“Going Back, Moving Forward”
This was the lead-in title of a workshop I facilitated last month for the OD Cooperative, a group of energized organizational development professionals. The subtitle, “Engagement in the New Hybrid Workspace,” accounts for the lingering feeling so many of us have had during 2021, when collecting small wins has been more than enough. “Going Back, Moving Forward” is also the right symbolism for the tension between our professional and personal lives, old or new workspaces, hopes and frustrations, challenges and opportunities, and glasses that have been both half empty and half full these 12 months.
Not surprisingly, employees continued their long-term trend of overall disengagement with only 36% of U.S. employees engaged in their work (Gallup, 2021). More surprising, of course, was the emergence of the Great Resignation, in which 65% of global workers in one study were said to be seeking new jobs (PWC, 2021). How did these trends impact you, your team or others in your circle? Are you in the same physical and mental places you were back in January?
Going back:
Thank you for all of your support for Global Collaboration Insights in 2021 as we partnered on these issues. Through our workshops, webinars, coaching sessions, design meetings and strategic planning, we worked and laughed together to educate, enlighten and elevate people and organizations. Beyond the employer-employee disconnect, hybrid readiness dissonance and the Great Resignation, together we dug into emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence and communication capabilities to connect on a deeper level of belonging as we helped your leaders and their teams sort things out.
You’re on the right path with emotional intelligence ranked as a top 10 skill in the 2022 Growing Skills Outlook (World Economic Forum). How will you build on cultural intelligence to leverage the 56% increase in job performance that comes from employees feeling a sense of workplace belonging (BetterUp, 2019)? What’s more, with increased belonging and stronger connections, your teams can boost their productivity by 21% (Gallup, 2021).
Moving forward:
As many organizations are racing to their respective finish lines this month, they’re keeping their foot on the accelerator and looking ahead, knowing that the talent treasure hunt is still up for grabs. Upcoming partnerships in the works with Global Collaboration Insights include in-person retreats, online continuing education, broader employee/team coaching, and agility-infused learning plans. Are you joining the 87% of organizations who are prioritizing upskilling/reskilling current employees to meet future workforce demands with the lower cost of developing internal talent (McKinsey, 2020)?
As I look back and think about moving forward, a personal highlight encapsulating this year was the return of the Association for Talent Development’s international conference. As a long-time champion of virtual/hybrid work, for me there’s still nothing like presenting to a live group in the room while also reaching virtually across the globe. Thanks to my expert panel colleagues, Wangari Kamau and Edith Tiencken, for our ATD Super Session, “Working Globally in the Human Age: Cutting Through the Noise,” in which we tackled learning cultures of inclusion, collaboration and neuro-agility. More exciting events are already lining up for 2022!
Join us:
In the meantime, please join the kick-off of another webinar series for the University of Minnesota College of Continuing and Professional Studies on January 12 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST U.S. This hour is an opportunity to Build Better Connections Through Emotional Intelligence. It’s a reminder that we still need to call out and appreciate the human-centered focus of our work.
Finally, when you’re recharged and ready to move forward with something new and impactful for 2022, please visit Global Collaboration Insights or email info@gcinsightsgroup.com.
Karin Goettsch, Ph.D., PCC, CPTD
Founder and Principal
Global Collaboration Insights
