{"id":8429,"date":"2020-06-08T09:12:07","date_gmt":"2020-06-08T09:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/?p=8429"},"modified":"2023-12-06T17:53:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T17:53:15","slug":"how-the-coronavirus-pandemic-is-accelerating-the-future-of-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/future-of-work\/how-the-coronavirus-pandemic-is-accelerating-the-future-of-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Accelerating The Future Of Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"8429\" class=\"elementor elementor-8429\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4cdbdd59 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4cdbdd59\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7d6a009b\" data-id=\"7d6a009b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1203f52e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1203f52e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>For a decade we have talked about accelerated change. More than any other factor, the pace of change in technology, the economy, and society are reshaping the future of work. Yet even as forward-thinking leaders have pondered effects of accelerated change on their organizations, actual transformation has been, paradoxically, slow.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is, until now.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4c1b2c0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4c1b2c0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>If the future of work requires restructured workplaces, redefined roles, rapid learning, and reserves of trust\u2014and it does, organizations are being challenged to do all that and more as they address the coronavirus pandemic. While we have long spoken about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Volatility,_uncertainty,_complexity_and_ambiguity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous)<\/a>\u00a0environments, we are finally and undoubtedly facing one.\u00a0\u00a0In the span of a few weeks, the world\u2019s economy traveled a path from cautious observation and common-sense health advisories to massive cancelations, business shutdowns, and work from home mandates. JPMorgan, AT&amp;T, Google, Amazon, Nike, Facebook, among many, many more are hustling to virtualize business operations as social distancing continues to be the best practice to \u201cflatten the curve\u201d of contagion.\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2471332 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2471332\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>Coronavirus, it turns out, might be the great catalyst for business transformation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, where we once saw the future of work unfolding over years, we now believe that with coronavirus as an accelerant, everything we\u2019ve predicted about the future of work will unfold in months.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even in these early days of social distancing and sheltering in place, we\u2019re seeing changes that affect work, learning, and daily life, changes that will become a new normal and that take place against a backdrop of four fundamental shifts:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4352e45 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4352e45\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Business Finds Its Purpose In People<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Culture Is The Backbone Of Resilient Companies<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Work And Leadership Reconfigure Around People<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Humanity Unites To Pass This Century\u2019s Third Moral Test<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ff3e2f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1ff3e2f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Purpose Of A Business Is People\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bece61c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bece61c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<p>In August 2019, the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessroundtable.org\/business-roundtable-redefines-the-purpose-of-a-corporation-to-promote-an-economy-that-serves-all-americans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u00a0Business Roundtable made a stunning turnaround\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0when the CEOs of America\u2019s largest businesses acknowledged that all stakeholders\u2014workers, communities, partners\u2014were as valuable as their investor shareholders. The announcement backtracked on the long-standing assertion attributed to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/umich.edu\/~thecore\/doc\/Friedman.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">Milton Friedman\u2019s 1970 directive in\u00a0<em>New York Times Magazine<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>that \u201cthe business\u2019s sole purpose is to generate profits for shareholders.\u201d Nearly 50 years later, the Roundtable declared, \u201cWe commit to investing in our employees. This starts with compensating them fairly and providing important benefits. It also includes supporting them through training and education that help develop new skills for a rapidly changing world. We foster diversity and inclusion, dignity and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a compelling statement greeted by many with a blend of cautious optimism and doubtful cynicism. In recent weeks, the coronavirus delivered the opportunity for these CEOs to prove they meant what they said. Amid unprecedented business disruption, a growing list of businesses have vowed to pay their employees while their business operations are temporarily suspended. Many have committed resources to local agencies to support education initiatives while schools are closed. Some are reimbursing employees for their local restaurant and coffee shop purchases, knowing that these small businesses have been profoundly impacted by mandated and voluntary closures. We have seen businesses scramble to secure both technology and training to enable employees to work remotely. We have seen businesses alter their business processes, methods, and hours of operation to prioritize the health and safety of their employees and their customers.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/shamahyder\/#37f3dd7b2791\" class=\"broken_link\" rel=\"noopener\">Forbes Senior Contributor Shama Hyder<\/a>\u00a0is keeping a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/shamahyder\/2020\/03\/15\/coronavirus-champions-a-running-list-of-brands-getting-it-right\/#5d416c8a5815\" class=\"broken_link\" rel=\"noopener\">growing list of companies<\/a>\u00a0that are emerging with bold initiatives that prioritize both employees and customers in these trying times.