Welcome to part two of our Top 5 Business Acumen Predictions for 2022. In part one we reviewed three
In the United States, the failure of the ruling Democrats to pass two foundational legislative imperatives will spill over into the new year and stay with us through the 2022 mid-year elections. Navigating these waters and predicting outcomes is difficult and the uncertainty will impact business decision making. My predictions are:
So, what does this all mean for business and business decision-making? Once again having the skills needed to adapt quickly could mean the difference between success and failure in the following areas:
Obviously, in a global environment, the political issues in every part of the world are critical and we will address the implications on Business Acumen in a follow-up blog.
5) Work and the “Workplace”
The re-emergence of the pandemic via the Omicron variant has already changed the perspective on work and the workplace through the first quarter and in most likelihood through the first half of the year. Where and how people are going to work has gone from the interesting and exciting, to complex, to hard, to burnout, to now confused. Business leaders know that decisions must be made, and lead times must be fair and equitable. There is also a timer on all of this because in my opinion, once you pass year three, there will never be any going back to a pre-COVID workplace.
According to Forrester, who I think has strong and accurate insights, they predict:
“Only 10% of firms will shift to a fully remote model, and 30% will go back to a fully in-office model. The remaining 60% of firms will shift to a hybrid model, and one-third of those firms will fail in their first attempt at anywhere work.”
Assuming these numbers are accurate, then the implications to the way business organizations are run will be profound. Regardless of the way it ultimately turns out there are a few absolutes in terms of the people side of the business:
While all skills will be critical, early indications are that Chief Learning Officers are focused on the foundational skills required to address all the challenges and take advantage of everything 2022 will present including better Business Acumen, Business Leadership, and Strategic Business Selling.
It’s a different world and it’s going to evolve in ways that will force us to adapt quicker than ever. Happy New Year!
Read Part one - part one