Attention to employee involvement and participation is not new. Organizations are becoming flatter, hierarchical bureaucracies are being phased out, leadership is being more "shared" and also included outside the hierarchy. This will be no different in 2030. On the contrary: employees will be expected to be even more assertive. The more digital and hybrid environment should not be a game-changer here.
Data dashboards will be combined with stories, spontaneous feedback, informal discussions,... After all, a number culture is not a full-fledged "voice" culture. We want to monitor, but also listen and understand. Attention to phenomena such as 'employee silence' and 'hidden diversity' make us extra alert.
Even in 2030, we want to avoid talent 'just disappearing' simply because employees feel misunderstood or insufficiently heard. Topics or themes that are still (too) often under the radar today will therefore be brought to the surface even faster and more elegantly. Analogous to the #MeToo concept, against then other concepts enrich our (professional and social) vocabulary. As a result, the "dark sides" of work (context) and management (innovation) can be named faster and psychologically safer. Result: a faster and better learning curve both at the individual, team and organizational level. And on top: more understanding ('dancing culture') and less opposition ('boxing culture') between employees and employers.
Reflection Janssen Pharmaceutica: "Daring to listen and understand employees will indeed become super important to bring the diversity of ages, backgrounds, knowledge,.... to a good mix. The person as an employee is also central. And evolving towards an open, constructive 'dancing culture' seems to us to be a very good opportunity to make everyone's work viable and instructive and to keep it that way."
