At 1Huddle, it’s Labor Day, every day.
Every day, week in and out, we celebrate workers’ contributions, sacrifices, and resilience. As September comes to a close, while we cheer on the struggle, we’re also celebrating just how much we have to be optimistic about.
Here are some things happening right now that make us hopeful:
- Tech that develops workers instead of displacing them.
The technologies and trends we’re seeing now have long been on the rise, but COVID-19 massively accelerated the rate at which they were adopted– so much so, that many companies invested in tech before they invested in the infrastructure their people needed to adapt.
Increasingly, what separates the companies that win from companies that lose is the ability to reskill workers at the speed of change– and that the companies that invest in technology that develops instead of displacing their workers have the edge.
- What workers want is increasingly a part of the conversation.
No matter your feelings on quiet quitting, acting your wage etc– these are buzzwords that have generated tremendous energy online and IRL. And while they may not describe new phenomena, that they’re trending at all is a testament to the fact that workers more and more are leaning into the conversation. They’re connecting and sharing openly with each other and with the wider public about what they need, and what they’re experiencing. Which means that leaders have more insight than ever before into what is happening on the ground floor of their business, and more ability to generate solutions that actually work.
- Work still has meaning. And people are still going to work, wanting it to mean something.
Work is bigger than a job. It always has been.
That’s what’s behind the workers’ desire for development and mentorship. When workers see growth as an impossibility— that’s when they “quiet quit.”
- The cream always rises to the top. And leaders, with vision, creativity, and heart, are starting to emerge.
Leaders like Hagop Giragossian of Dog Haus, Ashley Morris of Capriotti’s; or Josh Halpern of Big Chicken, which has already sold over 200 units
Leaders who get it, and care – who speak to their workers’ hearts and smarts.
They know their people are their greatest asset, and that reflects in the tech they invest in, the cultures they create, and the growth they’ve achieved.
- Young people.
I shared my experience at the Summer Youth Employment Program in Newark, NJ at Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology with you all a few weeks ago, but it’s worth repeating here– Young people today have so much drive, so much talent, but they still need us.
We have to engage, we can’t just criticize. They want, and deserve, leaders and coaches that care. And if you’re looking at all that potential and all you’re seeing is a problem– Maybe you’re the one who needs to change.
The pandemic brought the “Future of Work” home 10 years ahead of schedule. Still, workers have risen to the occasion. Across generations, industries and wage levels, they have adapted to massive change at an unprecedented pace.
It’s not clear what the future will bring, and it may be that we have to fight to make it a future for everyone, but that’s the beauty of the present – The decisions we make now have the power to create a future that’s worth working for. And that gives me hope, too.
So, from my team to yours, Happy Labor Month.
Now, back to work!
