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The State of Work 1
The State
of Work
slack.com/state-of-work
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019
The State of Work 2
Modern work is more complex
and interdependent than ever
before. A new study by Slack
and market research firm
GlobalWebIndex explores
what it takes to thrive in this
new era of business.
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019
The State of Work 3
Contents 4
THE STATE OF
28
CHAPTER 5
WORK, BY SLACK
19
The alignment
Executive Summary paradox
8 33
CHAPTER 3
Alignment affects
the bottom line:
here’s why
CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 6
The future of Looking ahead:
22
work is now the 8 rules of
engagement
13
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 4
Getting to
alignment 36
CHAPTER 7
Understanding
aligned and Methodology
unaligned workers
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019
The State of Work 4
The State of Work, by Slack
Executive
Summary
slack.com/state-of-work
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Executive Summary 5
If going by This is certainly true in many ways.
The pace of change is faster than at any
So when we set out to better understand
the state of work today, we were eager to
headlines other time in history, and no industry
has yet escaped the forces of what
explore first-person attitudes and experi-
ences. How do these core beliefs about
alone, the state
is often called the “Fourth Industrial work affect worker engagement and
Revolution.” But it’s a surprisingly organizational success? What we learned
incomplete picture. is revealed in this analysis.
of work today If anything, the true state of work is Slack’s State of Work report draws from
is defined by more people-powered than ever before. 17,000 knowledge workers, up and down
the organizational chart, from CEOs to
transformative
Simply put, as automation rises, the work frontline employees, ages 16 to 64. They
that is left requires a decidedly human live in 10 countries, span more than 40
touch, such as complex problem-solving industries, and work for companies of
technology. and collaboration. all stages and sizes, from “micro-emerg-
ing” businesses to large, well-established
We see it every day at Slack, even enterprises. There are startups less than
as we build this very technology. a year old and companies in business for
We believe that any analysis of trends and more than 50 years. To contextualize the
technology is secondary to the human data, we conducted in-depth interviews
experience of those trends and technolo- with economists, workplace psycholo-
gy. (Yes, this from a software company.) gists and frontline workers themselves.
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Executive Summary 6 HERE’S WHAT WE FOUND: People crave Without insight into connection to their that organizational organization’s vision, people struggle strategic vision. in the workplace. Understanding the big picture is no longer solely While most people want to feel more engaged, the domain of the C-suite. We found a direct there is a subset who feel disconnected from correlation between monthly communication their company’s strategy, vision and set of of company strategy (the most frequent option operating principles. These “unaligned” workers available on the survey) and people rating their are likelier than their more “aligned” counterparts companies as “excellent” against a long list of to have never heard their company discuss attributes: career progression; collaboration; strategic goals. They focus less on innovation communication; effective use of technology; and are less likely to collaborate outside of their productivity; morale; training; work-life balance; immediate teams. They are also significantly culture; and openness to feedback. more likely to report low morale. © SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019
The State of Work Executive Summary 7
Given that connection and communication can Throughout the data, aligned workers show greater transparency, clearer documentation of
shape each knowledge worker’s experience, we a stronger sense of optimistic purpose, while responsibilities, more cross-team collaboration,
were interested to view the data through the lens unaligned workers seem adrift. When thinking and open access to leadership.
of aligned vs. unaligned. So first, our definitions: about their company’s future revenue and
workforce, unaligned workers are far likelier to There are many other actionable insights from the
• An aligned worker is one who agreed with this predict significant decline, while aligned workers data, which we discuss in depth throughout this
statement: “I feel aligned with my company’s are more likely to forecast growth. There are analysis and summarize in Chapter 6: “Looking
vision, values and operating principles.” clear benefits, then, to developing and retaining ahead: The 8 Rules of Engagement.”
an aligned workforce.
• An unaligned worker is one who disagreed So while roles and responsibilities will continue
with the statement “I feel aligned with my The good news is that alignment is not a finite, to shift in this new era of work, our data shows
company’s vision, values and operating or even scarce, resource. It’s available to all that many people are ready to confront these
principles.” people and organizations. By focusing on challenges. But they need organizational support,
things like effective, frequent and context-rich clear communication, effective tools, and a
• A knowledge worker is anyone who holds communication, organizations can facilitate strategic vision to follow. In other words, in a
an office position and/or works with data, alignment. When asked what would make them world of increasing automation and complexity,
analyzes information or thinks creatively in feel more aligned, no one shot for the moon. a human-first approach can still be the most
a typical workweek. They ranked, in order, surprisingly basic needs: strategic of all.
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work 8
CHAPTER 1
The future of
work is now
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work The future of work is now 9
SAADIA ZAHIDI, AN Analytical Complex Innovation
ECONOMIST AT THE
WORLD ECONOMIC thinking problem-solving
W
FORUM, SAYS THESE
hat is transforma- Industrial Revolution), mass
SEVEN SKILLS WILL
tive technology, production (Second Industrial
BE IN DEMAND
and how is it Revolution) and digitization
changing the way we work? (Third Industrial Revolution).
