Redesigning Work

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked the greatest shift in the work world in living memory.

The need for change in the workplace existed before COVID-19, and the pandemic accelerated the pace of change. Leaders at many organizations had realized that automation and shifts in society were demanding new ways of working – the need seemed particularly clear with regard to reskilling employees at speed, fielding more diverse workforces and providing more flexible work options. However, in terms of their structure, processes, culture and practices, organizations tend to operate on autopilot. This “frozen” state typically thaws only in the face of an external threat. Change may happen in response to that threat, but then organizations “refreeze.”

When the pandemic struck, companies across much of the world unfroze simultaneously and began to transform rapidly. Firms began to offer alternative work arrangements such as remote work and compressed work weeks. People inside companies applied their collective imagination to create organizational change, and a collective journey began. In the wake of the pandemic crisis, leaders have the...