The Great Resignation seemed to peak in November 2021, when a record 4.5 million workers quit their jobs in a single month. Desperate to retain employees, companies were scrambling. They offered more flexible work. Now, with layoffs and return-to-office mandates, business leaders are wrenching back power. But it’s not as bad as you might think.
When things are uncertain, it can feel comforting to avoid difficult feedback. But creating stability for your team — and success for your organization — depends on your ability to learn what needs to change. Burying your head in the sand is never the safe thing to do.
This emergence of hustle culture led to a de-prioritsation of work-life balance for some employees. But the pandemic shifted this outlook again, especially with the integration of remote and hybrid work. This transformation also meant workers’ personal lives entered their work lives in an unprecedented way – both good and bad. And it spurred workers to become newly re-invested in separating the two.
As a leader, you play an important role in helping others in a way that doesn’t rob them of their autonomy and ownership (micromanaging) or leave them wondering what they’re supposed to do next (under-leading). One area where this tension often shows up is when a direct report asks for help.
Learning in the flow of work — when learning happens in the moment and as part of the regular working day — is essential for everyone. When teams don’t find ways to learn as they work, they limit their performance. But when they find their learning flow, it becomes so embedded into daily routines and rituals that it’s no longer labeled as “learning,” and instead becomes an integral part of how work happens.