Saadia Zahidi, the manag-
ing director and head of the The skills of the future
of the future
Centre for the New Economy
and Society at the World For knowledge workers, the
Economic Forum, describes skills required to succeed Collaboration Active learning
the current era of work as have already shifted dramat-
“a coming-together of dig- ically and will continue to
ital, physical and biological change. According to Zahidi,
The skills
systems leading to the rise of the core tasks needed to
machine learning; the appli- perform the average job will Technology
cability of technology across change by 42% over the next and design
many different fields; and the three years. By 2022, that
creation of wholly new fields, is, nearly half of the average
markets and sectors.” worker’s day-to-day duties will
look profoundly different.
Zahidi has studied these
forces within large multi- Demand will grow for skills
national companies across such as analytical thinking, Creativity
developed and developing innovation, active learning,
economies. She contends that creativity, analytical thinking,
the current era has unfolded collaboration and complex
exponentially faster than the problem-solving, while rote
previous three industrial rev- skills and easily repeat-
olutions, which were defined able tasks will be shunted
by mechanization (First off to automation.
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work The future of work is now 10
“It is about being able to
Alignment is “table stakes”
in today’s complex world
WHEN WORKERS
UNDERSTAND
WHEN WORKERS
DON’T UNDERSTAND work and relate with your
teams in a different way.
THEIR COMPANY’S THEIR COMPANY’S
Knowledge workers realize STRATEGY: STRATEGY:
that they can’t accomplish
these new tasks in a vacuum
or simply by adding hours to
their workday. To be effec-
84% 22% It is about building an
tive, they need more visibility
into the strategic objectives
Feel aligned with their
company’s vision, values
Feel aligned with their
company’s vision, values inclusive workplace culture.
of the business. They need a and operating principles and operating principles
line of sight to the company’s
North Star.
It is about active listening
When knowledge workers
understand their company’s
88% 33% and more flat team
overall strategy, they’re much
more likely to know how their
Know how their day-to-
day work contributes to
Know how their day-to-day
work contributes to their structures.”
work fits into the broader their company’s strategy company’s strategy
picture and to feel aligned
Saadia Zahidi,
with their company’s direction.
Managing Director
Which is why it becomes so
and Head of the
important for organizations to transition to alignment. That is, The modern era of work, she
Centre for the
understand why workers find the onus isn’t all on the worker. says, “is about being able to
New Economy and
themselves disconnected from Much of it is on the organiza- work and relate with your
Society at the World
the wider corporate vision. tion to understand and invest teams in a different way. It is
Economic Forum
in its people and to help them about building an inclusive
The data underscores the develop the skills to thrive in workplace culture. It is about
need for organizations to this new era of work, accord- active listening and more flat
help workers complete the ing to Zahidi. team structures.”
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work The future of work is now 11
Are you aligned? Divergent Aligned workers Unaligned workers
workplace experiences who agree who agree
Building the inclusive cul-
ture Zahidi describes can
be a daunting task. It’s hard
to know where to start. I feel empowered Being able to adapt At my company, I understand what I
Alignment offers a useful lens to make strategic quickly is critical to my we have the tools need to do in my role
for determining which strat-
egies and tools will serve an
decisions or to company’s long-term and systems in place to be successful
organization and which will pursue new business success to adapt quickly to
undercut its efforts. opportunities industry changes
Unaligned and aligned work-
ers experience the workplace
in profoundly different
ways—and their experiences
75% 22% 83% 40% 76% 19% 90% 43%
impact their organizations.
By opting for strategies that
promote alignment, compa-
nies benefit from a cascade
of other effects, including
more engaged and empow-
ered workers. The opposite
is also true. Strategies that
derail alignment tend to cor-
relate with demotivated,
disengaged workers.
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work The future of work is now 12
Management and culture TOP MANAGEMENT AND developing a positive culture, What can be done to improve Workers who
challenges in the workplace CULTURE CHALLENGES boosting morale, and retain- collaboration? For starters, understand the
GLOBALLY ing and aligning people is a a clear understanding of the
company strategy are
So what are organizations global concern. company strategy correlates
up against in the drive to closely with positive scores more likely to rate their
companies highly for
1
align, upskill and empower for collaboration. Workers
their people? For starters, Building a good The state of collaboration who understand their com- collaboration.
workplace culture is a chief culture/working pany’s strategy are twice as
concern for knowledge environment Overall, knowledge work- likely to indicate that collab-
RATES COLLABORATION
workers worldwide; it was ers feel positive about the oration at their companies is
“GOOD” OR “EXCELLENT”
the most frequently cited state of collaboration at their “good” or “excellent.”
