As traditional workforce management models become obsolete, organizations must adopt a regenerative approach that fosters adaptability and innovation. HR has the opportunity to lead this transformation by promoting continuous learning, experimentation, and innovation, writes Scott D Anthony.
For over a century, workforce management focused on maximizing output while treating human resources as costs, rooted in Frederick Taylor's time and motion studies. This approach is now recognized as unsustainable and harmful. Companies today understand the need for a more regenerative approach, especially with continuous change and rapid technological advancement. But how can this be executed effectively?
Adaptability is crucial for organizational success in today’s highly interconnected industries. Employees must learn to thrive amid chaos, embracing experimentation and uncertainty. This requires a shift in mindset, where leaders model adaptability despite the discomfort it may bring, while also demonstrating vulnerability and openness to learning. This inspires teams to navigate disruption.
Some leaders, like Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar, naturally embrace adaptability. He acknowledges that despite his immense success, he's wrong about a third of the time. This humility and acceptance of failure are crucial traits for fostering a culture of innovation.
Microsoft, under Satya Nadella, exemplifies transformation driven by a growth mindset. Similarly, DBS Bank in Singapore fosters innovation in a traditionally conservative industry. Shiseido’s appointment of its first external CEO in more than a century instilled major transformations, showcasing innovation in a traditional culture.
To ensure that employees are adaptable and able to leverage new technology, organizations need to foster an environment of experimentation and play. This involves several key steps:
Technology alone cannot future-proof your workforce. Success lies in building a culture where employees feel empowered to adapt, learn, and grow alongside emerging tools. AI is a tool to amplify human potential, not a replacement for it.
HR plays a crucial role in facilitating adaptability and innovation. It begins with crafting a talent strategy that attracts individuals with curiosity and a willingness to learn. This means seeking candidates who are not only technically skilled, but also open to embracing new technologies and methodologies.
HR should promote continuous learning and encourage cross-functional collaboration. Celebrating small wins and learning from failures should be integral to the culture.
Leaders must model desired behaviors, demonstrating a willingness to learn and take risks. As Scott Cook, founder of Intuit, emphasizes, leaders are no longer the primary decision-makers. Instead, experiments become the decision-makers, so leaders must create conditions where experiments can be conducted, allowing teams autonomy to find the best course of action.
Aligning performance metrics and rewards with desired behaviors is another important step. Develop evaluation criteria recognizing innovation, curiosity, and risk-taking. Traditional metrics focused on short-term results may need to be adjusted to value long-term growth and learning, and paying more attention to the behaviors people follow than the immediate outcomes they obtain.
Establishing robust feedback mechanisms for employees to share their experiences and suggestions is essential. This feedback can inform ongoing improvements and adjustments to training and development. It must be safe for people to share what doesn’t work without fear of being penalized.
There are already organizations leading the way in this, including the Coca-Cola Company’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Lisa Chang. A strategic thinker and a vital partner to CEO James Quincey, Lisa has been instrumental in integrating a revamped talent strategy into the organization's broader strategy as it undergoes its transformation.
More broadly, the concept of a ‘job’ is shifting. People will move across teams and roles, lending skills wherever they're needed. The concept of applying for a job, joining a function, and step-wise proceeding through a succession of upgrades within that function is already outdated. The future is much more fluid, and this flexibility will keep people engaged and fulfilled in their work, reducing the boredom that often sets in after a year or two. Organizations that lean into this will see their employees stay longer and be more productive.
We’re at a transitional moment. During times of disruption, it is important to be able to anticipate future developments. Think about the iPhone’s evolution. Back in April 2008, the co-CEO of Research in Motion (later BlackBerry) dismissed it. And there were good reasons to dismiss it at that moment. The iPhone wasn’t transforming markets yet. There was no App Store. You could only get an iPhone on one network. And connection speeds were slow. But the future possibilities were in plain sight, making it easy to see how groundbreaking it would become. It’s all about seeing the movie, not just the snapshot.
Organizations need to anticipate these future trends. Embrace change, foster continuous learning, and adapt to new skills. That’s where the future is headed—a dynamic, adaptive, skills-oriented landscape that benefits everyone.