New Work – is this concept still viable for the future in view of the numerous challenges we are currently facing? Do New Work methods succeed in adapting companies to a changed world of work and changed economic conditions? A simple “yes” or “no” is unfortunately not enough here.
What do you understand by “New Work”? What do your colleagues or the managers of your company understand by it? I am sure that if you ask 10 people, you will get 10 different answers. But there is – in my experience – a core that almost always resonates: it is about shaping the world of work, it is about changes that benefit working people, but it is also about efficiency and economic success.
Multi-layered
Interestingly, the New Work Barometer of the SRH University of Applied Sciences Berlin has been around for two years. Just a glance at the parameters listed here that resonate with New Work illustrates the multi-layered nature of the concept, which today no longer quite corresponds to Frithjof Bergmann’s original approach.
Hybridity
At the top of the ranking is – unsurprisingly at the moment – workplace autonomy. I find that exciting, because before the pandemic this was rarely an issue in many SMEs and corporations. Today, many work hybrid – partly in a home office, partly at their usual workplace. Hybridity is the keyword here for the working world of the future.
Career changers
Also exciting: how clearly New Work and agility go hand in hand when companies see themselves as learning organisations in a changed working world. I was positively surprised that self-organisation and participation play such a big role, especially in SMEs, and that this makes profound change processes possible. The comparison between SMEs and large companies makes it clear that SMEs in particular have a lot of room for manoeuvre to position themselves in a future-oriented way. And it is also a fact that not all job seekers are necessarily drawn to large companies or corporations. Many prefer manageable, agile structures that open up other career paths, especially for applicants who do not have a streamlined CV but have tried their hand in different areas and jobs.
Hybrid strategy consulting
I am all the more interested in which parameters of New Work are important in your company and what role hybridity plays in this. So don’t be surprised if I ask you about this during our free strategy talk. Yes, I also live New Work, for example in my new hybrid consulting offer. In an interview with Sharo Safaei from Curia Consulting, I described what is behind it. Please feel free to drop by and, above all, make an initial appointment for a free consultation. I look forward to getting to know you!
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