Rigid system, working in silos, going by the book used to be our impression of a typical workplace. Not anymore. In today’s world, you have to be agile, collaborative and operate like a Decentralised Autonomous Organisation in order to scale your business and truly optimize. Increased interconnectivity means that we increasingly have the technological means to create organizations that are truly distributed, which potential is only limited by one’s imagination.
Digital technology has paved the way for the rise of the gig economy and consequently empowered the modern workplace. It is granting the workforce a new set of values. Talents and skilled professionals move around to contribute where they are most needed to drive real change. Flexibility has become one of the top qualities the market expects from businesses, which reinvent themselves to meet demands. Referencing a pop culture phrase meaning “a job for a specified period of time”, a gig economy has opened up opportunities to talents globally so companies can mobilize resources better.
Who says you can’t run a food company during the morning, be a UX designer in the afternoon, drive an Uber at night? The old economy has led us to believe that we should seek a job for life. Now, the new economy offers more flexibility and autonomy. The more diverse your skill set, the more opportunities come your way.
A study by Intuit predicted that 40 percent of American workers would be independent contractors of some kind by 2020. This trend is gaining momentum not just among millennials, but also professionals with many years of experience.
As the gig economy flourishes, we need to evaluate what is work and how we work as a business. The workforce is increasingly seeking meaning and communities that resonate with them. We need to think beyond P&L and focus on purpose and impact for healthy and sustainable growth. We need to ensure that time is better used and reduce burn out. Therefore, we are challenging the status quo and innovating from within.
How? We are building a community that embraces flexibility and openness. A community that encourages dialogue, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. To achieve this we need to reinvent the way we work. We are leveraging the power of co-working culture, relocating to Central where we facilitate a community that embodies all these values.
“Innovation has to come from within, you can’t continue to operate on a 20th-century model to achieve that.” said Andy Ann, CEO of NDN Group. When asked if he would have done this 5 years ago. He answered “5 years ago, I will say no. If you ask me 5 years from now, everyone will be doing it. The timing is now,” Andy adds. “Not just our Hong Kong office, we are mobilising our workforce in Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City and New York City in line with this strategy so that we can be more agile in serving our clients, honing our entrepreneurial culture across all offices.”
We will miss our Kwun Tong office where many fond memories were created. Meanwhile, we are looking forward to this new change and reaching more milestones. Last but not least, we are opening in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. More details to come. Exciting times we are living in!
