By Ankur Goel
2020 was a year full of uncertainties. A year that started off promising but soon showed us that sometimes, circumstances are way beyond our control. During such challenging situations, it is important that we push ourselves out of our comfort zones and rethink the art of possible.
Operating in the ‘new normal’
From employees to business leaders and entrepreneurs, we had to reinvent ourselves and work in conditions that were new to us.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in our country, millions of Indian employees who were not frontline workers were forced to work from home. Business leaders faced new challenges in ensuring business continuity, engaging with customers and making sure their employees were motivated amid the stressful circumstances.
‘Workplace’ and ‘work’ as we knew it took on new definitions and we also learnt to harness the full power of technology to operate amidst changing environments. From hospitals to government agencies and universities, every sector rapidly embraced technology in innovative ways to serve their customers.
Digital transformation took place at lightning speed. We think that this is just the beginning. Going forward, successful businesses will be ‘networks’ of people and technologies, with physical location becoming less important.
As we move into the “next normal”, how can we create the best working environments to empower these new ways of working?
Here are six key trends that we foresee will shape the future of work in 2021-
Hybrid work is here to stay
Work isn’t a place, it’s what you do. In 2021 we expect to see more organizations adopting the new hybrid work model and a more consistent work experience no matter where they are, whether in the office, at home, or anywhere in between. Work is no longer defined by the hours put in, but on the outcomes of the work.
Anything-as-a-service will drive business agility
Digital transformation will be fuelled by XAAS, or Anything-As-A-Service. This is an adaptation of the digital services subscription model, as providers shift to providing value as a service. This lets businesses introduce and scale deployments as needed, providing the agility to continue to work seamlessly and without disruption.
The rise of the ‘prosumer’
Employees realizing that consumer-grade gear simply cannot deliver, are demanding that home workspaces be upgraded with technology that allows for seamless collaboration, whether fiber internet connectivity, noise-blocking headsets, or even audio and video conferencing solutions which allow them to join video meetings with the click of a button.
Transformation of the office
Offices will become a central gathering point for employees to meet, while the majority of work will continue to be done remotely. Work spaces will become collaborative and technology-enabled to accommodate the work style of every employee, and facilitate business being done from anywhere.
Video is the way forward
Video is now more common than ever for meetings, and thanks to technological advances in the past few years, have enabled collaboration on a whole new level as an increasingly critical part of business-as-usual, as organizations in industries like telemedicine and education adapt to a whole new way of doing business.
Connectivity to drive better collaboration experiences
Businesses will look to technologies like 5G to drive a better collaboration experience through seamless connectivity, as if in person. Digital transformation efforts will also see an increase in focus on technology that adapts more seamlessly to the end-user.
The impact which collaboration technology has had on many industries and for people globally amidst challenging circumstances during the pandemic is profound and is expected to continue in 2021 as companies continue to operate in the new normal.
Every day, teams achieve so much more because of the rich connectivity that technology has brought us, to achieve business outcomes, shrink distances, and build relationships.
As we head into 2021, focus for business leaders will be around building a collaborative environment which is fit for the next-generation workforce and ensuring that we are able to connect with each other seamlessly, no matter our work location.
(The author is Managing Director for Poly India and SAARC)