A guest post by Tami Erwin, Executive Vice President and CEO of Verizon Business
As we look back on 2021, most leaders will probably agree that this year was all about reacting and responding. The pandemic has refocused the leadership agenda and tested flexibility.
However, if we now look to the year 2022 ahead of us, we will reach the next phase of recovery after the pandemic. Now it’s all about proactively redefining and redesigning our lives.
At this point I would like to introduce you to five guiding principles that will help managers master the next 12 months and of course the period beyond – and seize opportunities.
Driving digitalization forward
One of my key lessons from the pandemic is to embrace the accelerated transition to digitalization. The faster people are able to integrate technology into their business, the easier it will be for their business to adapt to new trends.
For example, as we enter the 5G era, there are so many exciting applications that leverage real-time analytics, including smart factories, smart cars, smart cities, IoT, and augmented and virtual reality.
We have to ask ourselves:
● How do we use technology to create new experiences for customers and employees?
● How can companies redesign and expand their offerings to provide greater value to their customers and reduce costs?
● How can we use the latest innovations to solve problems we don’t yet have answers to?
If you can answer these questions, you will discover where technology can add real value.
Recognize the problem and take the solution into your own hands
We live in a time of profound change where every aspect of our lives is being altered in some way. The good news is that technology is making it easier and easier for us to solve problems in ways we never could have imagined before.
Take healthcare and the recent move towards telemedicine as an example. If patients don’t want to, they’ll never have to sit in a doctor’s office waiting for an appointment again. The pandemic has fundamentally changed our understanding of what it means to receive healthcare and given us the opportunity to simplify many healthcare services.
Today, thanks to 5G, we are also experiencing impressive innovations in the medical field, such as: B. improved diagnostics that can lead to a diagnosis in fractions of a second. Will we ever go back? No, and that’s really fascinating.
Enabling the future of work
The pandemic has permanently changed the meaning of the term “work”: work is no longer a place where you go, but what you do. Hybrid working and the ability to work from anywhere are on the rise.
Much of this change has been enabled by our ability to develop new ways of working that are suitable for the digital age. Video conferencing, the cloud, instant messaging, it’s all part of the same story – how technology facilitates new behaviors and patterns that can benefit the workforce.
As an example, I would like to cite Verizon’s Network-as-a-Service solution. Simply put, NaaS is a secure, cost-effective, subscription-based model that allows businesses of all sizes to use network infrastructure on-demand.
Think of it like a thermostat where you can raise or lower the temperature as needed. With a solution like NaaS, companies can ensure that their employees have the same security and network connectivity in a coffee shop or at home as they do in the office.
Embrace lifelong learning as the heart of employee development
Outdated systems and outdated processes will only hold us back. Did you know that 80 percent of today’s 10-year-olds will live to be 100?
As people live longer and longer lives, this type of “lifelong learning” will become increasingly important to our workforce as we look to take advantage of new opportunities – of course, technology will play an important role in seizing these opportunities.
Whether it’s augmented reality (AR) courses that transport kids to the Colosseum in Rome or a new app that helps you make home repairs in real time, we’re becoming a society of constant learning . We have to think the same way about business. Don’t forget: it’s generally easier to get on the train before it leaves the station!
Reflect on strengths and explain yourself
My last piece of advice is a plea, especially for women. I have spent much of my career advocating for women in the technology and telecommunications industries. Today the topic is more relevant than ever.
The last 12 months have seen an unprecedented number of job losses – with women in particular disproportionately affected.
Income trends in six countries, including China, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, have found that women are 24 percent more likely to permanently lose their jobs compared to men, while women are 50 percent more likely have to expect a decline in income than men. Now more than ever, we need to recognize these inequalities and take concrete action to ensure that inequality is eliminated in this new world.
This also applies to the way managers act. I often say, “People don’t care how much you know until they know you care” – and that’s absolutely true. The pandemic has brought about a new leadership style – the compassionate, caring and caring leader. When you consider the impact of simple acts of kindness over the past twelve months, you realize how much of a difference you can make by helping others achieve their goals. Women in particular are characterized by these leadership qualities, and it is time for us to focus on our strengths.
As we look to the future, I urge business leaders to seize the opportunity before us. If the past year has taught me anything, it is that our time on this earth is too precious to remain idle.
More strategies for the business world of tomorrow can be found here
