Debbie Lovich: 3 tips for leaders to get the future of work right | TED

Summary

This speech challenges the outdated, rigid work structures rooted in the industrial era. The speaker reflects on how the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the potential of flexible, trust-based work models, emphasizing collaboration across silos without bureaucratic hurdles. They urge leaders to maintain this progress by trusting their employees, using data-driven approaches, and rethinking traditional schedules. Through examples like Dropbox and Mr. Cooper Group, the speaker highlights successful remote and flexible work transformations, advocating for a more humane, productive future of work that prioritizes people's needs and engagement.

Takeaways

• 🛣️ The roads of Boston are often thought to be based on old cow paths, symbolizing outdated and inefficient practices.
• 🏭 Work structures are still based on industrial revolution models, with fixed job descriptions, time, and location.
• 🚀 COVID-19 forced a rethinking of work, removing low-value tasks and fostering trust, collaboration, and flexibility.
• 🤝 Trust became essential during the pandemic, showing that people could be productive without micromanagement.
• 📊 Leaders must adopt a data-driven approach, as workers have diverse preferences and experiences, even within the same family.
• 🧪 Experimentation is crucial in shaping the future of work. Companies should test flexible work models and gather feedback.
• 🕒 The future of work isn't just about schedules, but also reducing unnecessary tasks like long commutes and redundant meetings.
• 💡 Companies like Dropbox and Mr. Cooper Group are successfully adopting remote-first or home-centric models.
• 👥 Call center workers at Mr. Cooper Group thrived with remote work, leading to improved productivity and satisfaction.
• 🌍 Leaders must rethink traditional work models to attract and retain talent, leveraging flexibility and trust for a better future of work.

Q & A

What is the speaker's main argument about the current state of work?

The speaker argues that the current model of work, with fixed job descriptions and rigid schedules, is outdated and based on industrial-era practices. They suggest that work should be reimagined to allow for greater flexibility, trust, and a more human-centered approach.

How does the speaker compare Boston’s roads to the traditional work model?

The speaker compares Boston's winding, nonsensical roads, said to have been built over cow paths, to the rigid structure of the traditional work model. Just as it doesn't make sense to base a city on cow paths, it doesn't make sense to base modern work on outdated systems from the industrial revolution.

What does the speaker suggest happened to low-value work during the COVID-19 pandemic?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, low-value work largely disappeared, and people worked together across teams and companies to get things done. The focus shifted away from rigid job descriptions and more towards collaboration and adaptability.

What does the speaker believe is one of the main reasons for the backlash against return-to-office announcements?

The speaker believes the backlash against return-to-office announcements is due to the gap in perspective between senior leaders and employees. While leaders may want to return to pre-pandemic structures, employees have experienced greater flexibility, trust, and autonomy during the pandemic, and they don't want to go back to the old ways.

What is the speaker’s first tip for creating the future of work?

The speaker’s first tip is to trust your people. Employees have proven their trustworthiness throughout the pandemic, and leaders should focus on creating a trusting culture rather than imposing rigid rules.

Why does the speaker emphasize being data-driven when redesigning work?

The speaker emphasizes being data-driven because people's needs and preferences vary greatly, even within the same organization. Instead of relying on senior leaders' opinions, companies should gather data from employees and experiment with different work models to learn what works best for their teams.

What does the speaker mean by 'thinking beyond the schedule'?

By 'thinking beyond the schedule,' the speaker suggests that reimagining work should go beyond simply offering two days of remote work. Instead, companies should take this opportunity to redesign work entirely by eliminating unnecessary meetings, long commutes, and rigid schedules.

How did Dropbox change its work model after COVID-19?

Dropbox moved to a remote-first work model after COVID-19, pushing for more asynchronous work. They also implemented core collaboration hours to ensure workers across different time zones had overlapping periods for real-time collaboration.

What was the leadership team's initial reaction to the idea of home-centric work at the Mr. Cooper Group?

The leadership team at the Mr. Cooper Group was initially hesitant about adopting a home-centric work model. They raised concerns about onboarding, training, coaching, and maintaining company culture. However, they were convinced after realizing how much their call center operators valued the flexibility of working from home.

What is the speaker's overall mission for the future of work?

The speaker’s mission is to ensure that companies don’t revert to the rigid, bureaucratic work models of the past. Instead, they advocate for a more flexible, humane, and engaging future of work that prioritizes trust, data, and rethinking traditional structures.