The Big Reset: What’s Coming Next

Over the last several months we have all been going through a lot of change. Our lives, families, and organizations have been disrupted. The economy has seen the biggest drop since the 1920s. And our companies have had to totally re-engineer how we lead, manage, and support our people.

And one of the biggest questions I continue to hear is “when is this going to end” and “what will the new normal look like?”

Well, the answer is very simple: the new normal is that things are not going to settle down. Not only are we experiencing a global Black Swan event, we are in a time when everything (the virus, our politics, our legal system, our culture) is changing. And it is going to continue to change and new and unpredictable ways.

Yes, there are a lot of clear directions. We have a new focus on flexible work, empathetic leadership, support for employees and families, and workplace hygiene and safety. But under the covers of these broad topics, there are hundreds of reinventions going on. Companies are dramatically changing how they hire and move people internally. They’re radically reskilling leaders. They’re pouring money into learning and development. And they’re totally rethinking their diversity, inclusion, and citizenship programs.

As an organization dedicated to guiding and supporting the HR profession, the Josh Bersin Academy has dedicated many hours to exploring these topics. In late April we convened a large group of HR leaders (representing more than 150 companies) and started what we call The Big Reset Initiative. We broke our participants into four workstreams, and we started having weekly conversations (on Zoom of course) about what each company was doing, the trends they identified, and solutions other can use. And we are ready to unveil this to you next week. 

At the event, eight executives from some of the world’s best run companies will describe their playbooks, response, and detailed best practices.

Following the event in July, we will publish The Big Reset: What’s Working Now, which includes more than 40 detailed best practices you can use. The companies in this sprint include PepsiCo, Banco Santander, Sainsbury, Wincome Hospitality, Sabre, Sanofi, Yum! Brands, and Autodesk.

Each of these companies will tell you about their journey through the transformation, and what they’ve done to adapt to The Big Reset.

Starting in July we will start a new six-week sprint, so if you’d like to join us please email us (no vendors or consultants please, and let us know your company and job title).

As Anthony Fauci said this week, we are still in the first wave of the global Pandemic. Change is going to continue, and there is political, economic, and social change as well. So we are going to continue this process through the end of the year.

Finally, let me add one higher-level thought. If there’s one thing I’ve seen throughout the last few months it’s this: we are all a bit raw from the emotional and public health crisis. We are all a bit tired, some of us have been directly impacted by the virus, and it’s hard to see where it’s all going.

Above all, I believe we are in a new era of empathy: empathy for employees, families, neighbors, and society. And that’s what you’re going to hear all about next week.

As we think about what to do next, let’s continue to think “people first.” I look forward to seeing you on the 29th.