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- As global connectivity becomes more pervasive, technology continues to rapidly evolve and the disruptions caused by the global pandemic continue to shape future workplace trends, traditional workplace boundaries are slowly but surely dissolving.
- This according to Deloitte's 2023 Human Capital report, which polled 10 000 business and HR leaders across every industry in 105 countries.
- The future of work is more flexible - focusing on collaboration, co-creation, and the dissolution of hierarchical authority.
- For more stories, visit the Tech and Trends homepage.
Many of us have an assumed natural order of things, a core understanding of the way things should be, because that's always how they have gone.
We often have rigid approaches that say, "work happens in this way, takes place in this building, and is run through a network of these designations and hierarchies".
But, as global connectivity becomes more pervasive, technology continues to rapidly evolve and the disruptions caused by the global pandemic continue to shape future workplace trends, traditional workplace boundaries are slowly but surely dissolving and new ways of leading and working are emerging.
This according to Deloitte's 2023 Human Capital report, which polled 10 000 business and HR leaders across every industry in 105 countries.
The report said organisations needed to be aware of the new landscape they were operating in, where "many of the boundaries that used to provide the structure of work have been dismantled and the boundaries that remain are more focused on human dynamics, and how people interact with and engage with work".
What boundaries are we talking about?
In this context, boundaries take on a more literal meaning.
While the world we know and are familiar with is more compartmentalised, with distinct and defined roles and limitations, the world we're moving into is more flexible, focusing more on collaboration, co-creation, and the dissolution of hierarchical authority.
"In a boundaryless world, leadership is less about formal authority and hierarchy and more about insight, personal accountability, connection to values, and action," Deloitte said.
"This means that you'll need to activate your teams and your workplace in different ways, requiring you to challenge your assumptions about what the organisation is, who is in it, and how it works."
The report suggested for organisations to get the full benefits of their entire workforce, they needed to think of the workforce as an "all-inclusive, boundaryless ecosystem, where different types of workers have different needs and make valuable contributions in different ways".
Today's workers want a stronger sense of belonging but are often treated as outsiders that are not included in organisational planning - like they're just there to get done what they're told to do - and are often not recognised for their contributions.
- The rise of worker agency.
- A shortage of talent.
- A need for increased agility in organisations.
- Generational preferences, where younger generations view work differently than previous generations.
- The rise of digital technology and the non-traditional workplace.
- The shift to skills-based organisations.
This shift, which would ensure workers feel more connected to their work and would improve their productivity and performance, requires a reimagination of what leadership looks like and the practical role that leadership plays within an organisation.
Deloitte said this could be achieved by integrating three key mind shifts, which it referred to as "new fundamentals", and using these as tools to "reframe your approach as a leader".
These include:
Thinking like a researcher
While, traditionally, leaders are seen as the people who find the right solution and then mobilise workers to execute those solutions, a boundaryless world calls for a different approach.
"In a boundaryless world, your success will be less dependent on defining the solution and more dependent on creating an environment and mobilising workers to experiment and adapt, quickly absorbing and learning from new information," the report said.
This would mean a new measure of success would need to be developed, one that shifted leaders away from "managing jobs and activities to orchestrating outcomes".
Prioritising co-creation
Related to the previous point, co-creation over hierarchy will be important in a boundaryless world.
Traditionally, executives would be the key drivers of an organisation's success and office workers would be tasked with bringing this success to life. In a boundaryless world, workers would need to be given more agency and more of a voice, essentially making problem-solving a team sport.
The report said:
"These are conclusions drawn, based on old boundaries."
Co-creation in this context relies heavily on the types and ways in which leaders build relationships in their organisations and how they engage with workers' expertise, potential, dreams, and their needs.
"In an expanded ecosystem, influence is not granted, it's earned by giving others agency, ownership, information access and a path to achieving their own personal aspirations."
Interestingly, Deloitte's survey found 34% of people are of the view their leaders are not ready to co-create with the people they lead.
"This co-creation readiness gap is larger than the gaps that exist in the other new fundamentals."
Prioritising human outcomes
Traditionally, a leader's success has been measured on the revenue they've generated, the costs they've reduced and how much of a market they've managed to capture.
But, in a boundaryless world, where everything is connected, these measures of success are expanded to include a more human-centred approach.
"[Leaders will have to design] for meaningful outcomes that benefit both the organisation and the humans in it," Deloitte said.
"This starts with having genuine care for the people that you lead and replicating that in your actions inside and outside of work."
In this context, the idea of centring humans goes beyond empathy, but requires a true demonstration of care and concern for the people one leads because meaningful connections will be everything.
In essence, leaders of the future in a boundaryless world should:
- Use experimentation to inform better solutions, foster learning, and accelerate value.
- Cultivate deep and intimate relationships with workers across their broader ecosystem through co-creation.
- Widen the lens of decision-making to understand its full impact, with the human agenda in mind.
To thrive in this new landscape, organisations must be willing to embrace change, and invest in new technologies and strategies that enable them to attract and retain the best talent, regardless of location or employment status.
By doing so, they can create a dynamic, agile, and resilient workforce that is well-equipped to meet the challenges of the future.
