge of this decade. It was important before the pandemic and is even more critical now – to create a better workplace where everyone is able to unleash their full human potential and have a more equitable share of the prosperity.”

Impact Makers Episode #64: Creating Career Pathways to Unlock Opportunity for the Workforce of the Future with Matthew Daniel

7. SEE Your People

• Show Appreciation.
• Give Recognition.
• Value Differences.

According to the results of a SurveyMonkey / Bonusly Survey, 63% of employees who are regularly recognized were “very unlikely” to look for a job in the next 6 months, and 89% of employees who are rarely recognized are open to accepting a new job.

The number one reason why people left a job without another one in hand was uncaring leaders. - McKinsey's Great Attrition Great Attraction Survey

8. Grow Yourself

• Own your Personal Development.
• Set goals, track your progress, and hold yourself accountable.
• Challenge yourself to learn aspects of business and leadership that are not within your current responsibilities.

9. Develop Your Influence

• Invest In relationships.
• Build trust.
• Share your ideas.

“You don’t get influence through control. You get influence through other people’s positive experience of you. You get influence through people wanting you involved - not by telling them you have to be.” — Neil Morrison – Former Group HR Director, Penguin Random House now Group HR Director at Severn Trent Water

10. Embrace (and lead) Disruption.

• Change is a constant.
• Stay curious and seek out ways to lead change efforts.

Impact Makers Episode #63: Defining Return on Workforce Investment in the Future of Work with Dr. Alexander Alonso

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Supporting Resources:

Workplace from Meta

Great Attrition Great Attraction Survey: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/great-attrition-or-great-attraction-the-choice-is-yours

State of the Hourly Worker Report: https://www.shiftboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/State-of-Hourly-Worker_Ebook_Oct-2020.pdf

Gloat Research Group’s Great Resignation 2.0 Report: https://gloat.com/wp-content/uploads/GreatResignationReport-2.0.pdf

Gallup research - Three Ways Mission-Driven Workplaces Perform Better: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236279/three-ways-mission-driven-workplaces-perform-better.aspx

Impact Makers Episode #51 - The Value of Taking a Strategic Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Jennifer Ingram: https://jennifermcclure.net/2020/11/19/the-value-of-taking-a-strategic-approach-to-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-with-jennifer-ingram/

Gallup research: Managers Account for 70% of Variance in Employee Engagement
https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/182792/managers-account-variance-employee-engagement.aspx

Impact Makers Episode #64: Creating Career Pathways to Unlock Opportunity for the Workforce of the Future with Matthew Daniel: https://jennifermcclure.net/2022/09/22/creating-career-pathways-to-unlock-opportunity-for-the-workforce-of-the-future-with-matthew-daniel/

SurveyMonkey / Bonusly Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/employee-recognition-and-retention/

Impact Makers Episode #63: Defining Return on Workforce Investment in the Future of Work with Dr. Alexander Alonso:
https://jennifermcclure.net/2022/09/15/defining-return-on-workforce-investment-in-the-future-of-work-with-dr-alexander-alonso/ 

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Episode Credits

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