Shifting Grounds

In 2020, our world changed drastically with three major events: the COVID-19 pandemic, the death of George Floyd, and the economic downturn. These key moments in modern history brought to our attention how change can impact our lives in unpredictable and unimaginable ways. 

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that society can be disrupted at any time. It has given us the opportunity to redesign, reset, rethink, reapply, and to think differently by removing some of our old structures because our world has changed. 

It changed the way businesses are conducted and how relationships are forged. Ultimately, we can use these experiences to build new strategies, make meaningful change, build resiliency, and develop the ability to cope when the next significant shift happens. 

There have been many ways to describe what has happened post pandemic. We have heard of the Great Resignation - people leaving the workforce and choosing alternative employment. 

Other new terms representing these changes include the Great Reshuffle, the Quiet Quitting, the Great Awkward, and now the Loud Layoffs. Recently, some of the technology giants such as Google, Amazon, and Meta have all laid off thousands of people. Others such as Bed Bath and Beyond and many other stores are closing their doors. 

At one level, it appears that workers were taking back their powers and requesting more from their employers but now some businesses that grew during the pandemic have found that a new shift is taking place. Demand for their services have fallen drastically. 

What does all this mean for the world and the future of work? The world has shifted, and this has been taking place over time, but the pandemic gave the opportunity to pause and rethink, recreate, and innovate.  

We were being encouraged to pay attention to building our knowledge in the areas of data processing, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Some years later, I heard conversations about the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It was gradually going to propel businesses into new ways of working. In 2017, it was scary for me as a small business owner to apply such thinking to my work.  

On reflection, that was a form of a gradual shift taking place. It took some time before the idea of virtual, online or remote working became the common language in the workplace. Many would have protested the changes if organizations, corporations, and institutions attempted to implement those changes. They would have been seen as a threat to the present state of work and the future of work. 

The pandemic did not afford us the choice of strategic planning; we had to adapt and adjust to the new environment. 

Moving forward post-pandemic, businesses must be able to analyze and accommodate because what took place pre-pandemic cannot automatically be viewed with the same lens post-pandemic. The changes were tectonic in nature. The shift impacted our personal lives, professional lives, and communities. 

The Fifth Industrial Revolution focuses on human-machine collaborations and the wellbeing of society, companies, employees and customers. Human-machine collaborations cannot fully be explored without considering the following contemporary social issues and events:  

1. Economic crisis and the major recession 
2. Social Crisis following the death of George Floyd and the recognition that inequality, lack of access and discrimination remains 
3. Mental Health Crisis and young white males being totally disenfranchised 
4. Climate change, earthquakes and floodings 
5. Crisis of Hope 

The contemporary working environment has been characterised by: 

1. The Great Resignation – people leaving their workplace and establishing their own businesses or not returning to work because they wanted something different. They wanted to feel valued and respected by their employers. 
2. The Quiet Reshuffle – each generation in the workforce are looking for different things. People are looking for better work experiences, work-life balance and having a choice. 
3. The Great Awkward – returning to the office has not been easy. People are still hesitant to return having spent two years at home. They are happy to negotiate how much time is spent in the office. 
4. The Loud Layoffs – large global technology companies such as Meta, Google and Amazon grew significantly in the pandemic are now laying off employees by the thousands. Large retailers are closing their doors as interest rates rise and consumer spending is tightened. 

We are all trying to make sense of the new space and time we have been given. Employers are having to reassess and regain control of our situation. 

The strategies and tactics that have been covered are explored in Ashanti Leadership's Strategic 6A's Framework below. It is a useful and practical tool for leaders managing change and the framework has six stages: Analyze, Adjust, Accept, Accommodate, Act and Affirm.