In Conversation with...Paul Miller

09/21/23 • 24 min

In the ninth episode of our “In Conversation with...” podcast series for 2023, Lucy Lewis, partner at Lewis Silkin LLP, is joined by Paul Miller, Chief Creative Officer and founder of the Digital Workplace Group.

“We are living in a time which is no longer the industrial age, it’s not even the digital age; it is the living age.”

Lucy and Paul discuss the need for organisational adaptiveness and resilience to better withstand and respond to the current disruption and pressure on business, and explore concepts from Paul’s book ‘Nature of Work: The New Story of Work for a Living Age’. In this book, Paul draws on patterns from the natural world to provide leaders with the language and questions to evolve their workplaces from organisations to organisms.

Key takeaways from the conversation:

Organisations are organisms: Companies seeking to build a sustainable organisation and to humanise workforce experiences can benefit from viewing their organisation as a dynamic and living thing rather than a rigid and industrialised structure.
Corporate purpose is key: Companies must focus on taking corporate purpose from concept to practice and identify where they can have a direct impact at a local level.
Leadership today is challenging: To succeed, leaders should consider adopting “servant leadership” and reflect on core values around meaning, purpose, empowerment and agility.
Advances in generative AI are deeply significant: AI will change the way we work and raises important ethical and societal concerns. However, the current labour shortages experienced by many countries are likely to remain.
We may need to rethink tax: As technology continues to significantly impact on jobs, debate is growing on the merits of an “AI tax”.

“We are living in a time which is no longer the industrial age, it’s not even the digital age; it is the living age.”

Key takeaways from the conversation:

Organisations are organisms: Companies seeking to build a sustainable organisation and to humanise workforce experiences can benefit from viewing their organisation as a dynamic and living thing rather than a rigid and industrialised structure.
Corporate purpose is key: Companies must focus on taking corporate purpose from concept to practice and identify where they can have a direct impact at a local level.
Leadership today is challenging: To succeed, leaders should consider adopting “servant leadership” and reflect on core values around meaning, purpose, empowerment and agility.
Advances in generative AI are deeply significant: AI will change the way we work and raises important ethical and societal concerns. However, the current labour shortages experienced by many countries are likely to remain.
We may need to rethink tax: As technology continues to significantly impact on jobs, debate is growing on the merits of an “AI tax”.

Previous Episode

In Conversation with... James Davies

In the eighth episode of our “In Conversation with...” podcast series for 2023, Lucy Lewis, partner at Lewis Silkin LLP is joined by fellow partner James Davies.

What if these optimists have been seriously underestimating the pace and scale at which automation will replace and change the jobs of today in the second quarter of the century? What if the insipid productivity growth we have experienced over the last 10 years or so continues into the second quarter of the century? And what if we have too few workers with the skills needed for the occupations of tomorrow?

Lucy and James discuss James’ upcoming report for the Future of Work Hub, and consider whether, despite current skills shortages, the future world of work in 2050 could feature too few jobs.

Key takeaways from the conversation:

We could see a future with too few jobs: there is a significant risk that the future of work could be characterised by too few jobs for the number of workers. Employers, policymakers and individuals must take steps now to prepare.
Skills shortages will persist: employers, policymakers and educators must invest in developing the skills of the future. If workers do not have the skills needed for the occupations of tomorrow, we could see a future where high unemployment co-exists with significant skills shortages in some areas.
The current tax regime is becoming untenable: as companies decide whether to automate jobs, we should reconsider how we tax employment so that there is less of a cost disparity between employing people and automation.
Cross border competition for key skills will become more intense: employers will need to deliver on the values and priorities of workers, particularly younger generations, to attract and retain the best people.
Technology and AI are not the only drivers of change: other drivers, such as demographics and geopolitics, could significantly impact the jobs market of the future.

Next Episode

In Conversation with...Shruti Singh

In the tenth episode of our “In Conversation with...” podcast series for 2023, Lucy Lewis, partner at Lewis Silkin, speaks to Shruti Singh, Senior Economist at the OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs.
Lucy and Shruti discuss the impact of ageing populations on the world of work and how employers, governments and individuals can respond to demographic shifts and build productive intergenerational workforces.

Key takeaways from the conversation:

Ageing populations are a growing issue: Rapid population ageing due to increases in life expectancy and falling fertility is a key issue for businesses, policymakers and governments across the OECD. By 2050 the proportion of the population in OECD countries aged 65 and over is expected to increase to nearly 28%.
Employers should focus on the employee life cycle: There is substantial individual variation in the support that is needed within age groups and at different life stages. Rather than looking at what certain generations might want, employers should focus on supporting a multigenerational workforce through the whole life cycle at work.
Intergenerational workforces work: Employers that promote age inclusive workforces and successfully combine the talents and diverse outlooks of their employees, whatever their age, generally find that their workforce is enriched and more productive as a result.
Employers can take steps to support older workers: An age inclusive organisational culture plays an important role in supporting longer working lives. To succeed, support must be integrated, taking into account job quality, health and flexibility. Line manager training is essential to embed these components into company culture.
Skills are key: It is important that older workers continue to upgrade and expand their skills over their working life, particularly in light of continuing technological change. Mid-life career reviews, personal development plans and career conversations are increasingly used by employers.