“management and culture” workplaces, with two-thirds
2
challenge globally and topped Morale/ of respondents reporting Zahidi says setting objectives
the country-specific list for retaining staff that collaboration is “good” and communicating them
France and India. or “excellent.” Only 7% rated frequently is critical for col- 75%
their companies as “poor” laboration. “It’s very hard to
Company morale is another or “very poor.” But that 7% set these medium- to long-
key challenge, particularly when extrapolated across term objectives around which
3
in Australia, Singapore, Vision/leadership all knowledge workers in people can coalesce in a Understands
Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. within the the 10 surveyed countries constantly shifting business company strategy
Japanese workers were most company amounts to an estimated environment,” she says. “But
concerned about building 25.6 million people. it’s through the creation of
alignment between teams, those very, very clear objec-
whereas those in Germany Again, the divide between tives that you get the right kind
4
cited bureaucracy as the aligned and unaligned workers of collaboration incentives.” 37%
No. 1 challenge. Alignment stood out. Unaligned work-
between teams ers were nearly nine times
While each country has at the company as likely to rate collaboration
its own set of nuanced at their companies as “poor” Doesn’t understand
challenges, it’s clear that or “very poor.” company strategy
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work 13
CHAPTER 2
Understanding
aligned and
unaligned workers
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Understanding aligned and unaligned workers 14
A
ligned and unaligned Most workers fall in the While only 11% feel some level
workers exist in com- middle of the alignment of unalignment, it’s worth
panies large and small, spectrum noting that across all 10 sur-
in every industry, all over the veyed markets they amount
world. They span generations to an estimated 38.5 million
and workplace hierarchies. workers. Moreover, given
the importance of connec-
Understanding how the tivity and collaboration in
aligned/unaligned chips the modern workplace, mov-
fall across different cate- ing these unaligned workers
gories—be it industry, age into alignment can have a
% of workers
or geography—merits a positive ripple effect through-
deeper look. 3% 8% 23% 38% 29% out an organization.
For the purposes of this study,
Understanding the we looked more broadly at
alignment spectrum aligned and unaligned workers
and included the “somewhats”
Alignment exists along a con- in their respective categories.
tinuum, and most knowledge Their insights hint at what
workers (69%) fall some- employers can do to tip them
where in the middle. Those more fully into the “strongly
in this swing group (“some- aligned” category.
what aligned,” “somewhat
unaligned” and “agnostic”) Strongly Somewhat Neither aligned Somewhat Strongly
don’t feel strongly aligned unaligned unaligned nor unaligned aligned aligned
or unaligned. Companies (agnostic)
stand to gain clear benefits
by converting them to fully
aligned employees.
alignment spectrum
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Understanding aligned and unaligned workers 15
The unaligned/aligned divide cuts across all industries Aligned workers Unaligned workers
Industry
Aligned and unaligned work- 85% 83% 81% 85%
ers are not confined to any
one industry. The divide cuts 15% 17% 19% 15%
across all sectors, though
some trends emerge. The
most aligned sectors are
Arts, Media & Advertising Education & Research Environment & Resources Financial Services
technology and communica-
tion; manufacturing, industry
and logistics; and manage-
ment training. The sectors
with the highest percentage
of unaligned workers include 81% 79% 85% 89%
health care; nonprofit; gov- 19% 21% 15% 11%
ernment; and environment
and resources.
Government Health Care Legal, Law Enforcement, Management Training
Age Military
Alignment varies little across
generations, though the data
suggests that it increases
slightly with age. The young- 89% 80% 88% 90%
est cohort (16 to 24 years old) 11% 20% 12% 10%
has the lowest percentage of
aligned workers and the high-
est percentage of unaligned
workers. Older workers, those Manufacturing, Industry Nonprofit Retail, Leisure & Technology &
& Logistics Hospitality Communications
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Understanding aligned and unaligned workers 16
ages 55 to 64, were the most Generations BUSINESS SIZE (NO. OF EMPLOYEES)
likely to feel aligned and the more together
least likely to feel unaligned. than apart KEY DEFINITIONS
85% Micro-emerging small business (1-20)
15% 85%
Company size Aligned workers
15%
KNOWLEDGE WORKERS:
Employed individuals
Unaligned workers
Aligned and unaligned work- who hold an office position
ers span all company sizes, 16 to 24 and/or work with data,
Emerging small business (21-250)
but there is a clear sweet spot analyze information or
for alignment in mid-mar- 86% think creatively in a typical
ket (251–1,000 employees) 14% workweek
and enterprise organizations
(1,001–7,500 employees), 87% 87%
where aligned workers out- Mid-market (251-1,000) ALIGNED WORKERS:
number unaligned workers. 13% 13% Survey respondents who
89% agreed with the statement
At the extreme ends of the 11% “I feel aligned with my
company-size spectrum, 25 to 34 35 to 44 company’s vision, values
unalignment is at its high- and operating principles”
est. Micro-emerging small Enterprise (1,001-7,500)
businesses (1–20 employ-
89%
ees) over-index on unaligned UNALIGNED WORKERS:
workers, as do large enter- 11% Survey respondents
prises with more than 87% 88% who disagreed with the
7,500 employees. 13% 12% statement “I feel aligned
Large enterprise (7,501+) with my company’s vision,
86% values and operating
principles”
45 to 54 55 to 64 14%
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Understanding aligned and unaligned workers 17
90%
Aligned workers
understand how their
work connects with the • Have a clear
company’s strategy understanding of their
personal goals and
objectives
• Understand what they
need to do in their roles
to be successful
88%
Have a clear
understanding of how
their day-to-day work
contributes to their
Who are the Aligned workers also rate their company’s strategy
aligned workers? companies highly on key driv-
ers of success. They are twice
As their designation suggests, as likely as unaligned workers
86%
aligned workers have a clear to rate communication, work-
understanding of their com- place culture, collaboration
pany’s strategy, their own and productivity as “good”
personal goals and how those or “excellent.” Have a clear
two things connect. Ninety understanding of
percent of them know what Aligned workers are highly their company’s
they need to do in their roles engaged: They attend more strategy
to be successful. meetings, receive more
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Understanding aligned and unaligned workers 18
Aligned workers are more likely to rate their Aligned workers Unaligned workers
companies highly across a wide range of factors
77% 80% 83% 81%
37% 35% 40% 37%
Collaboration Communication Productivity Overall Workplace Culture
communications and use Who are the as aligned workers to rate structure. More than half feel adaptation is critical to their company is open to new ideas.
