Our mission has always been about abolishing inequity in the workplace, even as the language around that work has shifted. We believe the future of work must lead to this end-goal. It’s how we get there that’s evolving.
Given that everything seems to be changing all at once, we’re focused on how to navigate these changes without losing each other. As long as we have to work together (and we don’t see that ending anytime soon, robots notwithstanding), shared humanity has to stay at the center. That means leading with empathy, compassion, and kindness as the bedrock infrastructure of functional workplaces, communities, and societies.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Have a growth mindset. Surviving this moment emotionally, mentally, financially, and physically, requires staying open. Take a “yes, and” approach to new ways of thinking rather than a “no, but.”
- Create spaces where people want to show up. Be welcoming. Ask what people need, build in room for dialogue, push back on gossip, and remember that your actions can have consequences you didn’t intend. Offer grace (to yourself and others!). When people feel psychologically safe, they will show up, share ideas, flag problems early, and do better work.Â
- Lead with compassion, and hold people accountable. We love the Platinum Rule: treat people how they want to be treated, not how you’d want to be treated. Someone might do something differently than you and that’s okay, because we’re human and we’re not all the same. Difference doesn’t have to mean settling for less, however, and that’s where accountability comes in. Accountability is about naming what happened, understanding why, and figuring out how to do better, together, without any drama.
- Be actors in your own future. Change isn’t just something that happens to us, it’s something we can move through, manage, and create together. We should stay curious about what’s coming, ask hard questions, and resist the urge to either panic or check out. Take AI as an example. You don’t have to be all-in or all-out. But understanding what’s happening, forming your own opinion, and making intentional choices about how you engage puts you in the driver’s seat instead of the back seat. This way you’re helping to shape the future you want to live in.
We don’t have all the answers. What we do have are good questions, a lot of resources, and a genuine commitment to figuring it out alongside you. Let’s build the future together.