Making Sense of the Post-Pandemic Future
MIT Sloan Management Review|Summer 2022
MORE THAN TWO YEARS into the pandemic, we’re in a moment when both leaders and employees are trying to make sense of how the experience has changed them and imagining what comes next.
LYNDA GRATTON
Making Sense of the Post-Pandemic Future

In a webinar I led in early February with 250 people from over 100 companies around the world, many leaders expressed that they are feeling “betwixt and between” the certainties of the past and the unknowns of the future.

Three messages came through loud and clear. The first is that in this time of sensemaking, individuals right now are looking inward — working through the impact of their changing habits, networks, and skills, and beginning to imagine other life trajectories and possible selves.

The second message is that leaders and the organizations they manage are looking outward more than usual — analyzing how talent markets are changing and what their competitors are doing. This is creating momentum and a force for change, but also frustration and anxiety, given institutional lag. Leaders are worried about inertia holding their companies back.

The third message is that as this momentum for change is growing, it is those individuals and organizations that are acting now that will pave the way and become role models for everyone else.

The Inward/Outward Dichotomy

I’ve been struck by how deeply individuals have taken their experiences of the past two years and used them to look inward.

Take John, a team leader in one of the financial companies I’ve been studying. He is not alone in telling me, “I feel like I am beginning to change who I am. I don’t commute anymore to the office every day, I’ve spent less time with my colleagues and more time with my neighbors, and I’ve surprised myself with my digital skills — in fact, the whole team is using virtual collaborative tools in new ways.”

Bu hikaye MIT Sloan Management Review dergisinin Summer 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye MIT Sloan Management Review dergisinin Summer 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Ask Sanyin: How Do You Build for an Unpredictable Future?
MIT Sloan Management Review

Ask Sanyin: How Do You Build for an Unpredictable Future?

While the pandemic was a wild ride of uncertainty for me and many of my peers in leadership, it feels like we never regained our footing.

time-read
2 dak  |
Winter 2025
What You Still Can't Say at Work
MIT Sloan Management Review

What You Still Can't Say at Work

Most people know what can’t be said in their organization. But leaders can apply these techniques to break through the unwritten rules that make people self-censor.

time-read
7 dak  |
Winter 2025
Make Character Count in Hiring and Promoting
MIT Sloan Management Review

Make Character Count in Hiring and Promoting

Most managers focus on competencies when evaluating candidates but it’s character that will transform the DNA of the organization. Here’s how to assess it.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Winter 2025
Why Influence Is a Two-Way Street
MIT Sloan Management Review

Why Influence Is a Two-Way Street

Managers achieve better outcomes when they prioritize collaborative decision-making over powers of persuasion.

time-read
10 dak  |
Winter 2025
Know Your Data to Harness Federated Machine Learning
MIT Sloan Management Review

Know Your Data to Harness Federated Machine Learning

A collaborative approach to training AI models can yield better results, but it requires finding partners with data that complements your own.

time-read
9 dak  |
Winter 2025
How Integrating DEI Into Strategy Lifts Performance
MIT Sloan Management Review

How Integrating DEI Into Strategy Lifts Performance

Incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion practices into core business planning can provide a competitive edge.

time-read
9 dak  |
Winter 2025
The Myth of the Sustainable Consumer
MIT Sloan Management Review

The Myth of the Sustainable Consumer

Companies that understand the different kinds of consumers for sustainable products can market to them more effectively.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Winter 2025
A Practical Guide to Gaining Value From LLMs
MIT Sloan Management Review

A Practical Guide to Gaining Value From LLMs

Getting a return from generative AI investments requires a systematic approach to analyzing appropriate use cases.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Winter 2025
Improve Workflows by Managing Bottlenecks
MIT Sloan Management Review

Improve Workflows by Managing Bottlenecks

Understand whether process or resource constraints are stalling work.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Winter 2025
Craft Schedules That Work for Everyone
MIT Sloan Management Review

Craft Schedules That Work for Everyone

Business leaders can improve retention and business performance with schedules that make sense for workers’ lives.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Winter 2025