2023 – How to Ace It

The corporate workplace is in a state of flux given the various complexities of hybrid working, localisation of businesses, inflation, recession, wars, natural disasters, AI/ML and bots.

We've seen it with the Great Recession and the Arab Spring and now, we’re witnessing the emergence of a new way of living and working as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The traditional ways of how corporations function are failing.

2023 will definitely see more discussion around the following topics and here are some ideas to face 2023 head-on:

1.    Remote and hybrid environment

In a world of remote, hybrid and gig workforces, organisations are grappling with the consequences of geographically distanced and ephemeral project-based interactions amongst their teams. A sense of belonging and long-term commitment has been the major casualties of this new era of work. How then, does an organization build a common culture, identity and character based on shared values? Building the organisational social capital has never been harder.

According to Gallup, having a best friend at work is an important element that keeps employees engaged. At Dale Carnegie, we aggressively work towards fostering an environment that allows for greater human connection. People need to meet more colleagues more often to build internal networks. Building rapport and deeper relationships involve developing trust and a sense of understanding with others through shared interests and activities. Constantly creating both formal and informal situations through shared workplace experiences, cultural events, and volunteering opportunities even when they are virtual helps to build human connectedness and a sense of community and belonging amongst individuals.

2.    Diversity & Inclusion

Building an inclusive culture within an organisation can be a complex task, as it involves addressing and changing deeply ingrained attitudes and behaviours. One solution to this problem is to go beyond traditional cross-cultural competencies and focus on helping people understand their own biases and how these impact their interactions while also having the ability to assertively stand up for oneself.

The Dale Carnegie model for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion can be a good starting point as it focuses on building self-awareness, empathy, and a culture of inclusion through practical skills training and behavioural change.  

Self-confidence, resilience, and empathy are important because they help employees to navigate the complex and often challenging environment of an inclusive culture. Self-confidence enables employees to feel secure in their own identities, which in turn makes it easier for them to relate to others. Resilience is necessary for employees to be able to bounce back from setbacks and to keep trying even when progress is slow. Empathy is key for employees to develop a sense of understanding and connection with colleagues from different backgrounds and perspectives.

3.    Sustainability & Social Responsibility

Change and transition of models and working methods can be challenging for establishments, as it involves adjusting to new ways of thinking and operating. A key solution to this problem is to focus on mindset and behaviour changes among employees. This can help to build a culture that is sustainable and socially responsible.

At Dale Carnegie, we believe that behaviour change cannot happen without an emotional change. Articulating the organizational purpose provides the nobler motive to inspire employees and gain alignment. It’s the first step towards mindset and behaviour change. Organisations can then provide employees with the training and resources they need to understand and embrace the changes. This can involve providing education and training on the new models and working methods, as well as coaching and mentoring to help employees adapt to the new way of working.

4.    Mental health issues:

According to the WHO, an estimated 15% of working-age adults have a mental disorder at any point in time. Depression and anxiety are estimated to cost the global economy US $1 trillion each year driven predominantly by lost productivity. Protecting and promoting mental health at work is about strengthening capacities to recognise and act on mental health conditions at work, particularly for persons responsible for the supervision of others, such as managers. To protect mental health, WHO recommends:

• manager training for mental health, which helps managers recognize and respond to supervisees experiencing emotional distress; builds interpersonal skills like open communication and active listening; and fosters a better understanding of how job stressors affect mental health and can be managed;
• training for workers in mental health literacy and awareness, to improve knowledge of mental health and reduce stigma against mental health conditions at work; and
• interventions for individuals to build skills to manage stress and reduce mental health symptoms, including psychosocial interventions and opportunities for leisure-based physical activity. 

Authors Michael Crom , Board member of Dale Carnegie & Associates, and Joe Hart CEO of Dale Carnegie, in their new book “Take Command” have mentioned valuable practical advice for managing stress and anxiety.

An important part of stress and anxiety is feeling lack of control. If we’re afraid of the outcome of a given situation, we might avoid making decisions, which makes the anxious feelings worse.

The key to managing stress is knowing how to think about the problem and act, no matter what we’re feeling. One of the great tools the authors recommend to manage stress is the “problem-solving technique”.

When you’re feeling stressed, write out and answer the following questions:

1. What is the problem? Really challenge yourself here because sometimes what we think is the problem isn’t actually the problem. Before accepting the first thing that pops into your mind, make sure you’ve gotten to the real issue.

2. What are the causes of the problem? You might list a few things or many, but whatever the number of “causes”, do your best to summarize and rank them.

3. What are the possible solutions? Feel free to brainstorm this, but again, challenge yourself around the top potential solutions.

4. What is the best possible solution? Now it’s time to focus. Pick the best solution, and then commit to at least one thing you can do, right now, to move toward that solution. Action is key because doing something is a critical part of reducing worry.

This approach will help us get to the root cause of our stress and avoid creating a negative feedback loop, which is a result of spending too much time thinking and not enough time acting.

5.    Increasing localization combined with a global workforce:

After decades of globalisation, major disrupting factors like Covid 19, conflicts between major trading powers, and war have driven governments to promote self-interest and security in economic development. This has led to greater localization as an interim reality. Multinational companies are strengthening local operations while maintaining their global footprints. At the same time, the trends of remote hybrid and gig working are resulting in local workforces connecting mostly virtually with their global counterparts. This presents a new challenge of building a common organisational ethic transcending cultures, borders and functional silos.

Working in more than 85 countries, at Dale Carnegie we see best practices around the world. So what are the most effective multinational companies doing to create consistent practices and value systems? Much of the effort is working holistically through a single team or partner that can build a common competency-based development agenda with a local touch which is delivered seamlessly and consistently with the global standard and quality. This allows to build a common organisation lexicon and behaviour system that integrates with local cultures.

Clearly to ace the future of work - which has already come upon us -  both organisations and workers must embrace change through learning. The good news is that the playbook for success is ready. Are you?