more software tools than their unaligned workers? “employee morale/satisfac- that their company does not company’s long-term success. And they are slightly more
unaligned counterparts. They tion” as “very poor.” have the tools, systems or likely to have a consistent day-
are hyperconnected to their Unaligned workers have lost structures in place to adapt to For unaligned workers, routine to-day routine and work with
colleagues and want more sight of their company’s vision The majority of unaligned industry changes. In fact, they seems to rule the day. They are the same colleagues.
information, rather than less, and struggle with poor morale. workers say that their com- are half as likely as aligned much less likely than aligned
when making decisions. They are 12 times as likely pany has a hierarchical workers to believe that quick workers to feel that their
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work 19
CHAPTER 3
Alignment affects
the bottom line:
here’s why
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Alignment affects the bottom line 20
T
here are clear Aligned workers to wow customers or pilot new
benefits to invest- are nearly twice as marketing strategies that help
ing time, effort and sales teams close deals faster.
34% likely as unaligned
resources into building an
aligned workforce—namely, workers to predict In contrast, unaligned work-
aligned workers drive significant growth ers are far likelier than
business forward. aligned workers to forecast
“significant decline” in their
Significant workforce growth
They approach their com- company’s financial future.
pany’s future with optimistic 24% Moreover, unaligned work-
purpose and are nearly twice ers are seven times as likely
as likely as unaligned work- 14% to report that they do not feel
ers to believe that teams at empowered to make strategic
their company are work- business decisions or pursue
ing toward a shared vision. new business opportunities.
They are also nearly twice as Significant revenue growth
Aligned workers
likely as unaligned workers to
are more likely to 30%
expect “significant growth”
in their company’s revenue feel that teams are UNALIGNED WORKERS:
16% WHAT’S AT STAKE
and workforce. moving in the same
direction
What’s more, they’re willing
to act on that optimism.
Three-quarters of aligned BELIEVE TEAMS AT THEIR
60%
12x
workers feel empowered COMPANY ARE WORKING Unaligned workers
to make strategic business TOWARD A SHARED VISION are 12 times as likely
decisions or pursue new as aligned workers
business opportunities. That to rate “employee
Aligned workers
mindset enables them to morale/satisfaction”
propose new product features Unaligned workers as “very poor.”
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Alignment affects the bottom line 21
Critically, aligned workers
are focused on high-impact,
strategic work, such as com- ioral and social determinants and make real-time deci-
petitive intelligence, effective of health. Care Teams use sions. “If we don’t have
use of technology, and inno- Cityblock’s care delivery that same mindset—of the
vation. Unaligned workers are platform, Commons—which members being at the center
bogged down by staffing and was co-designed by clini- of everything we do—and
personnel challenges. They are cians, engineers and data if all of our activities don’t
twice as likely as aligned work- scientists—to align around have that same purpose and
ers to cite poor management each member. Co-founder why,” she says, “then all of
decisions as a challenge. and CEO Iyah Romm says the work that we’re doing
alignment is essential in runs the risk of being
uniting cross-functional disjointed or fragmented.”
ALIGNMENT IN ACTION
teams to deliver the best
Cityblock Health, a Brook- possible care. “Without Clarity of mission has
75% Aligning around lyn, New York–based, tech-
nology-driven health-care
aligned priorities and ways
of working, we’ll never get
enabled Cityblock to rede-
fine health care for thou-
of aligned workers feel
empowered to make
a “North Star” company, is reimagining
an industry long known for
resistance to change. The
anything done in a complex
ecosystem,” he says.
sands of members across
the communities it serves.
And for Romm, this is just
strategic business
decisions or pursue new to transform company is committed to
offering member-first, tech-
For Theresa Soriano, City-
block’s northeast regional
the beginning of bringing
better care to neighborhoods
health care in
business opportunities.
nology-enabled care to chief health officer, setting a where it’s needed most.
improve health outcomes in North Star to guide all “You ultimately end up
underserved communities. decisions and actions was building for your goals …
22% underserved At Cityblock, integrated,
key. It empowers everyone
from Community Health
and so setting goals that
force you to think in different
of unaligned workers
feel the same way. communities multidisciplinary care teams
work collaboratively to
address the medical, behav-
Partners in the field to soft-
ware developers in the office
to recommend improvements
ways than the status quo is,
I think, a requirement for
driving meaningful change.”
