What are 2021 priorities for CEOs? An IBM 2021 CEO study reveals CEOs are prioritizing organizational agility, technology and managing emerging regulations for their companies. The study also reveals that CEOs see a top challenge “managing an anywhere workforce” which the pandemic brought into existence, and which now will remain in some form going forward. RMI – The traditional five-day journey into the office may be done for ever as companies apply their learnings after having gone through the pandemic. Taking the positives from this experience could provide a better work-life balance for employees in the future.
How will work locations be organized after lockdowns are lifted? Both employees and employers found that working from home (WFH) is actually not such a bad idea. On one side, workers’ productivity has been shown to increase (Bloomberg sites an increase of 5% in the USA). For the employee, three in four people find WFH a success (according to PWC), with some employees (64%) preferring a working from home option over increased pay. In order to be successful, WFH requires clear definition of rules and expectations, and redefinition of the office role through remodeling to promote collaboration and community building. RMI – The necessity of WFH during the pandemic is converting to a better way of working going forward, which is good for employers and employees if done properly.
Is a digital nomad the ultimate in work flexibility? A new term is being born – ‘digital nomad’, used by workers to live in a country of their choice, and using telecommunication technologies to earn a living, where location is not a limiting factor. Many countries (Madeira, Estonia, & Bahamas) which had their tourism industries hit by the pandemic are trying to attract digital nomads as a means to increase economic activity. are such countries/ locations. RMI – ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ and if successful these countries will become more prosperous and less reliant upon tourism once travel returns to pre-Covid levels.
Is there is another flexible alternative to working from home and being a digital nomad? According to the Times, 300,000 businesses (including Unilever) across the globe, from Spain, New Zealand, Germany and Britain are exploring one such solution – a Four Day Week.
What are the top 10 job skills of tomorrow according to the WEF? The World Economic Forum sees 50% of all employees will need reskilling, as adoption of technology increases according to WEF’s Future of Jobs report. The report also identifies the following Top 10 skills in 2025: analytical thinking and innovation; active learning and learning strategies; complex problem solving; critical thinking and analysis; creativity, originality and initiative; leadership and social influence; technology use, monitoring and control; technology design and programming; resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility; reasoning, problem-solving and ideation. RMI – Technology is moving at a rapid pace; will companies be able to keep pace in their reskilling efforts? An important focus for the coming years.
Can the new Dutch bike garage design be associated with a space age airport for cyclists? This biking garage is designed to host 8,000 and it is organized as an ultra modern and futuristic location, similar to an airport.
