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Are you ready to communicate in the workplace of the future?
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Given the economic catastrophes of recent times, it seems likely that the
work environment of the future will be a very different place.
What lessons have been learnt from the recession and what differences will we start to see as a result, particularly in the behavior of leaders? Most importantly, how will this affect the way we as professional communicators train and work?
Roger D’Aprix, vice president of US-based ROI Communication, explores this topic further in his column for the upcoming issue of Strategic Communication Management.
"An open communication culture must be the goal, if not always the actual outcome, for organizations that have long favored secrecy," says D'Aprix. "Creating and fostering that kind of culture will become a primary role for today's professional communicators."
Keep reading to hear more of D'Aprix's predictions about how we should ready ourselves to work from now on.
"The one enduring reality of the last 20 years has been the gut-wrenching change experienced by practically all institutional organizations. The latest round caused by the deep recession of recent times has experts guessing that the culmination of much of the long-standing change will be a radically transformed workplace.
Here's what a special issue of Time reported in May to summarize the change issues they foresee in the workplace:
- Ethical behavior by executives and managers will become a solid measure of accountability as a consequence of the housing scandal and other corporate failures.
- Capitalism itself, if it's to survive, will have to give up its every-man-for-himself tendencies in favor of a moral base of values.
- Top talent entering the workforce will pursue roles that require the technological and intellectual skills that make work satisfying.
- Employee benefits will continue to erode as employers seek ways to remain profitable.
- "Cubicle life" will end as companies depend more and more on outside contractors, an eventual 40 percent of the workforce, with only "essential" work done inside.
- Baby boomers will stay on the job longer as they can't afford to retire.
- Women will play an increasingly important role in the workplace, making it less internally competitive, less hierarchical and more collaborative.
The resulting impact on the profession
Senior leaders are considered to be the people responsible for managing change. The question now is: will they have the imagination, courage and moral fiber to lead us into this new era? And for us as professional communicators, what are the consequences of the situation Time describes?
What emerges is greater individual responsibility on the part of workers for their career and economic security. And the question for us is: with more and more people working as free agents outside the control and discipline of hierarchical organizations and the confinement of work cubicles, how will we communicate organizational needs, priorities and objectives? And will "outsiders" really care about such things? Realistically, aren't they much more likely to be focused on their own work and needs than on the organizations they service?
A change in change leadership
This breaking away from the mother ship has profound implications for change leadership. Collaborative networks and teams of people working virtually will need to be fed proprietary information with much less control of potential leaks to competitors. Organizations will inevitably become much more "leaky" than they typically have been.
Talent will also necessarily need to be courted if it's to be attracted and retained by organizations. And trust on the part of all parties will need to be cultivated and turned into loyalty and ethical behavior if collaboration is to work.
Moving to a culture of transparency
An open communication culture must be the goal, if not always the actual outcome, for organizations that have long favored secrecy. Creating and fostering that kind of culture will become a primary role for today's professional communicators. That also implies that they'll have a much closer working relationship with the senior leaders responsible for managing change.
In turn their roles will be closer to internal consultants than to media experts and producers. Strategy and planning will need to be their strong suits, as well as a thorough understanding of the needs of the audiences they'll be serving.
Prepare for a shift in training
Whether these arrangements will work as well as the old system is an open question. They'll certainly require great shifts in the thinking of both leaders and communication strategists. Which raises another question: how will the professional communicators of the future be trained and prepared for these sophisticated roles?
Today's university emphasis on communication as journalistic craft will certainly have to change as will the company mentoring systems and professional conferences and workshops that have largely been responsible for training today's communicators.
It all promises to be an interesting - and maybe even risky - ride for all concerned. But isn't that, after all, the ultimate nature of change?
Until next time,
P.S. As one of the most pressing issues on a communicator's agenda, "change" will feature heavily on the program at Melcrum's upcoming Strategic Communication Management Summit in London. Companies like KBC Group, ING, Shop Direct Group and Volvo will all be sharing their experiences on the subject. Book your place today and learn from the best.
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