Inclusive Technology Is The Future Of Work

Never before has the future of work felt so unpredictable. Regardless of the industry, organizations are either rising or falling to the challenge of continuing to work remotely, reshaping company infrastructure and culture in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, and navigating the economic state of emergency.

One of the ways in which leaders can acknowledge these tectonic shifts is far simpler than one might assume; it is time to talk about the future of work as one that will be different than ever before.

Many leaders ranging from realist to optimist call this period a crux for opportunity - a period of deconstructed norms to rebuild a better, more modern, more equitable way to work. I tend to agree, but pay close attention to the wins around which future goals are set. A common thread between the global pandemic, economic recession, Black Lives Matter movement and U.S. presidential election is that women’s efforts to either alleviate or support each are largely underexposed. If the future of work is truly meant to work for the people who do it, then it must be inclusive to all.

Aptly chosen, the theme of this year’s 3% Conference, ‘The Radically Inclusive Future of Work’ encompasses each of these issues by embracing that what comes next for leaders of all industries will require diligent effort to modernize the way we operate.

This week, I am teaming up with The Sway Effect’s Jennifer Risi for the 3% Conference as part of our session entitled ‘Building a Better Tomorrow Through Inclusive Technology’. Focused on how we build toward and create a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirrors the people and societies for whom they build it, it is conversations like these that enable listeners to actively focus on the skills and support needed to create an inclusive work infrastructure.

In this moment there is an opportunity to stand out, or be left out. This is the moment to listen to the feedback of the world and internalize it, which goes beyond stakeholders and reaches the customers, employees, partners, and communities. Organizations need to take a hard look across their teams and across all levels while asking, Who here needs to have a change in mindset? From there, it takes support through training and one-on-one coaching to help them arrive where they need to be.

Jennifer Risi agrees: “Teams must reflect the populations they work to serve both internally and externally. It is time to hire diverse candidates and expand the roster of places from where talent is recruited.”

Inclusion at this scale is indeed a radical notion. It is also inevitable. Not only is it a dealbreaker for next generation talent in choosing where and with whom to work, but it is also slowly, but surely being threaded into the infrastructure of work that was deconstructed by the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter Movement.

“Inclusion in practice means setting public, annually published metrics to hold ourselves accountable and track progress,” says Jennifer. “It means equal pay for all. It means calling out day-to-day actions and supporting colleagues. We all know we can do better.”

The future of work is inevitably radical because it needs to be in order for the working world to recognize and uphold real, effective change for everyone. It is time to redefine what normal is. We need to challenge what is expected and move towards a mindset that is more representative of our society as a whole so as a culture, we can sustain it.

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