K.E.Y. PLATFORM 2021

Disassembling Time and Space: Embedding Adaptive Implementation

Fake Work, The Truth as Told by COVID-19 There is one thing that we have learned at work, from the COVID-19 pandemic: We have been doing a lot of “fake work.” As we work remotely, we have learned that we do not have to insist on sitting in the office and spending unnecessary time to do our job. As we hold conference calls using Zoom, we have realized that we do not have to stick to unnecessary formality and procedures for a meeting. Fake work is usually created at the workplace by higher-ranking employees, who want to assert their authority or vested interests, and dumped on their subordinates. Telecommuting has been spreading among Korean companies, too, but there are not a few companies and management teams who are hesitant for fear of losing control over employees. However, things have changed completely. We are living in a totally different environment. Not so long ago, it was difficult to get approval from the boss and the company if you want to work from home, but now the tables have turned and there are not a few companies where you have to submit a request in order to work in the office. The COVID-19 pandemic served as an opportunity to realize fundamentally that we have to work more efficiently. KEY PLATFORM 2021 will propose ways of eliminating fake work and boost work efficiency and productivity. Hybrid Working, De-Fakeworking and Outperforming We are now living in the age of “work from anywhere (WFA).” This means, companies should provide an environment that enables their employees to work from anywhere if they want to increase work efficiency and productivity. KEY PLATFORM has learned through its pre-conference coverage that a combination of online and offline work, such as hybrid work, blended work, or distributed work, can be an alternative. Key to these ways of doing work is disassembling the way we assemble to work together. Traditionally, we gather in a given space and synchronize our routines during the same time slots. However, changes in the way we work, triggered by digital economy and accelerated by the pandemic, will provide an environment characterized by disassembled space and time. Hybrid work or other new ways of working that frees us from the constraints of space and time will emerge as a new trend. Businesses should embrace such a new work environment proactively and reform their structure to become resilient enough to cope with a crisis. To this end, both leaders and members should be adaptable. It is the ability of adaptive implementation that underpins all the important factors in new ways of working – leader’s flexibility, individual employees’ autonomy, organizational agility and responsiveness to crisis, and business resilience. KEY PLATFORM 2021 has researched methodologies to embed adaptive implementation based on its interviews with global innovators, experts and scholars. An organization should present to its members clear-cut and accurate work policy guidelines, priorities and benefits expected. Even when they introduce digital solutions and platforms that will certainly make great contributions to organizational innovation, the management should clarify, in advance, what and how much can be expected and share goals and objectives with employees. Adaptive implementation enables employees to communicate more and go beyond the status quo for tougher challenges as well as propose different ways of working. Companies can enhance their ability of adaptive implementation by building a corporate culture that is democratic, active and receptive to change. You can check out everything about adaptive implementation at the KEY PLATFORM 2021 conference