LBS Global Leadership Summit Projects Majority Will Work Remotely by 2020
As London Business School’s Global Leadership Summit, 2014 participants debated the impact of technology on everything from the creation of the ‘new teenager’ to the office pecking order, an audience of 600 at the Summit organized in collaboration with Deloitte was asked a series of key questions. When asked what percentage of their company’s full-time workforce would be working remotely by 2020, 34% said more than half and 25% said more than three-quarters would not work in a traditional office. “Technology and some fundamental shifts in management thinking are behind this response,” suggested Adam Kingl, London Business School’s Director of Learning Solutions, Executive Education. “Leaders are learning how to enable their teams to flourish, and there is a recognition that the notion of a traditional 9-5, Monday-Friday, commute-to-the-office job is quickly eroding. There is, though, an equally strong case for bringing teams together on a regular basis to inspire and to share.” Innovation is held to be a critical factor for success in business, and the Summit included thought on how technology promotes fresh ideas and new approaches. The poll asked what the biggest threat to innovation in the corporate world is, with a surprising result. Nearly half (49%) said career structures that failed to encourage innovators were the biggest block –compared to 9% who blamed lack of imagination. The second biggest threat was regulatory burden and bureaucracy (33%).