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67cc718 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"67cc718\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>Last Saturday evening,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rachelrcarlson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rachel Romer Carlson<\/a>, CEO of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.guildeducation.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Guild Education<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kenneth-chenault-697325b6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ken Chenault<\/a>, chairman and managing director of the venture firm\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.generalcatalyst.com\/portfolio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">General Catalyst<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@rachel.romer.carlson\/leading-boldly-on-covid-19-b23ecb2f5093\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">posted a letter on Medium<\/a>\u00a0calling for bold corporate leadership. That letter, now signed by 1,500 CEOs, commits to #stopthespread of the coronavirus by encouraging corporate leaders to establish an immediate work from home policy and discourage gatherings. Since then, their effort has expanded to include a #payitforward initiative to encourage larger companies with stronger balance sheets to pay small and medium-sized companies immediately rather than in 30 days, protect front line workers with educational programs so they know how to protect themselves and their rights, and invest in\u00a0\u00a0community programs, particularly those focused on childhood hunger to help children who are not getting lunches through school programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is impossible to imagine that\u00a0\u00a0the Business Roundtable had any idea that they would face a test of the magnitude of the coronavirus pandemic, and they should be applauded for living up to their recently revised\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/opportunity.businessroundtable.org\/ourcommitment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement of purpose<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-09e06da elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"09e06da\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-61a1493\" data-id=\"61a1493\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1736e3b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1736e3b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Culture Is the Backbone Of Resilient Companies\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d6a55a6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d6a55a6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>Two years ago,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chshipley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chris Shipley<\/a>\u00a0and I proposed that in a world of accelerated change<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/company-only-culture-capacity-heather-e-mcgowan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u00a0a company is, at its essence, is culture and its capacity to innovate, create, and adapt.<\/a>This position grew from the observation that many of our clients were distracted by brand impressions and product cycles, typically understood in the context of their competitors rather than their consumers. We posited then, and believe even more strongly now, that businesses needed to shift from a production modality to a creation mentality. To do that, companies need a clear and strong culture to guide their paths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s nothing like a global pandemic to make the case. The very survival of a company in the age of the coronavirus is dependent upon a culture that can withstand seismic disruption.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A company\u2019s culture can be understood in the answers to three fundamental questions: 1) Why do you exist? (Mission) 2) How does the world look differently because you exist? (Vision) 3) What will and won\u2019t you do to achieve your mission and fulfill your vision? (Values).\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96f7964 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"96f7964\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><\/p>\n<p>As the pandemic spreads, companies are doubling down on cultures that embrace their commitment to humanity, often at the expense of typical measures of production\u2014in fact, in their nimble responses, they are expanding their capacity.\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/bizwomen\/news\/latest-news\/2020\/03\/lvmh-shifts-production-from-perfume-to-hand.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">Luxury brand\u00a0<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/bizwomen\/news\/latest-news\/2020\/03\/lvmh-shifts-production-from-perfume-to-hand.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">LVMH Mo\u00ebt Hennessy, for example, is refitting many of its perfume production lines to make hand sanitizer<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Likewise,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.teenvogue.com\/story\/loreal-hand-sanitizer-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">L\u2019Oreal,<\/a>\u00a0one of the world\u2019s largest beauty products companies, is not only shifting production capacity to make hand sanitizer, they are also freezing all debts for small and medium size businesses customers, and donating $1 million euros to those disadvantaged by the economic crisis.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/03\/16\/us\/distilleries-hand-sanitizer-coronavirus-trnd\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Distilleries are stepping up and shifting production to make hand sanitizer\u00a0<\/a>and in some cases giving it away for free. Multiple telecom companies have signed on to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.fcc.gov\/public\/attachments\/DOC-363033A1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Keep America Connected Pledge<\/a>\u00a0and for the next 60 days have committed to continue\u00a0\u00a0any residential or small business service regardless of ability to pay,\u00a0\u00a0waive late fees, and open up all public hotspots.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/recode\/2020\/3\/11\/21173449\/microsoft-google-zoom-slack-increased-demand-free-work-from-home-software\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft, Google, Zoom and others are making their software free\u00a0<\/a>to use during this crisis.\u00a0\u00a0Amazon recently announced it will increase hourly wages from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/washington\/news\/2020\/03\/16\/amazons-coronavirus-plan-hire-displaced-restaurant.