It’s not an illusion that change in the workplace is happening faster than ever. According to Accenture’s 2024 Pulse of Change Index, the rate of change rose a shocking 183 percent from 2019 to 2023. When Accenture’s research team asked global C-suite executives the question, “What level of change do you expect in 2024 relative to today?” 88 percent replied that they expected the rate of change to be even faster.
Finding success in today’s fast-changing workplace requires honing and deploying a new set of skills. Here are powerful five ways that you can win as all this change washes over us:
1. Learn through experience and collaboration.
The most successful people make it a priority to listen and learn from others, and to collaborate. They actively search for examples and stories of success and failure—and everything in between—to help shape their strategies and avoid pitfalls. This not only saves time but also builds interpersonal relationships and professional partnerships. They know the importance of collective learning and collaboration.
2. Focus on ideas, not just finishing tasks.
Today’s most successful people are concerned with grasping big ideas and generating high-quality output, not just doing more. They love learning new ways of doing things and they would rather work efficiently and productively than just get stuff done. They understand the importance of detailed, effective work, and do not believe in working to look busy.
3. Embrace challenging the conventional wisdom.
Perhaps the most defining aspect of successful people is their inherent ingenuity. They live off of innovation and progress. They don’t remain stuck in outmoded traditions, and they aren’t afraid of challenging long-existing procedures or the status quo—they’re always looking for ways to make things better and more efficient. They are driven to innovate and explore, often making amazing breakthroughs along the way.
4. Prioritize output over physical presence.
Despite pushback from some companies, working from home is a given for many people—enabling workers to get high-quality work done anywhere anytime. According to Pew Research Center, approximately one third of American workers who can work from home now work from home all the time. Winners in today’s workplace have proved that remote work is effective, defying the prevailing emphasis on being physically present.
5. Integrate your work and life.
Highly effective people take an integrated approach to life, one that doesn’t prioritize rigid separation between work and life. They know success lies in a willingness to allow both of these things to go hand in hand, knowing that a good life involves both work and personal satisfaction. This view fosters a more sustainable, healthy way of working that avoids burnout and contributes to overall health.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
