2023
Leff Trends Survey:
We asked,
you shared
If you’re wondering where 2022 disappeared to, what actually happened, and what’s in store for 2023, join the club. After the blur of the past 12 months, we had the exact same questions—and turned to you to fill us in.
Here’s what almost 70 friends of Leff told us about the year that was and the trends that may shape the year now under way. Spoiler alert: record players make an appearance.
--Luke Collins, SVP, content strategy
BEGIN SCROLLING
RESILIENCE
Economic uncertainty has been a persistent topic of conversation for executives over the past year, and they’re taking action:
87% of respondents indicated their company has taken some measures to improve resilience, with a combination of productivity, cost-cutting initiatives, and layoffs being the most popular option.
Yet even amid uncertainty, 67% of respondents feel very or somewhat secure about their roles with their companies.
Steps taken by company to prepare for economic disruption
% of respondents
OUR TAKE
Persistent disruptions in recent years may have made companies more resilient to future shocks. And the best positioned organizations could enjoy a gold rush as the economy emerges from any slowdowns.
Gold Standard: Special Edition
Leff Senior Adviser Allan Gold shares selected content from professional services firms about achieving resilience in the face of a possible economic downturn.
BCG
The CEO’s Dilemma: Building Resilience in a Time of Uncertainty
In a series of six infographics, BCG authors discuss how companies can achieve resilience, from winning market share in a downturn to obtaining competitive cost advantage.
MCKINSEY
Raising the resilience of your organization
Business building: The path to resilience in uncertain times
Resilience for sustainable, inclusive growth
In these articles, McKinsey consultants explore corporate resilience from three perspectives: organization, business building, and sustainable growth.
SUSTAINABILITY
What exactly is the role of business in fighting climate change and championing sustainability? Our survey suggests the politicization of ESG has not affected what matters to most companies and individuals.
41% were neutral about the importance of their company taking a stand on the issue.
Just 25% of respondents said working for a company acting on climate change was very important to them.
48% of respondents said their companies had taken no steps to fight climate change.
Measures taken by company
to fight climate change
% of respondents
Respondents could choose multiple measures.
VIDEO:
Leff Senior Adviser Peter Gumbel weighs in on what to watch for in sustainability this year:
OUR TAKE
Much talk about sustainability is yet to translate to widespread, tangible action at an organizational or individual level.
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
While we all feel like we’re drowning in technology, many companies are barely wet when it comes to digital maturity.
The technology or device that has had the greatest impact on individuals over the past five years? Smartphones (59%) and wearables or smart watches (22%).
We have a special place in our heart for the 10% of respondents who cited the turntable. Long may you rock!
Digital technologies adopted by company
% of respondents
OUR TAKE
Companies risk being left behind if AI and more advanced tech keeps evolving as quickly as it has been. One example: generative AI, which seems to have simultaneously captured the public’s imagination and triggered panic. We’ve been focused on how these tools can help us in our work. Here are some initial insights.
VIDEO:
Leff Partner Alia Samhat explored AI-generated video
BLOGS
WORK
What issue has created more split-screen dissonance than the future of work? Employers want certainty; employees want flexibility. And the only certainty is we’re all over the place.
Company’s policy regarding remote vs. in-person work
% of respondents
OUR TAKE
Employers will find it difficult to take something away from employees that they’ve become accustomed to in the past three years—especially when they perceive it hasn’t affected their performance.
MORE THOUGHTS FROM OUR COLLEAGUES:
Leff Designer Ugnė weighs in on our work culture, flexibility, and how to stay connected to coworkers:
Through the snarl of the past few years, the standardization of remote work has become a silver lining. Hiring, onboarding, collaborating, critiquing, drafting, presenting, pitching, and even lunchtime gossiping has shifted to video calls, messaging platforms, and hyper-thorough work calendars.
Our office ethos, fortified over three years of trial and error, is: work how you work best, so long as you do your best work.
SELECTED 2023 PREDICTIONS FROM SURVEY RESPONDENTS
There will be additional rounds of layoffs, market rates will start to decrease in April, and the Fed will finally declare a recession.
We will realize AI isn’t as much about automating “low skill” jobs but instead helping highly skilled workers be 10 percent better.
While this may be a tougher year with more than a few economic factors in play, I think this will also be the first year that returns to "normal." After the past three years of COVID contraction, expansion, and then war, this could be the first year we see some return to "normal" behaviors. And yes, I do realize I just said, "hold my beer" to the universe.
Companies will continue trying to get people back into the office, but the smart ones will realize flexibility is key to talent retention, especially for younger generations.
Leave a Reply