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work 22
CHAPTER 4
Getting to
alignment
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Getting to alignment 23
How to achieve Knowledge workers who Aligned workers
alignment communicate hourly want connection and
communication with
There is no simple solution, with colleagues are most colleagues
but there are strategies that likely to feel aligned
can enable an aligned work- There is a direct correlation
force. Top among them: between alignment and how
communication. 63% frequently knowledge workers
communicate with their col-
58%
Aligned workers crave com- leagues. The more often they
munication—around strategic connect with coworkers, the
goals, with their colleagues 50% likelier they are to feel aligned,
and from leadership. 45% whether that communication
41% happens through collaboration
% of non-management
Although they are the most tools, emails, phone calls or
likely to have their company’s other means. The inverse also
aligned workers
strategic goals communicated applies: Alignment drops as
on a monthly basis (the most the frequency of communica-
frequent option available on tion decreases.
the survey), aligned workers
clearly indicated that they This is especially true for
wanted more communica- non-management workers.
tion, not less. But the quality Those who communicate
of that communication mat- with other employees at least
ters as much as, if not more Less than Once 2–3 times Several times Hourly hourly are the most likely to
than, the frequency. once per day per day per day per day feel aligned (63%), while those
who communicate with col-
leagues less than once per
day are the least likely to feel
frequency of communication aligned (41%).
with colleagues
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Getting to alignment 24
Three or four meetings
80%
per day is the alignment
sweet spot
More meetings improve 76%
alignment—to a point 75%
Meetings have weathered a Management
reputational blow in recent
Non-Management
years, but the value of in-per-
son (or on-camera) syncs
prevails. Aligned workers have 68%
more meetings than unaligned 66%
workers across the board— 65%
in comparison, unaligned
workers are twice as likely as
aligned workers to have no 62%
daily meetings.
% of aligned workers
Logic would suggest that
more meetings lead to more
alignment. But filling workers’
calendars isn’t necessarily the
answer. The sweet spot seems
to fall at three or four meetings
per day. After four meetings,
alignment dips for non-manag- 49%
ers and managers alike.
0 meetings 1–2 meetings 3–4 meetings 5+ meetings
per day per day per day per day
typical number of meetings per day
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Getting to alignment 25
Share strategy goals Aligned workers are Monthly from sharing its strategy annu- UNDERSTANDING OF STRATEGIC
quarterly at minimum the most likely to 47% ally to monthly to reap the GOALS IN RELATION TO FREQUENCY
receive monthly benefits. Even incremental OF COMMUNICATION
29%
Communicating with col- increases in communication
leagues may be a key element
communication about frequency can improve knowl-
of alignment, but ensuring that their company’s goals Quarterly edge workers’ understanding
knowledge workers under- of company strategy.
30% 76% 71%
stand the company’s strategic
goals is equally, if not more, 24% For instance, a subtle shift
HOW FREQUENTLY A
important. To understand the from communicating strategic
COMPANY COMMUNICATES
strategy, knowledge workers goals annually to twice a year
ITS STRATEGIC GOALS Twice a year Monthly Quarterly
need to know what it is. That boosts understanding of the
knowledge comes through fre- 5% company strategy by 9 per-
quent communication. 5% centage points.
Aligned workers
More than three-quarters of And there are other benefits
Unaligned workers Yearly
aligned workers (77%) report to communicating strategy 68% 59%
that their company commu- 11% monthly: Workers who receive
nicates its strategic goals 16% monthly strategy updates
at least quarterly. Nearly are the most likely to say that
half (47%) say their compa- their company is open to Twice a year Yearly
ny’s goals are shared at least Every 2–3 years new ideas. The same can be
monthly. Unaligned workers, 3% said about employees who
on the other hand, are the 7% feel that teams at their orga-
most likely to report that their nization are working toward
company never shares its a shared vision. 59% 46%
strategic goals. Never
There’s also a direct cor-
5%
The good news is that a com- relation between monthly
pany doesn’t need to jump 18% communication of strategy Every 2–3 years Never
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Getting to alignment 26
and workers rating a com- direct managers are the ones leaders have to think carefully PERCENTAGE OF ALIGNED Team meetings offer this to
pany as “excellent” for career sharing strategic objectives. about both their messaging and WORKERS WHO UNDERSTAND a degree, and, accordingly,
progression, collaboration, the mediums used to convey it. THE COMPANY STRATEGY knowledge workers rank
communication, effective use But while tapping the CEO to them as the most effective
of technology, productivity, communicate corporate goals forum for communicating
morale, training, work-life bal- can be a smart choice, there Meetings and strategic goals. But for deep-
90%
ance, culture and openness is a caveat: the leaky bucket collaborative channels Executive ening understanding and
to feedback. of executive communica- are most effective Management encouraging discussion of
tions, when messaging gets strategic goals, collaboration
diluted as it moves down the Teamwide meetings win out tools are key.
