The coronavirus pandemic has brought about far-reaching cuts and changes in many areas of life. In the world of work, it has made a decisive contribution to accelerating the development towards more flexible working models, both in terms of time and space. Out of necessity, it was suddenly possible for a large number of people to work from home and, in some cases, to organize their working hours more freely. This rapid development is often associated with the term "New Work" or "Work 4.0".
The transformation processes that we have observed are mainly due to the further development of the technical infrastructure. The external framework conditions have been adapted to such an extent that, where possible, work can also take place remotely. First of all, this is a welcome and desirable development. However, it says nothing about the extent to which the working culture has also evolved. After all, there is much more to the "new work" that has come back into fashion than working from home and flexible working hours.
New culture - the original meaning
Frithjof Bergmann coined the term "New Work" back in the 1970s. At that time, the world of work looked very different from 50 years later. However, the principles of his ideas are not tied to a historical context. The focus is on the working individual as a person who is aware of what they really, really want. This formulation is often used when talking about Bergmann and it contains a problem that will play a role later on.
New work needs a new culture - Bergmann's approach could be broken down to this statement. Such a culture requires a social rethink, a change in the idea of what work means. Meaningfulness is becoming increasingly important. However, this change must also be supported by all the individuals it affects. To some extent, a parallel can also be drawn here with current trends in our society. Many people, especially young people, are attaching ever greater importance to attaching meaning to their paid work. The question therefore seems to be whether companies and organizations that are still entrenched in established structures are willing to promote cultural change?
There is a danger that the new world of work will not be designed for the benefit of employees, but will only benefit companies through constant accessibility and increased efficiency. This would be a clear discrepancy to Frithjof Bergmann's original idea, who saw New Work as a path to self-determination, self-realization and participation for working people. Work that can be meaningfully integrated into people's lives and gives them enough freedom to develop individually. Such a cultural change requires, among other things, that companies trust their employees and support them. Creating the framework conditions for this is an important and necessary step in this direction. Equally important, however, are value-based factors such as the aforementioned trust, empathy, honest appreciation and open error culture.
Comprehensive change
New Work has an impact on all areas of work. It leads away from the so-called work-life balance towards work-life blending. Work is no longer seen as separate from the rest of life, but is integrated into life in a flexible and self-determined way. Offices are no longer simply places where people "sit out" their working hours. They are becoming meeting places where colleagues can exchange ideas, give new impetus and work innovatively. If you need a change of scenery, you can do a "workation ", i.e. work from a completely different (vacation) location.
If you want new work, you have to be able to formulate what you really, really want. Only with a certain amount of self-reflection and your own drive can the idea be fully realized. However, this is not so easy, as the responsibility for this logically lies with each individual. Quite apart from the fact that it is currently largely a matter of negotiation to what extent the employer is prepared to offer certain freedoms. From a broader perspective, it is therefore desirable for such freedom to be offered wherever it is possible and makes sense. This creates the basis for a rethink in all areas.
Positive effects can already be seen today in areas where New Work models are implemented sensibly. Employees identify more strongly with their work and their employer and are therefore in some cases more productive, more balanced, less (mentally) stressed and contribute innovatively. If the technical framework conditions can be provided and a transformative cultural change implemented at all levels, New Work can make an important contribution to sustainable success and satisfaction.
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