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">$15 to $17 an hour and will seek to hire displaced restaurant workers in a bid to hire 100,000\u00a0\u00a0more workers<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-health-coronavirus-amazon-com\/amazon-warehouses-receive-only-vital-supplies-in-u-s-europe-amid-coronavirus-idUSKBN2142IM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">will stop accepting non-essential shipments to their warehouses<\/a>\u00a0to dedicate space for the distribution of medical and household essentials.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/elemental.medium.com\/op-ed-what-if-americans-unemployed-by-coronavirus-could-be-hired-to-fight-it-8066ac4434e0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">Last Mile Health CEO Raj Panjabi has proposed<\/a>\u00a0we should now reskill our jobless workers in the United States to work as community health care workers as he has done in developing countries. And in Pittsburgh, Eric Chaffin, managing partner at the law firm Chaffin Luhana, spearheaded a coalition of small businesses and public and private agencies in a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sparkt.com\/sparkt-partners-making-10-000-sandwiches-to-feed-community\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">coordinated effort to prepare and distribute 10,000 sandwiches<\/a>\u00a0to school children and families who have suddenly gone without as Pennsylvania schools closed as a virus containment effort. These are just a handful of the thousands of examples of businesses stepping up, living their purpose, and along the way, through adaptation, expanding their capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Each of these examples reveals a purpose that lives far beyond the bottom line. They put culture on clear view and demonstrate these companies\u2019 ever expanding capacity to respond to this crisis because those cultures are strong. The demands of the coronavirus pandemic were not answered in the production mentality of these companies, but in the nimble capacity to respond in inventive ways, from hiring workers from adjacent industries, training classroom faculty to teach online, equipping employees to work remotely or leveraging expertise to shift production from one product line to another in order to provide the supplied so desperately needed.\u00a0\u00a0This demonstrates a new leadership imperative to focus on inspiring human potential rather than simply driving productivity. It is a shift from focusing on what you do to why and how you do it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-352ce2e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"352ce2e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/specials-images.forbesimg.com\/imageserve\/5e78ad5ec7b02d000666e92a\/960x0.jpg?fit=scale\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bc11f83 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bc11f83\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><h2><strong>Work And Leadership Reconfigure Around People<\/strong><\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading --><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b6cf2d1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b6cf2d1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>At the same time as businesses are adapting production capabilities to match the challenge of the coronavirus crisis, they are rapidly responding to the necessary constraints of their workforces. The advisory that began as an abundance of caution quickly grew to a mandate as health officials recognized the greater risk of \u201ccommunity spread\u201d of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/heres-how-companies-are-partnering-with-global-freelance-talent-to-crush-covid-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">COVID-19<\/a>: practice social distancing by working from home. Overnight, giant corporate campuses became ghost towns. Workers turned to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/slack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Slack<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/zoom.us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Zoom<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skype.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Skype<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/google-hangouts\/nckgahadagoaajjgafhacjanaoiihapd?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hangouts<\/a>\u00a0to meet, collaborate, and in many cases just to vent the understandable stress brought on by so much uncertainty. Still, in companies large and small, work goes on. Bosses are learning that out of sight does not mean out of mind. Workers are juggling deadlines and responsibilities even as family responsibilities become ever more present. Colleagues talk, in many cases even more, and more effectively. And with no other alternatives, managers are trusting their people to do the right thing.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Some companies will make the move to virtualization more seamlessly than others. Google and Microsoft, for example, have long relied on tools like Hangouts and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/products.office.com\/en-us\/microsoft-teams\/group-chat-software\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Teams<\/a>, respectively, to conduct business across offices and time zones.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pipedrive.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pipedrive<\/a>, a young software company with a footprint in both the U.S. and Europe, was able to become a completely virtual company inside of 24 hours. Others will struggle with policies that mandate where and how data can be processed, employee access to reliable high-speed bandwidth, and cultures that prioritize presence over productivity, among other obstacles.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Still, this forced experiment is demanding that companies adapt, and when this crisis recedes, we suspect many organizations will find that they can be highly efficient &#8211; and cost effective &#8211; with distributed teams. They will alter policy and procedure to make remote work more available and in doing so recognize that they can tap a global pool of highly skilled workers. Layers of management will disappear along with very expensive physical plants, while investments in office perks can be reallocated to salaries or (more likely) the bottom line.