New Work. New Normal.

No term has shaped the discourse on the future of the world of work in German-speaking countries as much as “New Work.” But where does New Work actually come from? In fact, the term is not as new as it seems at first glance. The work philosopher Frithjof Bergmann coined it a long time ago. In the early 1980s, he founded the first “Center of New Work” in the USA – against the backdrop of impending mass unemployment at General Motors. It is important to emphasize that the idea of New Work arose during a real crisis and was intended to prevent people from ending up on the streets. Bergmann's proposal was to reduce the working week and thus secure jobs. But what to do with the newly gained free time? The goal was to work with the workers to find out what they really wanted to do and to find meaning in their newly gained free time. Traditional gainful employment was to consist of one-third self-determined work and one-third each of intelligent consumption and self-sufficiency. This not only saved most jobs, but also gave people a sense of personal meaning.

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The term has experienced a resurgence in popularity since the coronavirus pandemic, at the latest. This is not surprising, as for many, it was the first time they had to truly engage with a new way of working. In most cases, no distinction was made between “New Work” and “New Normal,” and both terms were used interchangeably. The term “new normal” refers to the changes in working practices that have resulted from the coronavirus pandemic and digital transformation. “New work,” on the other hand, encompasses a broader spectrum of changes and goes far beyond working from home and flexible working hours. It can therefore be said that new work today encompasses all developments that are relevant to a sustainable and employee-oriented working environment.

Companies currently use New Work for everything that is new or at least appears to be new, and the term has become a supposed “savior” for all issues and challenges that companies deal with. The spectrum ranges from superficial attempts at change to radical and serious transformations within companies. At the same time, the term has now taken on very negative connotations. This is not least due to misleading reporting by so-called experts who equate the term with office dogs, ball pits, and slides in the office. But if we take another look at where the approach comes from, it is essentially about promoting flexible corporate structures and cultures that focus on people and their needs. So that everyone can find what they really, really want.

The fact is: the world of work as we know it is facing the biggest change in its recent history. Technology is one of the biggest drivers of change in our working world. We can only guess at how and what exactly lies ahead. McKinsey described it a few years ago as follows: The changes we will face in the context of work will come ten times faster and on a scale three hundred times greater than during the industrial revolution.

A statement that we would probably all have doubted and considered impossible just a few years ago. But then we got to know ChatGPT and its siblings. And now, at the latest, it's clear: that was just the beginning. Whether the new is called New Work, New Normal, Future Work, or something else entirely is irrelevant. The fact is: to master the challenges of the future, companies must rethink work and focus on people and their needs. And they must do so in a way that allows as many people as possible to find exactly what they really, really want – just as Bergmann's basic idea was.

So when companies start addressing these issues, a new way of working becomes a win-win situation for both employees and the companies themselves. After all, a working environment in which everyone can develop their full potential and pursue their work in a self-determined manner has been proven to lead to greater performance, innovation, and job satisfaction.

In view of the challenges ahead, there is no alternative to addressing these issues.

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