Those who learned from the pandemic have already made the shift. It is a simple shift, but a radical one. When workplaces treat employees as investments, productivity increases substantially and so do profits. Simple. To keep “Elbows Up” Canada, we need all the talent we can muster. Happy employees will gladly help. Instead, when times are tough some workplaces slash and burn their workforce. When leadership has no understanding of how to manage talent, it is easy to reduce costs by eliminating people. A 2022 Gallup poll revealed that 76% of workers believe that leaders do not care about their wellbeing. Workers in 2024 were the most unhappy since the throes of the pandemic. People are not replaceable machine parts. For leaders who refuse to learn – survival is optional.
Look at your organizational structure. Is it top-heavy – full of people with titles, who manage people with assistant titles, who manage people who manage managers, who manage people who actually get the work done? If you want to target any area of your organization for reduction, start there. A flat hierarchy keeps leaders close to those who are actually delivering value, not just titles. Workforces today prioritize purpose and well-being – this is the new normal workplace culture that grows its talent. Command and control management and us against them mentalities should be the way of the past. Those approaches will not build a future. Hybrid and/or virtual workforces are here to stay – no one should have to apologize for having a family.
Research over the past 30 years proves that companies that invest in their employees perform better in the marketplace – higher productivity, employee engagement and satisfaction, lower turnover and higher profitability. If your leadership is not paying any attention to evidence-based data, why are you still there? Assets now – and should – have feet.