The leaky bucket of organizational ladder. Even as the most popular form for
executive communications aligned workers aren’t immune strategic communications, Eighty-one percent of knowl-
Companies must also decide
to this effect. followed by email announce-
ments and companywide 90% Senior
Management
edge workers at companies
using collaboration tools to
who will communicate stra- Unsurprisingly, most aligned meetings. This ranking communicate their strate-
tegic goals. The obvious executives feel that they have applied across all knowledge gic goals indicate that they
choice is the CEO or exec- a clear understanding of their workers surveyed. understand their company’s
89%
utive team. When aiming to company strategy. But that Management strategy. In fact, for under-
ensure that knowledge work- understanding drops 13 per- But when it comes to strat- standing company strategy,
ers understand company centage points as one moves egy, hearing doesn’t always collaboration tools emerge as
strategy, these are indeed down the organizational chart equate with understanding. the best medium, followed by
good spokespeople. to general staff. For that, collaborative chan- videos and companywide and
nels are key. To gain deeper teamwide meetings.
Three-quarters of knowledge
workers who receive strat-
This dilution of strategy com-
munications applies across
insight into their company’s
strategy, knowledge workers 86% Supervisor/
Administrator The upshot? Encourage lead-
egy communications from the the board, to both aligned and seek a “two-way street” that ership to share strategic goals
CEO feel they understand the unaligned workers, although facilitates an inclusive, organic on a monthly basis and to do
company strategy. This drops aligned workers start at a dialogue between and among so through meetings and col-
slightly to 74% for the exec-
utive team and to 68% when
higher level of understanding.
To combat information loss,
executives, managers and
office personnel. 77% General
Staff
laboration tools.
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work by Slack Getting to alignment 27
Knowledge workers are
more likely to understand
their company’s strategy
if it is communicated via
collaboration tools
81%
76% 77% 77% 77%
75% 75%
understand company strategy (%)
63%
knowledge workers who
Other Email Company Company Teamwide Companywide Videos Collaboration
announcements intranet blog meetings meetings tools
medium used to communicate
strategic goals
© SLACKTECHNOLOGIES,
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019
INC. 2019The State of Work 28
CHAPTER 5
The alignment
paradox
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work The alignment paradox 29
T Aligned workers are 81% 73%
he benefits of an
aligned workforce
are readily apparent.
Companies want and need
workers who are connected,
using more apps than of aligned workers
report using more
apps than they did
expect the number of
apps they need to use
to increase further
collaborative and optimis-
tic about their company’s
future. But in today’s fast-
ever before five years ago
paced, high-pressure world of
work, the immediate impulse
is often to double down on
alignment by scheduling more
meetings, introducing more
tools and encouraging more
communication.
Most aligned workers 30 min. 130 hrs.
The catch is that aligned
workers are already inun-
lose 130 hours each 64% report spending
30 minutes or more
switching between
Over the course of
an average working
year (260 days), this
dated. Aligned employees are
the most likely to have 10 or
year switching apps each day amounts to 130 hours
of lost productive time
more meetings a day and the
most likely to send or receive between apps
hourly emails, messages and
phone calls. Additionally,
51%
64% of aligned workers report that switching
report spending 30 minutes between apps “makes
or more switching between it harder for me to get
apps each day. essential work done”
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work The alignment paradox 30
“The cost of choice and
That half hour of lost pro- App usage is on interdependent tasks to the
information overload is that
people get distracted, people
ductivity takes on staggering the rise globally forefront of knowledge work-
proportions when looked at ers’ daily routines. This shift
across an entire company. An
enterprise with 2,500 employ-
ees working 260 days a year
76% requires knowledge workers
to engage more with tech-
nology as they connect with are making more errors because
of all knowledge
could lose 325,000 hours of colleagues to tackle complex
productivity annually.
workers surveyed report
using more apps than
they did five years ago
projects across teams and
time zones. they’re multitasking, and if
you’re not giving yourself the
And things aren’t slowing
down. Eighty-one percent
of aligned employees report
using more apps than they
did five years ago, and 73%
68% Communication
can become
all-consuming time to focus, you are less
expect that
expect the number of apps
good at engaging in creative
number to rise
they need to use to increase As the complexity of work
further. There’s an urgent increases, so does the need
need for management to pro- groups and industries report for cross-functional team-
vide clear direction and limits
so aligned workers can use
using more apps than ever
before. Seventy-six percent of
work. And communication
between teams is hard—and
problem-solving.”
their time more effectively. all respondents reported using even harder for those working
more apps than they did five on teams distributed across
years ago, and 68% expect multiple offices, time zones
Knowledge workers that number to rise. and countries.
worldwide are under
pressure This makes sense in light of More than half (52%) of
current workplace trends, in knowledge workers who Sheena Iyengar,
This paradox isn’t limited to which automation is increas- communicate with col- S.T. Lee Professor of
aligned workers. Knowledge ingly displacing rote work leagues in several time Business, Columbia
workers across all regions, age and pushing more complex, zones find cross-functional Business School
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work The alignment paradox 31
TOP MANAGEMENT AND
communication challeng- CULTURE CHALLENGES ALIGNMENT IN ACTION
ing. The same can be said of GLOBALLY
those who work with different
people and teams every day— Canada’s largest
1
63% of them feel the strain.
