As he said, the past few months have certainly been a stark reminder that we do indeed live in VUCA times—volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous times. As mentioned in the introduction this morning, we have all been challenged, both professionally and personally, to adapt and be resilient. We have had to pivot more than we probably wanted to, and we must continue to do so.
Especially as leaders and HR professionals, we are now challenged to embrace the future of work. That starts by understanding the complexity and magnitude of the challenge we are facing. Only by seeing the bigger picture can we truly embrace this future of work.
And here’s the thing about the future of work—it’s not going to miraculously appear fully formed overnight. We all have to come together to shape it, and we don’t have much time to get it done. Maurice Conti, the futurist, said, "The world of work will change more in the next 20 years than it has in the last 2,000." The race is on.
Responsibility, adaptability, speed, and innovation—on all fronts, including people and leadership—must be addressed. It’s no longer a nice-to-have; it is a must. We need to embrace it and start building that change muscle if we want to survive and thrive, no matter what the world of work throws at us.
The Revolution of Work
It starts by understanding that the pandemic is not the reason why we are in this revolution. The revolution of work was happening long before COVID. The pandemic certainly exposed many challenges and accelerated disruption, but these shifts were already underway.
Take remote work, for example. There has been a lot of discussion about flexible work arrangements this year, but that trend was happening before the pandemic. Of course, back then, when we said "work from home," we didn’t think it would turn into "I live where I work"—but that’s a story for another day.
Even as we return to some kind of normal, people will not come to the office to do manual, repetitive tasks. They will come to collaborate, ideate, explore, engage in meaningful dialogue, and create team moments. Either way, people will demand more flexibility and self-determination.
The Shift in Work Expectations
People are now thinking about work as consumers—they seek an experience. They no longer want a one-size-fits-all approach. They want a voice, not just in their work but also in their own learning and growth journey.
Just as companies provide service excellence for customers, they must strive for service excellence for employees. This coincides with another reality—lifelong careers are disappearing. The days of spending an entire career with one company are long gone, and so are traditional linear career trajectories.
Organizations need to provide flexible and fluid career paths. Remember when we were kids, and people asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" The reality is that 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t even been invented yet. Instead of astronauts and scientists, future workers may be quantum machine learning analysts, nano-medics, or personal memory care writers.
It goes without saying that we must all become lifelong learners. We must continuously learn, unlearn, and upskill because progress is happening faster than ever before. At the root of it all is innovation and technology.
The Impact of Technology
Biotechnology now enables bionic hands that allow people with missing fingers to have full functionality. AI can diagnose cancerous freckles more accurately than leading dermatologists. These are just a few examples of how advancements are disrupting every industry.
And here’s the thing—someone, somewhere, is working on something to disrupt your industry right now.
Throughout history, humans have always been innovative. We have always created tools to improve work. We started as hunter-gatherers, then invented tools for farming, and later harnessed steam and electricity for industrialization. That industrial era also gave birth to HR.
The term "human resources" was first used in 1893, and whether we like it or not, many of our underlying beliefs about work and management are still rooted in that time. How we lead organizations, motivate people, set job descriptions, and design incentives all stem from an industrial-era mindset. But as leaders, we must move beyond just thinking about efficiency and optimization—we must focus on adaptability and resilience.
Work in the Augmented Era
We are entering the augmented era, where human capabilities are amplified by computational systems, robotics, and AI. This shift changes the nature of work and the way we lead.
Institutions have long been built on a model of efficiency, viewing organizations as machines—perfectly synchronized, like Swiss clockwork. In this model, work is defined by a series of minutely specified, highly specialized tasks. But if efficiency and predictability are the sole measures of work, then machines will always do it better than humans.
We often assume AI will take over routine factory jobs, but today, it’s also replacing roles like Uber drivers, translators, accountants, and even paralegals. AI is now making medical diagnoses, writing legal briefs, and analyzing complex financial data. The automation of tasks isn’t just changing what jobs exist—it’s changing the very nature of work itself.
What Humans Do Best
As routine tasks become automated, the demand for creativity, problem-solving, and outside-the-box thinking will only increase. Teamwork, collaboration, and emotional intelligence will become more critical than ever before. We are shifting from a knowledge economy to a human economy—where our uniquely human traits define the value we bring.
Organizations must ask themselves: What are the types of work that require human passion, creativity, imagination, curiosity, and emotional intelligence? That is where our focus should be.
The Future of HR
HR must lead the way in this transformation. We can no longer view people topics as secondary—they must set the stage for success. Agile HR isn’t just the future of HR; HR is the future of agility. It is the key to business agility and organizational success in an era defined by constant change.
Now is the time to invest. We’ve been challenged more than ever before, both in our profession and our personal lives. But this isn’t about small change initiatives—it’s about fundamentally reshaping our organizations. As Socrates said, "The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new."
COVID-19 has disrupted every discipline, but it also presents an opportunity. It’s time to ask: How can we turn this challenge into something positive? How can we build a successful future?
Final Thoughts
Putting people first is not about fluffy HR talk—it’s about real business impact. If you’re brave enough, step up and take on the most challenging aspect of any organization: its people.
Thank you so much for your time. I look forward to your questions and comments.