The pandemic has brought new mindsets, along with 4 new realities first outlined in a recent report by Accenture. Organisations must embrace these as they make the shift from reacting to the new normal to creating it. People are ready for something new and it’s time for business leaders to join them. Are you ready?

Technology continually reshapes the human experience. But for the first time in history, 8 billion people around the world instantaneously changed behaviour, becoming increasingly reliant on technology. Think remote working, online grocery shopping, telemedicine etc. Every company had to prioritise trust, safety and wellbeing, as health became an everyday preoccupation. Implementing human-centric tools and models will be a key strategy for both the short and long term.

Pre-pandemic, the perception was that implementing new technologies into businesses was a time consuming and inefficient process. But the pandemic saw rapid industry pivots as organisations had to act swiftly to implement the right technology to function. For example, in March 2020 the UK’s NHS rolled out Microsoft teams to 1.2 million employees in a matter of weeks!
The pandemic accelerated changes that companies knew were coming but didn’t expect to see so soon. Technology is no longer just one vehicle for success, it’s the vehicle all possible success builds on.

Work is now designed to be independent of location and time. Working from home is the new preferred normal with 1 in 4 employees in the UK saying they would resign from their current job if they were forced to return to the office, according to research conducted by HR software company Personio. If companies decide to return to a business as usual way of operating they run the risk of losing a large proportion of their workforce.
The solution is a remote or hybrid way of working using data to improve accuracy, increase efficiency, augment the workforce’s capabilities, boost productivity and create a more human-centric experience.

Remember the phrase “the digital revolution”? Well, “the sustainability revolution” demands a radical rethink in the same way. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, the sustainability revolution has accelerated faster than expected, whilst also expanding to include a wider range of environmental and social issues.
Businesses that ignore the environmental concerns of their investors and consumers will get left behind. Sustainability together with technology will drive the success and leadership for companies in the future.
There is a unique moment to rebuild the world to something better than what it was before. Will your business watch the world change around you or will you be the ones leading it?