As we are now half way through 2020, I’ve wondered what the workplace will be like for many of us?  Will we all be remote?  Will we all be in little clear plastic booths separated in an office to keep us safe from viruses but still able to see?  Will it be something else entirely different?

Will we be able to collaborate on anything?

First, consider how your organization can become more resilient.  What would it take for you, your team and your organization to bounce back from challenges?  We’ve all had a little experience here over this first half of 2020.  Now is the time to reflect on what we’ve learned.

Second, consider how your organization can be more inclusive.  As we consider moving back into offices, some people will want the option to work from home.  Hybrid remote teams can be the most challenging as they reveal our bias for certain types of communication and with people we can more easily connect with.  Explore these biases as you head back into the office.  These biases may provide a bridge to explore other biases that can more broadly improve your diversity and inclusion at work.

Third, consider how your organization can be more generative.  Generativity implies “a concern for establishing and guiding the next generation”.  How can we be more open to new perspectives and to try new experiments to enable new ways of working?  If our digital nomads and other early adopters of remote work had not pushed the practices and technologies over the last five years, what might have happened to us this year?  Would more businesses have completely ground to a halt?

I’ll address these issues more deeply in future newsletters and blog posts.