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cdac168 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cdac168\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><h2><strong>We Pass The Third Moral Test Of My Lifetime<\/strong><\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading --><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d169e5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2d169e5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While this global pandemic accelerates us towards digital transformation, our human transformation comes into crystal clear focus. In the last half century, we have faced three moral existential challenges:\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Climate change.\u00a0<\/strong>The first earth day was in 1970. Thirty-two years ago this June\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\/30-years-ago-global-warming-became-front-page-news-and-both-republicans-and-democrats-took-it-seriously-97658\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr. James Hansen, then director of NASA\u2019s Institute for Space Studies testified<\/a>\u00a0before the Senate proclaiming,\u00a0<em>\u201cthe greenhouse effect has been detected, and it is changing our climate now.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 The five hottest years on record were the past five years and ten of the hottest years on record occurred over the past fifteen years. We have experienced unprecedented wildfires, superstorms, floods, and droughts, yet we have not changed our behaviors. We have simply failed to react with appropriate speed and may not be able adapt quickly enough to significantly forestall an environmental catastrophe. The global pause created by this global pandemic affords us an opportunity to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/the-pandemic-might-actually-help-us-tackle-climate-change-here-s-how\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rethink how we restart the economy<\/a>\u00a0as in the absence of our usual human activity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d7cd57 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5d7cd57\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/specials-images.forbesimg.com\/imageserve\/5e78aecdc7b02d000666e937\/960x0.jpg?fit=scale\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1e6bab4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1e6bab4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Income inequality.<\/strong>\u00a0Following the market crash of the 1920s, the U.S. had a much more equitable distribution of value created than it does today. In the shadow of the great depression we built the middle class but since the 1970s, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/terms\/g\/gini-index.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">Gini Coefficient<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; a statistical measure of income distribution across a population &#8211; has shifted dramatically toward the rich. A Gini Coefficient of 0 means absolute equality and a coefficient of 1 means absolutely inequality. In a capitalist society, income will always be unequal as we favorably reward our entrepreneurial risk takers and investors. Now, however, we have\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/219643\/gini-coefficient-for-us-individuals-families-and-households\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a Gini Coefficient of .49 (2018)<\/a>\u00a0which rivals the 1920s before the depression. We simply need a strong middle class with greater income distribution to keep our economy strong and to fairly distribute created value.\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/blog\/social-mobility-memos\/2018\/01\/11\/raj-chetty-in-14-charts-big-findings-on-opportunity-and-mobility-we-should-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Harvard Economist Raj Chetty\u2019s research<\/a>\u00a0shows the decline of the American Dream, notably\u00a0<em>\u201c<\/em><em>Most Americans born in 1940 ended up better off, in real terms, then their parents at the same age. Only half of those born in 1980 have surpassed their parent\u2019s family income.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/wonk\/wp\/2017\/12\/06\/the-richest-1-percent-now-owns-more-of-the-countrys-wealth-than-at-any-time-in-the-past-50-years\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">When the richest 1% hold more wealth than the bottom 90% combined<\/a>, there could be no clearer sign that we are failing to address this inequality. As we consider all the necessary rescue packages to the hardest hit industries and extending a more robust temporary safety net to all workers, we also have the opportunity to rethink how we restart the economy. We could be investing in a robust\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/business-functions\/mckinsey-accelerate\/our-insights\/adapting-workplace-learning-in-the-time-of-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">retraining effort now<\/a>\u00a0so when we restart the various idle parts of our economy, we have more folks ready to participate in the 4<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0industrial revolution (merging of cyber, biological, and physical systems) rather than the second (manufacturing) or third (computerization). Income inequality is not a measure of fairness in my view, but rather, a loss of human potential, which hits us all.\u00a0\u00a0Recent research found that if you were\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.equality-of-opportunity.org\/assets\/documents\/inventors_paper.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">born in the top 1% you are 10x more likely to invent and patent that invention<\/a>, generally leading to value creation. This disparity is not merely a measure of fairness, but rather, of lost potential. Those \u201clost Einsteins\u201d diminish our collective potential.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-82b0839 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"82b0839\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/specials-images.forbesimg.com\/imageserve\/5e78b0b5d8e1ae0007b73f0a\/960x0.jpg?fit=scale\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e775239 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e775239\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Global Pandemic<\/strong>. We\u2019re now in the midst of a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-nCoV\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">global pandemic<\/a>\u00a0that most seriously and disproportionately impacts the elderly, those with underlying health problems, our healthcare workers, and the healthcare system itself. While the national response has been far from perfect and is as yet unfolding, we have clearly chosen to prioritize our most vulnerable humans and our healthcare system itself over our economy. We are taking steps to shore up the losses of the least advantaged. We are addressing systemic problems in our care system. Here, we are winning this moral test. This is a moment to reverse the trend that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hks.harvard.edu\/faculty\/robert-d-putnam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Robert Putnam<\/a>, author of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/bowlingalone.