10 things I learnt about the future of work in 2019

2019 was an incredible year, and with each one that ticks by, we become more globalised and yet paradoxically more disconnected and polarised at the same time. It’s really been a year, if not a decade, of polarity management for us all.

Over the last year, I’ve been involved in several experiments into the future of work, agile transformation and new ways of working. Here are 10 anti-patterns I’ve observed over the last couple of years that constantly disempower and disable just about all organisations’ journey towards the so-called future of work …

LeadershipPete Holliday16 February 2020futureofwork, Leadership DevelopmentComment

The Future of Organisational Development: Why Aren’t We Embracing New Ways of Working?

Firstly, I love my work, and most of the time, I get to walk with extraordinary individuals, those rare few that dare to lead and embody the work of modern leadership pioneers, like Brene Brown. What I am still surprised about is, how rare this mindset is amongst our leaders and more importantly, our Human Resource and learning and development communities.

Recently, I gave a talk on the future of Organisational Development and Organisational Design to a group of Human Resource professionals. The session focused on progressive approaches to the two organisational domains mentioned above. About mid-way through, I presented eight questions that were in a form of litmus test, for the participants to self-measure their progressions toward modern and contemporary approaches being modelled in some of the most progressive organisations.

Here are the eight questions:

Pete Holliday1 July 2019futureofwork, Leadership Development, Vertical DevelopmentComment

Thriving in Complex Times - How to Stay Relevant

If you have a look around the current business environment, it doesn't take long to see how technology has affected not only our lives, but also the way we work. Now more than ever the way we work is impacted by forces that are less tangible and controllable.

The ways in which we previously run our businesses and the processes that control them have not really changed despite the fact that the very nature of how we work in many roles is fundamentally different. So what do I mean by this?

What leaders can learn about mastering V.U.C.A from surfing

Waves are one of the most dynamic and constantly changing contexts you will ever find. They remain relatively static for large lengths of time as they cross the vast stretches of ocean, before finally building their momentum and exploding onto the shores.

Occasionally we are placed in the right place at the right time to harness and use their energy in creative and beneficial ways, not unlike surfing. At other times we can be quite unprepared for their aggressive arrival, as they rear up out of the depths and break upon us, while causing a great deal of stress and discomfort.

RISK: AN ORGANISATIONAL VIRUS

Everywhere I go at the moment risk is floating in the winds, like an eagle telescopically focused on its next potential prey. The more I’m exposed to it, the less I see it as a genuine strategic problem mitigation mechanism, and more as an excuse. But an excuse for what? This is the twenty million dollar question.

SYSTEMS IN EQUILIBRIUM – THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS

Have you ever wondered why all of a sudden collaboration is so important?

As the rate of change has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, so has the complexity of nearly all leadership and management roles and their associated task demands. Managers and leaders now have more moving parts than ever. Put simply complexity breed’s vulnerability.

Opinions are not performance.

We all have our opinions about what good leaders are and how they should perform. My vocation allows me to explore these preconceptions more than most.

Here’s the dilemma:

During the last few years I have begun to notice a trend. One where the opinions about the performance of the leaders in their business and the execution of their organisation's strategy just don't align.

Leadership, Vertical Development, ChangePete Holliday2 July 2015decision making, Leadership DevelopmentComment

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS WIN/WIN WHEN REINVENTING ORGANISATIONS?

Every so often a book comes along that changes the way you think about a certain subject. I've encountered a couple in my life, the first of which was Ken Wilber's Sex, Ecology and Spirituality. It contained ideas that were so revolutionary about the integration of mind, body and soul that I could literally feel my consciousness expanding with every turn of the page. It also made me ask the question "Is this actually possible?" Ken Wilber’s book was about the evolution of the personal domain. Reinventing Organisations is about the paradigm shifting evolution of the business domain.

Leadership, Vertical Development, ChangePete Holliday17 June 2015Leadership Development, LeadershipComment