THE WORKPLACE IS SHIFTING!

The workplace is shifting!

The past few years have given me a unique perspective on this shift and I am seeing first hand how the influence of millennials and progressive GenXer’s is making a profound and positive change to the way business, institutions and individuals are approaching work.

1. A high performance culture does not need a location: After a long career in the oil and gas industry I decided to enroll in the Queen’s Executive MBA through the Smith School of Business. Utilizing technology, this program has created virtual and interactive boardroom classes in every region in Canada. This broad perspective in the classroom adds greater richness to the discussions that span the country.

2. The modern workplace has movement: A downside of modern technology is that it has created a sedentary lifestyle and “sitting has become the new smoking”. As an Executive MBA student I found myself sitting all day working, and then sitting all evening studying. Looking for a solution, led to the invention of a treadmill desk that classmates and I ended up taking to market. Our experience at Fitneff has been that busy people are looking for ways to integrate movement into their workplace.

3. Collaboration is the norm: With an entire workforce emerging that has grown up with social media and ‘sharing’, working in isolation is no longer the normal way of doing business. According to a recent PWC report,Engaging and empowering Millennials, expect to have access to the best tools for collaboration and execution at any time. Recently, I have been involved in the start-up of a new coworking space for entrepreneurial professionals in Calgary called ReSourceYYC. Not surprisingly, the number one desire for most of the members is to be part of a collaborative community that is positive, supportive and enabled with productive technology.

In this world of increasing competitiveness and economic challenges the traditional workplace experience can be very difficult. If we embrace changes to the way we “do work”, it can have a positive impact and result in increased productivity and employee satisfaction. It is encouraging to see organizations like WORKshift Canada provide tools and resources to help companies implement this change in the workplace.

The future workplace that has flexibility, movement and collaboration is good for us all!

AUTHOR

Ron Bettin

Ron Bettin is a Canadian entrepreneur with more than 25 years of management and entrepreneurial experience. As a co-founder of several companies he a strong understanding of the importance of building shareholder value and the creation of successful teams. He is a graduate of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and has an MBA from Queen’s School of Business.