Rick Grimaldi - FLEX

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Grimaldi, Rick, author.

Title: Flex : a leader's guide to staying nimble and mastering transformative change in the American workplace / Rick Grimaldi.

Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : Wiley, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020053696 (print) | LCCN 2020053697 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119795100 (hardback) | ISBN 9781119795124 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119795117 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Work environment—United States.

Classification: LCC HD7654 .G775 2021 (print) | LCC HD7654 (ebook) | DDC 658.3/12—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020053696

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020053697

Cover Design and Images: Wiley

For Shepard and Beau: the future is yours for the making .

Never has it been more essential for leaders and executives to understand the radical shifts that are reshaping work in America today. Only by coming together—inside every single rural and urban community—can we meet this moment to deliver the skills and opportunities we need to step into the future we deserve.

Like me, Rick Grimaldi has studied the world of work throughout his entire career. As former deputy general counsel to Governor Tom Ridge (who later went on to become the first US secretary of Homeland Security) and chief counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, he learned how to lead effectively on labor issues, manage disruption in the workplace, and adapt to change.

During his 30 years as a labor lawyer, Rick has managed human relations for a multinational corporation and consulted with dozens and dozens of small, medium, and large companies around the country on how to build a better workforce. His diverse leadership experiences have conferred unusual perspective on the most effective ways to grow profitability, solve workplace challenges, and be an employer of choice . . . even as the pace of change quickens.

As the first African American woman elected to the US House of Representatives from Delaware, I'm particularly aware of how far this country has come in creating a more inclusive culture . . . and how far we still have to go. The business case is compelling.

Now, more than ever, big change requires bold ideas . . . and you'll find them in these pages. As I write this foreword, our country is facing unprecedented challenges that seem poised to shift the paradigm of our future.

A health crisis that is amplifying existing income and racial disparities, long-held institutional inequities that have given rise to racial and social unrest, and an environmental crisis that will shape not only the job market for future generations but also the very planet they will inherit. How well we respond and react to these changes will dictate our success as a nation for decades to come.

From manufacturing to transportation, technology is rapidly remaking entire industries through automation and artificial intelligence. As someone who's always championed college affordability and practical training, I believe it's never been more important to recalibrate American education to available jobs that offer a living wage. Read on to find out how creative educational institutions are doing just that.

Ultimately, as Rick points out, it will be companies that can flex in the face of change that will win the war for talent and be rewarded by the market. Perhaps no event in American history has made this clearer than our recent pandemic.

Will your organization be disrupted? Or will it become a disruptor that thrives for impact and prosperity? Now is the time to be proactive. Fortunately, this is just the guide you need to master change.

—Lisa Blunt Rochester

Cochair, Future of Work Caucus

“What do you do for a living?”

It's one of the very first questions most of us ask in a casual conversation with a new acquaintance. That's because, for most of us, work is at the epicenter of our lives. It informs our identity. Understanding another's métier provides quick insight about someone. After all, work is how we feed our families and fund our dreams.

And if we're very fortunate, it feeds our creativity and sense of purpose and accomplishment in the world. For better or for worse, work is a defining characteristic of our lives.

But here's the thing: The world of work is changing rapidly and in new and unprecedented ways. And that change is occurring faster than ever before. Truths about workers and what they want in a job—things that have seemed self-evident up until now—are just no longer true.

Those who are leading for tomorrow understand this seismic shift. They recognize that their success is predicated on recruiting a skilled workforce as well as their ability to engage and retain those workers in service of the company's goals in the years ahead.

Those who ignore these trends do so at their own peril and will lose the war for talent (and thereby risk their business) in the coming years. Never has it been so urgent to put a finger on the pulse of trends shaping tomorrow's labor force and respond quickly.

We're living in an age when a company's good reputation can fizzle fast with a single viral Facebook post or cringeworthy Glassdoor review. As a labor attorney and employee relations specialist, I've worked with dozens, if not hundreds, of companies that have fought with unions, suffered expensive lawsuits, treated their employees poorly, and lost lucrative business to competitors as a result.

However, I have also been privileged to work with companies that really get it. They recognize the value of calibrating their business to what matters most to employees. They actively work to hire and maintain a diverse workforce. And they are leaning in to experiment with new ways to adapt to the changing needs of the world. The market has rewarded these companies.

Forward-thinking leaders keep close tabs on the many implications of the ever-evolving world of work and reshape their policies and procedures with creative solutions that work for everyone.

That's a mission-critical skill today with the whirlwind of changes remaking the landscape of work. Just consider the stratospheric rise of the gig economy. Is it a good thing for tomorrow's organizations? A bad thing? The gig economy's not going anywhere soon so businesses must understand that the next generation of talent is no longer motivated by “30 years and a watch.”

Plus, the advent of new technology is now expanding the economic pie for some even as it unemploys and underemploys others. Assistive technologies are enabling more people with disabilities to join the workforce just as factories are trading out their unskilled workers on the factory floor for college-educated individuals who can run computers. What will this mean for vast populations of workers who can no longer work?

That depends on the commitment and creativity of the companies who employ them. Will you be part of the solution?

The Future is now.

Source: George Allen, Legendary Football Coach.

Recently, my daughter, a newly minted college graduate, kicked off a search for her very first job. She posted her resume on LinkedIn, networked via Facebook, and then submitted scores of applications to online job boards and other internet-based career sites.