Public Gaming International November/December 2021

43 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 WHAT ARE THE TRENDS? As lotteries have demonstrated, flexibility is key. But what workplace trends will continue, and which will go the way of the two-martini lunch? According to the workplace experts at Forbes magazine, here’s what to expect: 1. Communication and Collaboration When the pandemic forced many busi- nesses to make operations remote, it also forced them to explore new ways of com- municating. Video Conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom showed businesses it's possible for employees to stay connected and productive even if they aren't in the office. Going forward, organizations are likely to explore solutions like these in more depth, further integrating them to enable more resilient operations and a more flexible workforce. Essential to the success of these solutions is a focus on the employee experience as well as the desired business benefits. Open floor plans, for example, were introduced to increase innovation by encouraging employees to collaborate throughout the day. An unintended consequence of the open-floor-plan can interfere with focus and productivity, and even cause employees to feel burned-out from all the distractions. Collaboration software can provide employees the tools they need to connect, but organizations need to consider how these tools are integrated organically into the work-flow to enhance effectiveness and ensure they're helping employees rather than getting in the way. Businesses are studying the best mix of low-tech connectivity (in person, over the phone) and high-tech or remote-first options. We are not yet clear on the role that personal and informal interac- tion has in the building of the corporate culture and the role of corporate culture in supporting productivity and results. Most agree, though, that high-tech tools that enable remote communications need to evolve and combine with old-style personal interaction to produce optimal effectiveness. 2. Employee Well-Being and Productivity In the early months of the pandemic, some businesses reported increased productivity from employees who had started working from home. One potential reason for this is that employees felt happier at home than in the office and were therefore more productive. Digital well-being is essential to a successful hybrid work model. Business leaders need protocols to prevent digital exhaustion among employees and help them set healthy bound- aries between work and home life. Leaders need to set a healthy precedent by exploring ways to manage workloads, encourage breaks when needed and embrace synchronous and asynchronous collaboration. We may feel liberated from the forms and structures of the office environment. Now we just need to construct a new set of routines and disciplines that provide a comfortable and productive work-flow in the home. Developing teams in this hybrid-work envi- ronment also requires employers to rethink their approach to networking, team-build- ing, and project management. Attracting, retaining and developing talent remotely takes additional time and effort. Teams need to take a more proactive approach to talent development, encouraging managers to prioritize building social capital at work and to create a truly supportive culture. Project management tools are already built for the digital world. But they have typically been augmented by a robust old-school component of in-person meetings and in- teraction. Managers need to figure out how the purpose of all the in-person connectivity can be accomplished remotely. Of course, some are discovering that maybe we did not need all those in-person meetings. Some are even discovering that video-conferencing unlocks a higher degree of objective-oriented focus and structure. 3. Security and (Zero) Trust Fully remote and hybrid work models also require updated cybersecurity programs to secure remote employees, protect their digital assets and manage rising cyber threats. Zero-trust frameworks are on the rise with remote work because they provide increased security and flexibility simultane- ously. Traditionally, organizations built a security structure around their on-site opera- tions and employees accessed company data primarily from within that perimeter. All access and operations within that perimeter were assumed to be safe. The shift to remote work moved operations beyond that perimeter and made it clear that companies need a more flexible security program that can keep up with a mobile workforce. Rather than assume all actions within a network are safe, a zero-trust framework operates from the idea that all transactions must be verified, even within a network. This trust-nothing-but-verify- everything approach strengthens organiza- tional cybersecurity while allowing for more flexible network perimeters. LOTTERIES ADAPTED QUICKLY, AND ARE NOW LOOKING AHEAD At the Washington Lottery, any policy changes were driven by the need to be adaptable and flexible to what was happening throughout the state. They extended the length of time for district sales representatives to pick up unactivated packs from retailers on closed games. Employees were encour- aged to take the time necessary to attend to competing demands and adjust their work scheduled accordingly. The Lottery quickly expanded its approach to working from home, as the majority of employees moved to at-home work. As the pandemic has moved into another phase, the lottery has faced different headwinds but nothing they aren’t able to handle. “The most significant hurdle is how to return staff to the office in a safe way,” said Marcus Glasper, Executive Director of the Washington Lottery. “We are being flexible in allowing staff to determine what office environment bests fits their needs. One challenge with this approach is how to maintain a culture with a strong sense of ‘team,’ camaraderie and inclusion as a result of some staff being onsite and others off-site. “I think the future will see us be more flexible as we have learned that we can be just as productive working remotely as we are in the office,” he said “Some of the online tools we have learned to use (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc.) have become commonplace and an ingrained part of our culture. We expect the learning to operate in a hybrid environment while continuing to grow in a healthy and inclusive culture will be key. We will look for ways to include remote workers equally in our communications and interactions.” From the field workers to the office workers, lotteries are no different than thousands of other businesses making their way through changing work norms and policies. The decisions made today will impact workforces for years to come and while that can result in sleepless nights for decisionmakers, past experience shows that the industry is in good hands with today’s executives. n T H E F U T U R E O F W O R K