The “Etch-A-Sketch Effect”: How Reinventing the Very Definition of Work Can Retain the Great People

Do you feel like the world of work is upside-down and backwards? Yep, it is. Problem… or OPPORTUNITY?

• What if 2022 was the perfect time for reinventing anything that didn’t quite work before?
• What if the current chaos was the ideal excuse to creatively consider what is possible?
• What if the uncertainty is an impetus for collaboration between employees, leaders and HR to reimagine “work” and the workplace?

We’re never going back to the “same.” In 2020, we pined for it. In 2021 we were confused about it. In 2022, we will rebuild it. And what we will see as a result will be an orientation to work that is better than in 2019.

We’re not on the other side of The Great Resignation. Only 30% of North American workers were satisfied at work pre-pandemic. And the next generation won’t tolerate some of the things that past generations have endured. In other words, we will feel the ripple effects into the future if we don’t reinvent our workplaces; we might as well proactively create positive ripples than be perpetually reacting to them.

I like how McKinsey phrased it in a recent article: ‘Great Attrition’ or ‘Great Attraction’: The Choice is Yours.

Your choice is evident through your actions, not your words.

Reinventing Work…

Strong organizations with people-centric cultures and loyal customers will take the pain of this uncertainty, change, strain and chaos as a metaphorical etch-a-sketch to recreate, reimagine, and reinvent everything from how to attract, onboard, train and retain top talent.

Spoiler alert: if recognition isn’t right dead center in that creative exploration, you won’t come out the other side with the loyalty, engagement and passion you desperately need from your talent. No organization can thrive without people – great people – so let’s always give them a reason to stay.

Maybe your leadership team would benefit from some help with this reimagination. Let’s talk. Grab a time that works for you for a quick coffee chat. Talk soon!