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The mass globalization being realized in business today is drastically changing the way people communicate within a company. Obvious trends in the workforce recently are the acceleration of work processes, globally dispersed teams, and increasing outsourcing of knowledge-intensive work. The boost of globalization represents both an opportunity and significant risk for companies. Now, companies are able to pull in new employees from larger, more competitive international pools, but it is a known struggle for employers to retain these highly qualified workers for the long term. In order for businesses to stay competitive today, thinking and planning for the workplace of the future is imperative. Only companies that are able to communicate successfully will be able to stay competitive in an international market and keep themselves in the running as a potential employer.
There are many common myths about the workplace of the future that need to be debunked. The first is that email is dead. Yes, email has dropped in internal communication by 20% over that last few years, and email is a constant distraction for the core business job needing to be done. However, email will not go obsolete as it is still an essential tool for external communication. But with regards to internal communication, email will be slowly replaced by social collaboration platforms.
Another myth relates to having a work-life balance. Many people seem to believe that the right balance will solve all problems. It is more important to focus on internal stability and listen to the body's signals, enjoying work and the correct balance of focused activity and free time. One cannot separate work and life as distinctly as people once thought, as this way of thinking distorts the positive mindset needed in the workforce.
Globalization has led to an increase in the number of remote teams that companies have. A common myth associated with this is that it is just as easy to lead a remote team as it is a local team. Now, team members could be working together from the other side of the world and it is important to know how to lead a dispersed team. Managers do not get enough training on how to lead remote teams in comparison to how to lead their local teams. With remote teams, there needs to be a better base of mutual trust built up, involving more frequent personal reviews and making sure every participant is on the same page.
There are many changes taking place in the global workplace. Some examples of these changes are the level of competition, the growing pool of highly intelligent employees, changing ways of communication, and a whole new generation of talent coming into the workforce. The workplace of the future is something all businesses should be thinking about and preparing for in order to keep up with times and to stay attractive to employees and customers.
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