Collaborating with
people across bank leverages Martin Wildberger,
Executive Vice
President, Innovation
new tech tools
Knowledge workers need several time zones and Technology, RBC
better (not more) software
Adding more software and
to reinvent itself
2
communication tools isn’t the Using more than
answer—workers need better six apps per day
When used well, technology
solutions. Knowledge work-
is a key driver of innovation
ers often find their attention
divided across multiple ave-
nues, and the proliferation
3
of workplace software that Receiving more Reinvention is not just the transforming itself into data, which we are able to
(mostly) enhances productivity than 25 emails daily domain of startups. Disruption a digital-first institution, connect and analyze through
can also contribute to frag- in this new era of work is according to the company’s new techniques like AI,”
mentation of attention. something even the largest executive vice president of Wildberger says. “As a result,
and most successful enter- innovation and technology, we will soon only be limited by
More than half of knowledge prises are tackling head-on. Martin Wildberger. our own imaginations. These
4
workers who use more than Working with And leaning into new technol- advancements are allowing us
six apps on a daily basis find different people and ogies is a major part of that “One of the most exciting to not only derive better solu-
cross-functional communica- teams every day* transformation. things on the innovation front tions to problems we’ve been
tion challenging. The same is we’re approaching an age wrestling with for ages, but
applies to those who receive The Royal Bank of Canada, where we have access to tre- more importantly to do things
more than 25 daily emails. *For each condition, more than half of respondents found
it challenging to “communicate with coworkers in different
a 150-year-old bank and mendous compute capacity that we’ve never done before.”
teams, departments or offices.” the largest in Canada, is alongside an abundance of
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work The alignment paradox 32
Leveraging the
1
Beyond communication, the But these innovators seem
Be choosy about choosing
very technology that should to have landed on a solution.
boost productivity can under- They are the most likely to feel Determine which decisions
mine it. Nearly half of all
knowledge workers surveyed
that collaboration tools are an
effective form of communi-
power of choice you can delegate to others or
technology.
(49%) reported that switch-
ing between apps prevents
them from getting essential
cation, at almost three times
the rate of employees at lag-
gard companies (those that are
in the workplace
2
work done. among the last to adopt new
Identify your priorities
products and services).
From the innovator stand- Select three to five significant
The innovator’s dilemma point, it’s clear that apps aren’t
The average working person in a problems or ideas to focus on.
going anywhere. So the best, developed country deals with an
The app overload effect is most effective approach is to
particularly profound at “inno- consolidate them in a collab-
extraordinary amount of information
3
vator” companies—those that oration platform to stem the each day—the equivalent of reading Keep your end goal in mind
adopt new products and ser- fragmentation of attention.
vices first. Almost all workers True to form, the innovators
174 newspapers, according to Rather than reacting to
at innovator companies report may have found and adopted Columbia Business School professor incoming information, define
using more apps than they did a solution that will inform the what you need to know to
five years ago. future of work.
Sheena Iyengar. Here, she shares move forward.
strategies for dealing with too
And as with aligned workers
overall, app switching can
many decisions.
4
get in the way of actual work.
Set limits
Eighty-one percent of work-
ers at innovator companies Put a time cap on information-
report spending at least 30 gathering and set an endpoint
minutes each day switching for making a decision.
between apps.
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work 33
CHAPTER 6
Looking ahead:
the 8 rules of
engagement
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 20198
The State of Work Looking ahead 34
F The
1
ortunately, alignment is Invest in strategy are more likely to company as open to
not a finite resource. It’s alignment now rate their company positively new ideas and believe that
Engagement
a competitive advantage across a wide range of met- teams are working toward
available to every worker and The majority of knowl- rics, including collaboration, a shared vision.
4
every company, everywhere. edge workers want to feel employee morale and work-
What people want—and
need—is to feel part of the
Eight more aligned. And leaders
who prioritize that stand to
gain clear benefits: Aligned
place culture. By setting a
North Star for workers to fol-
low, leaders empower their
Allow people
to be more
human at work
bigger plan. To be kept in the workers are more collabora- teams to make decisions, and
loop. To have the support and tive, innovative, empowered act and innovate in the best While organizational alignment
understanding they need to and filled with optimistic pur- interest of the business. can help workers connect with
3
achieve their best work. Even pose about their company’s their colleagues and compa-
aligned workers agree that future. An aligned workforce Communicate ny, Susan David, a Harvard
they want more alignment. Data is wonderful, but how nets out positively for both your strategy Medical School psychologist
And workers everywhere workers and the companies monthly and the author of Emotional
want more transparency, fre-
can you translate that into that support them. Agility, emphasizes the impor-
action within your team or
2
quent communication and a A bold vision and detailed tance of individual alignment.
