Roped and Tied to the Past
Welcome to the eleventh edition of “In Touch.” As always, I would love to continue the conversation so please hit “reply” and let me know what you think.
Story of the Week: Roped and Tied to the Past
Cats and dogs are the most common household pets around the world but, in India, many people keep elephants for company. From an early age, the animals are restrained by a strong rope tied to one of their legs and attached to a wooden post. However much the young elephant may try, it cannot break the rope and get away. But what about later, when it has grown into a massive five-ton creature? That’s when something very strange happens. Although the elephant now has enough strength to break the rope and free itself within seconds, it never attempts to do so and, instead, remains tied up. Why? Because, having learnt as a young animal that it couldn’t free itself, it continues to believe this.
I was reminded of India’s pet elephants upon reading about the thousands of companies around the world that have failed to adapt to the new realities forced upon the global business arena by the current pandemic and are, instead, ‘roped and tied’ to their old, traditional methods of working.
Times have changed because of the pandemic and the ‘elephants’ of the business world would do well to pay attention to the findings of a recent survey, which revealed that 52% of workers said that they would consider leaving their company if remote work was suddenly no longer an option (Tweet this), one in three respondents said that they would quit their job in such a case, 80% of respondents would recommend remote working to a friend and 81% said that they were satisfied with the level of productivity. Furthermore, millennials, who by 2025 will make up 75% of the workforce, have grown up with the technology that enables remote working and, indeed, have come to expect it, especially since it has become the ‘new normal’ for so many people during the past 15 months.
The majority of companies declare proudly, “Our people are our greatest asset” but are making their lives more complicated by insisting on traditional working methods in today’s digital world. Unlike the roped and tied elephants in India, however, skilled professionals are not going to stay in the same place forever.
Wisdom from others
“For When It’s Time”:
Nothing can beat the human touch. Nothing can equal the human connection. Kudos to EXTRA Gum for going the extra mile in capturing the human touch and connecting in such a humorous and vivid way with their latest advertisement.
The Dark Side of Flexible work:
Flexible work is the future of work. But its flaws can’t be overlooked, especially the urge to constantly be working. If we want flexible work to be effective, we have to make sure we use it responsibly. When in the right hands, flexible work is powerful and can be magical. But in the wrong hands or not implemented correctly, it can lead to a dangerous dark side of burnout and disengagement.
Source: Jacob Morgan, Speaker & Futurist
A Question to Ponder
Employee experience has never been more important than it is today, especially after COVID. What is your company doing to create a positive employee experience?
Hit reply and let me know what you believe.
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Best Regards,
Michael R. Virardi
