#EPISODE 53: 🔊 Let Your People Go

"Give your team the freedom to do the work they think matters most, and your employees will be eager to come to work every day and do their best. Your manager-leaders will focus on revealing employee potential, and you will enjoy dinner every night with your family, knowing that your business is succeeding".

^{_{— Brian Carney and Isaac Getz, authors of “Leadership without Ego: How to Stop Managing and Start Leading”}}

SHRM research surveyed 962 U.S. workers and 1,106 HR leaders to study eight emerging work models: flexible work schedules, location independence, task autonomy, outcome-based work, gig work and freelancing, AI/automation, virtual reality collaboration spaces, augmented reality work environments. They aimed to understand these models' adoption and future trends from both employees' and employers' views.

1. U.S. workers want more control over their working hours, location, and tasks.

2. Employers' use of tech-based work models is currently limited, but HR leaders expect significant growth in the next 15 years.

3. Work models promoting employee autonomy will likely grow over the next decade.

To integrate new technologies and meet workforce needs, organizations should:

✨ Promote Flexibility: Discuss and implement flexible work models to attract top talent.

✨ Prioritize Upskilling: Train employees in new skills to adapt to tech changes and stay competitive.

✨ Follow Change Management Practices: Communicate effectively and address employee concerns to minimize resistance to new work models.

Modern leaders must be engaging, responsive, and adaptive. Outdated practices hinder meeting these demands. Organizations need a freedom-centered leadership style, focusing on employee autonomy and open communication.

1️⃣ Ownership and Connection: Democratic work environments help people feel responsible and connected to their tasks.

2️⃣ High-Performance Mindsets: Cultivate a mindset that encourages innovation and accountability.

3️⃣ World-Class Leadership: Develop leaders who understand and implement democratic principles.

Embracing these principles leads to better decisions, increased revenue, and a thriving workplace culture.

Flexibility and adaptability boost employee commitment, morale, retention, and satisfaction, improving overall performance. Focus on accomplishments, not schedules, to build work-life flexibility.

How to Do It:

Give employees more freedom with methods such as remote work, alternative scheduling, and a shortened workweek.

Also, try these practices:

Freelancing ⏲

Let people work on a contract/project basis, choosing their tasks.

Unlimited Paid Time Off ⛱

Encourage taking personal time as needed without counting days.

Telecommuting 💻

Allow working remotely while maintaining consistent hours.

Job Sharing 👩‍💻👨‍💻

Let two people share a full-time job, creating two part-time roles.

Permanent Part-Time ⛳

Offer positions where individuals work two or three full days per week instead of the whole week.