Workplace culture and changing workplace norms dominated headlines and online discussions in 2023. Looking forward, our CEO, Chris Gomez, shares a few issues he expects Barrett Values Centre will continue seeing organizations wrestle with this year.
The Work-from-Home Conversation Continues
In 2024, Gomez expects that there will continue to be many conversations around remote work and return-to-office mandates. The new social contract in business is being renegotiated, and legacy management thinking continues to impede this evolution.
"The battle lines have been drawn pretty clearly on both sides," he says. "So it'll be interesting to see how that plays out in terms of how quickly leaders understand it's not necessarily the policy, but aligning the policy to the organization's culture."
Gomez finds this issue fascinating because he sees a gap in awareness of how these issues connect to culture. Many leaders view decisions about remote work and unlimited PTO as policy decisions. However, these decisions are only sometimes made in alignment with an organisation's culture (or desired culture).
Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Conversations
Another intriguing workplace culture trend that Gomez is following is the emergence of a conversation around reframing culture as simply an internal organisational issue. He's seeing leaders ask more questions like, "How does the culture of my organisation actually impact society outside the walls of the organisation?"
An increase in these kinds of conversations around environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) is a sign that leaders are thinking more about the broader context of their organisation, Gomez says. He believes there's building awareness around the idea that, as humans, we're all connected, and we need to start behaving as such.
Gomez views this as an exciting trend because it reveals that leaders are questioning whether their organisation has the awareness required to successfully implement new, sustainable practices.
There isn't a unified understanding of ESG yet, Gomez says, but the general question is this: "How do we set up external governance policies to create a sustainable future in the realm of corporate business? What does this look like? It will be impossible to imagine the answer as long as companies see the world as a competition. Sustainability will require expanding our notion of capitalism to include of collaboration."
The Rise of Artificial Intelligence
The emergence of artificial intelligence as a disruptive technology is another topic Gomez expects will continue to generate headlines in 2024.
For Gomez, it will be interesting to see what this technology might trigger in customers and employees and how leaders will respond and adapt. “This is a fast-moving and turbulent space. It will tell us a lot about ourselves and our values. The question is, will people pause long enough to reflect on that and make conscious choices to better serve humanity?”
Stepping into 2024
The year ahead promises to be one where strategic alignment between technology, policy, and a cohesive culture will define organizational success and resilience. In the ever-evolving landscape of workplace dynamics, we anticipate a compelling year ahead, marked by ongoing dialogues on pivotal issues shaping workplace culture.
