#TheGreatReconfiguration: it’s time to hope for more

The last two years have been brutal.  Employees across many – if not all - industries have been pushed to breaking point, and it has sparked a wave of ‘Pandemic epiphanies’ as people have taken stock and started to ask questions about their priorities and current trajectories.   COVID has woken people up to the fact that we only have one life, and this collective jolt has sown the seed of the idea that – perhaps - we can have some agency over what we do with it. Change is in the air. 

#TheGreatResignation - or #TheGreatReshuffle if you will, has created a fast-moving job market whereby the workforce has the upper hand, and good talent is hard to find and keep. So there’s no better time to re-evaluate whether your present circumstances are working for you.  What is it that you really want from your job? Is it money, status, or flexibility?  Does the company you work for share your values?  Do they treat you well? Are you paid what you deserve? Do you feel seen, heard and appreciated? What could you be doing to become more visible to the people that count? 

What about your environment: do you thrive in a busy office where you can bounce around ideas and learn from others via osmosis, or do you find that you’re more productive working from home where’s it’s quiet and there are no distractions? Do you want to collect the kids from school? Do you do your best thinking in the morning or in the evening, and are you capitalising on this time? WFH has opened up all sorts of possibilities for hybrid working.  What companies or industries might be offering the right balance for you? 

Even more crucially, WHY do you do what you do? What impact do you want to have in your life, and is your job serving your purpose? If you looked back at your life when you’re 80, would you feel satisfied with your contribution to the world? 

In the coming years, I predict a mass movement towards side-hustles and portfolio careers as people start to curate their lives more mindfully in an effort to achieve a better sense of purpose and work/life balance. We’re already seeing thousands of people setting up their own businesses so that they can gain some autonomy over the way they live and work.  

There are opportunities for organisations to gain from this collective awakening too.  To re-evaluate their values, what’s important to them and what they want and expect from their employees.  To work together with their employees to co-create more nuanced frameworks for healthier and more productive working lifestyles.  

Despite the chaos that COVID has left in its wake, there is the scent of hope in the air.  The opportunity to rethink, rework, and remake our working culture. Let’s not waste it.  

Have you had your ‘Pandemic epiphany’ yet? What’s the one thing you’d change about your job or work situation that would change everything for you? If you’re reassessing your priorities and need some support, then drop me a message. I can help you to identify and shape the life that you really want and deserve.