asynco is our international community of practice, where members convene to share knowledge, expertise, insights and good practices about the future of work, as it is being created. Here's a round-up of what's been on members' minds this month…
New ways of working (remote / hybrid / distributed work)
The concept of "Repeople" is gaining traction as distributed work emerges as a solution to pressing global challenges including cost of living, climate change and housing crises. In addition, rural communities are positioned to benefit significantly from this shift, expanding global talent pools without geographical constraints.
Jack Nilles' decades of research on telework continues to prove relevant, with his recent assertion that "the world has changed and it's the duty of every CEO to catch up." The evidence is compelling: distributed work dramatically reduces carbon footprints and offers year-round flexibility that replaces traditional concepts like "Summer Fridays."
That said, many organisations are persisting with return-to-office (RTO) mandates despite mounting evidence of their hidden costs in talent retention and attraction. Against this backdrop, one fundamental truth remains: "The future of work isn't about location, it's about choice."
Emergent leadership models
Leadership transformation is accelerating, with progressive companies like Bayer pioneering new approaches to remove bureaucratic barriers and foster agility. The emphasis is shifting towards intentional design and purpose-driven leadership that prioritises personalisation, community-building and flexibility.
Resonant Leadership, inspired by Hartmut Rosa's work, emphasises that "humans flourish through genuine connection" and challenges leaders to move beyond aggressive relationships with the world. This approach recognises that effective leadership requires investing genuinely in people and developing trust-based systems – with ripple effects far beyond measurable metrics.
Leveraging tech more smartly
GenAI adoption has nearly doubled in two years, according to Gallup research, yet concerns extend beyond typical hallucination issues to include "sycophancy" – AI tools playing to the gallery by telling users what they want to hear, instead of objective analysis.
Recent studies are also surfacing a mixed picture when it comes to AI’s impact: whilst some research suggests GenAI adoption hasn't undermined worker wellbeing on average, MIT researchers question whether tools like ChatGPT are affecting cognitive abilities and communication patterns.
Privacy concerns persist, particularly regarding Agentic AI, with debates about whether convenience will again trump privacy considerations. The recruitment sector is already transforming with AI agents conducting initial job interviews, raising questions about transparency and candidate experience.
The power of community and collaboration
asynco members have been actively sharing tools and methodologies for distributed work, creating repositories of recommended frameworks and digital solutions. The platform facilitates collaborative learning through member-driven initiatives, from eBook layout preferences to research participation on remote work challenges.
The community also highlights the relevance of "connective labour" - the work of building and maintaining relationships across distributed teams, demonstrating how digital communities can foster meaningful professional development.
Wellbeing and personal growth
Meanwhile, asynco campaigns such as #ShowUsYourSummer encourage community members to share personal experiences, recognising that growth "isn't always comfortable but is always necessary."
The community has also been putting a spotlight mental health challenges in remote work, acknowledging that distributed work may perhaps make personal struggles easier to hide.
Physical wellbeing receives attention too, with studies showing walking reduces back pain risk regardless of speed – particularly germane for distributed knowledge workers spending prolonged periods at their desks, of course...
As our community of practice shows, we’re all "the sum of our conversations and interactions," both within and beyond the platform – and this is key to fostering holistic professional and personal development in today’s, and tomorrow’s, world of work.
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Business transformation isn’t the latest software or project tool. Lasting organisational change happens conversation by conversation...
So, if you’d like to explore anything we've touched on in this blog or discuss any other aspects of the future of work or our community of practice, asynco, please do get in touch.
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- Visit our asynco page for more information