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bowling Alone: The Collapse And Revival of American Community<\/a>, has attributed to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/members.tortoisemedia.com\/thinkin\/tortoise-lunch-thinkin-with-robert-putnam-who-are-we-building-communities-that-work-for-the-21st-century\/content.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">rise of \u201cI\u201d over \u201cwe\u201d that documents back to 1964<\/a>. We can take this moment to rebuild social capital.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>As companies rapidly adapt to the future of work at an accelerated pace driven by the coronavirus we see them embracing culture and purpose as their north star and handrail to the future. A focus on culture enables the organization to nimbly pivot team operations to enable large scale remote working while expanding their capacity through rapid learning to pivot production lines and processes to meet the changing demands of the day. Leaders no longer have a choice about establishing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Psychological_safety\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">psychological safety<\/a>\u00a0as trust become the only lubricant for the frictions caused by this global pandemic. And, for the first time in my lifetime, we are backing humans, human resilience, and human ingenuity. This is reflected in small businesses which to their financial detriment are shuttering shops to protect their communities and in giant corporations who are foregoing profit and mustering their considerable resources in support of both country and community. These are scary times, to be sure, and we still have so much to sort out and work through. Yet, it is also an incredibly optimistic moment for the future of work for humans. The structural and moral decisions we are making now are a hopeful sign that humans will have a central role in the future of work and humanity. There is a great deal of uncertainty ahead and there is only one way through this; together.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e8cf7e7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e8cf7e7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/specials-images.forbesimg.com\/imageserve\/5e78b4c710380d0006fbd085\/960x0.jpg?fit=scale\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d25323d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d25323d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I will leave you with this optimistic note. In my lifetime, we have made our greatest strides in improving the human condition in all of our documented history. We have lifted\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldbank.org\/en\/topic\/poverty\/overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more people out of extreme poverty<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/worldpopulationreview.com\/countries\/literacy-rate-by-country\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">massively expanded literacy<\/a>, and in the short period of time we have had the Internet, we have connected\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.internetworldstats.com\/stats.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">more than half the globe<\/a>. It is with this view I remain optimistic (and very thankful we have global connectivity right now).<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><em>Thank you to\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cshipley.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Chris Shipley<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0for her invaluable insights and contributions to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than any other factor, the pace of change in technology, the economy, and society are reshaping the future of work. Yet even as forward-thinking leaders have pondered effects of accelerated change on their organizations, actual transformation has been, paradoxically, slow. That is, until now. If the future of work requires restructured workplaces, redefined roles, rapid learning, and reserves of trust\u2014and it does, organizations are being challenged to do all that and more as they address the coronavirus pandemic. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":786,"featured_media":8431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[182],"tags":[108,276,275,274,277],"ppma_author":[3642],"class_list":["post-8429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-future-of-work","tag-future-of-work","tag-rapid-learning","tag-redefined-roles","tag-restructured-workplace","tag-trust"],"authors":[{"term_id":3642,"user_id":786,"is_guest":0,"slug":"heather-e-mcgowan","display_name":"Heather McGowan","avatar_url":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/medium_c081bf93-e977-4109-b715-bb6da6992701-150x150.jpg","user_url":"https:\/\/www.adaptationadvantage.com\/about","last_name":"McGowan","first_name":"Heather","job_title":"","description":"Heather E. McGowan, the strategic architect of the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering, and Commerce at Philadelphia University, is an internationally recognized keynote speaker on the future of work and the future of learning. In 2017, LinkedIn ranked her as its number one global voice for education. She is the co-editor and author of the book\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B01GMH9VKO\/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3\">Disrupt Together: How Teams Consistently Innovate<\/a> and a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/heathermcgowan\/#bc014cb17f00\">Forbes contributor<\/a>. In 2019 Heather was appointed to the faculty of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swinburne.edu.au\/new-workforce\/our-people\/team\/\">Centre for the New Workforce at Swinburne University.<\/a> \u00a0Often quoted in the media, notably in the\u00a0New York Times, she serves on the advisory board for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sparksandhoney.com\/advisory-board-list\/2018\/10\/6\/heather-mcgowan\">Sparks &amp; Honey<\/a>, a New York-based culture-focused agency."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/786"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8429"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34734,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8429\/revisions\/34734"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8429"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=8429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}