by Judy Ryan
You are running your business to assist your customers, hiring the best people you can find and doing all you can to ensure success and great service. Despite this, if you’re like many organizations, you face challenges in the following areas.
Complexity
One of your concerns is managing complexity, especially advances in digital technology. Today’s techno-human ecosystems must contain agile workforce teamwork in which all members can both lead and follow with confidence to meet the requirement for collaboration and dynamic flow. Bridging gaps between those creating software systems, including simultaneous, iterative development, requires interpersonal skills of people who can act in heuristic ways, aligned with the development process itself, in order for your people to be capable of creating solutions on the fly rather than relying on predetermined formulas.
Diversity
Another concern you have is how to manage diversity — of thought and experience. This can be seen in the uninterrupted struggles within people (such as stress, depression and addiction) and between people (such as righteousness, racism, gender-ism, sexual orientation prejudices and ageism, to name some of the biggest struggles). The glue that holds us together must include a human systems framework that brings about unity, appreciation for differences and recognition that they are the impetus for creative solutions.
People
Another concern you have regards people — your greatest asset — including how to attract, develop, engage and retain top talent. As more businesses hire across different time zones and locations, working on many projects and using new technologies, organizational design must evolve to accommodate an unbroken and durable workflow. Matrix structures must replace linear hierarchies, and people will succeed primarily based on how well they collaborate with their internal and external networks. Healthy human systems are not a nice to have; rather, they are a need to have.
Wellness
Statistics show skyrocketing health care costs impacting our entire societal community and your business. The vast majority of people are suffering from stress and sometimes resulting disease, often relying upon pharmaceuticals to get through each day. There’s too much processed, fast and non-nutritious food consumed as well as failure to exercise, get physicals and much more. Absenteeism, disability, prescriptions and health insurance are just a few of the costly indicators of our lack of wellness, regarding not only symptomatology but also the reactive way we treat wellness rather than focusing on creating it and our lack of addressing core, underlying systems that prevent wellness in the first place.
Competition
Your organization needs to stay relevant and competitive. What once took decades now takes months or even days to create and implement. Consider robotics, artificial intelligence and IoT (internet of things). Emotional and social intelligence must be cultivated to favorably impact current and future trends when the only certainty you can count on is uncertainty. The kind of organization that will thrive in today’s climate is that in which each person manages their relationships, productivity and engagement using a human systems framework that creates stability despite rapid change.
Sometimes it’s difficult to consider that all five of these primary challenges are mitigated with a healthy workplace culture compatible with today’s needs. If you read the latest data on trending teal organizational models and why they work, you’ll see that they all describe unconventional systems that promote expanded human potential. Let me know if you’d like to discuss what LifeWork Systems has witnessed with our proven systems approach and what we can do for you and your organization.
Judy Ryan (judy@LifeworkSystems.com), human systems specialist, is owner of LifeWork Systems. Join her in her mission to create a world in which all people love their lives. She can also be reached at 314-239-4727.
Submitted 5 years 213 days ago