clear understanding of who’s Lead with strategic plan aren’t effective That is, when employees feel
doing what.
your company? Here are the strategy if they’re not known. When a sense of clarity and connec-
Engagement Eight, or eight and vision it comes to communicating tion between their values and
Companies acting now, with strategy, monthly is the ideal day-to-day work. That clarity
people in mind, can reshape
principles we feel all leaders, Without insight into their cadence, but even incremental of purpose can ladder up to
their trajectories toward from executives to managers, company’s strategic vision, increases in frequency organization-wide benefits.
more innovation, happier people struggle. Unaligned can improve workers’ “When people are allowed
and more engaged work-
can leverage to provide workers are the most likely to understanding. Beyond to bring their emotional truth
ers, and ultimately more their teams with the support have never heard their com- alignment, there are other to work,” David says, “that
growth and revenue. pany discuss strategic goals. benefits to communicating is when innovation, creativi-
needed to achieve the best Conversely, workers who strategy monthly: Workers ty, engagement and culture
possible outcomes. understand their company’s are more likely to see their thrive in the organization.”
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Looking ahead 35
“When people are allowed
5
Empower all Knowledge workers seek a fragment attention.
leaders to share “two-way street” that facil- Nearly half of knowledge
the strategic itates an inclusive, organic workers today report that
to bring their emotional vision, but start
at the top
dialogue between and among
executives, managers and
switching between apps
prevents them from getting
truth to work, that is when
office personnel. Team meet- essential work done. So select
Knowledge workers want to ings offer this to a degree, apps carefully and source
hear from the source. When and, accordingly, knowledge solutions that consolidate,
innovation, creativity, plans are passed down, infor- workers rank them as the most rather than divide, attention.
8
mation gets lost along the effective forum for commu-
way. Workers are most likely nicating strategic goals. But Distraction isn’t
engagement and culture to understand the company
strategy when they hear it
for deepening understanding
and encouraging discussion
just a productivity
killer
thrive in the organization.”
from leaders, whether CEOs around strategic goals, collab-
or other executives. Three- oration tools emerge as the Distraction also means you
quarters of knowledge most effective medium. leave behind your best pos-
7
workers who receive strat- sible problem-solving brain.
egy communications from the Aggregate tools “If you’re not giving your-
Susan David, CEO feel they understand the and information self the time to focus, you
Harvard Medical
company strategy. This drops are less good at engaging
School psychologist
and author of
slightly, to 74%, for the exec- The software prolif- in creative problem-solv-
Emotional Agility utive team and to 68% when eration trend is here to stay. ing,” says Columbia Business
direct managers are the ones Globally, knowledge workers School professor Sheena
sharing strategic objectives. are using more apps than ever Iyengar. And perhaps even
6
before. And while apps can (and more seriously, it’s long been
Opt for meetings do) help people become more proven that distraction leads
and collaborative productive and collaborative, all to errors, which, depending
channels when of this “context switching” can on your industry, could have
sharing strategy have the opposite effect and steep costs.
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work 36
CHAPTER 7
Methodology
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work Methodology 37
In the first quarter of 2019, SAMPLE SIZES IN EACH MARKET (someone who uses the the highest-quality and most screen for contradictory
Slack partnered with market internet from any device and representative data, the sur- answers. Between 5% and
research firm GlobalWebIndex any location) and knowledge vey was broken into several 10% of the surveys in each
to undertake multimarket, Australia 1,250 workers (employed individuals themed “blocks,” which were market were removed during
quantitative research designed who hold an office position then randomized to remove these checks.
to understand the views of Brazil 1,000 and/or “work with data, any bias around the ques-
knowledge workers as well as analyze information or think tion order. Routing methods, Within the final sample,
the trends affecting the future France 1,250 creatively” in a typical work which direct respondents to respondents were assigned
of the workplace. week). The surveyed popu- relevant survey questions, a weight based on their
Germany 1,250
lation spanned an age range were applied to ensure that all representativeness of
Slack and GlobalWebIndex of 16 to 64, more than 40 respondents were presented surveyed markets. Weights
India 2,000
co-designed the questionnaire, industries, all company sizes, with questions pertaining to took into account age, gender
which GlobalWebIndex then Japan 1,000 and all career levels (from their workplace experience. and education profile and
fielded as an online survey skilled/semi-skilled work- were used to estimate how
to 17,000 knowledge work- Singapore 1,000 ers and office staff to senior After fieldwork was com- many real-world people a
ers across 10 markets. The executives). pleted, GlobalWebIndex data point represents. The
20-minute survey included Spain 1,250 vetted all responses across a report specifies when these
Likert scale, dichotomous and Participants completed the series of metrics. These projections were used.
multiple-choice questions. U.K. 3,000 survey in their local lan- included analysis of survey
guage, and questions were completion time; checks for
All respondents were iden- U.S. 4,000 localized to each country to patterned answers; and the
tified as internet users ensure relevancy. To produce use of logic traps, which
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019The State of Work 38
The State of Work, by Slack
© SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019
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