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Your newsletter for a lighter and different spin on the CW world.

Jun 20, 2025

Newsletter Exclusive Content:

The Future of Work Isn’t a Strategy

We’ve all seen the slides, the posts, the whitepapers…

AI this… Skills-based hiring that… Flexible work here… Automation there… Oh, borderless talent (a new favorite I’m seeing a lot)

It’s kind of like a greatest hits of the “Future of Work” playlist, and it gets through the industry speakers daily.

But I’m feeling that the Future-of-work language is often used as a smokescreen for the absence of actual workforce strategy.

Instead of identifying current-state gaps, clarifying business needs, or aligning talent models with operating realities, companies throw buzzwords at the problem. “We’re building for the future of work” becomes can often feel like "we haven’t made a decision yet."

Real strategy is messy, but also more specific. It looks more like:

How do we actually integrate contingent labor into our long-term talent plan?
- Start by mapping current usage, forecasting future demand, and aligning it with skills planning.
Do our business units understand what’s available beyond full-time hires?
- Educate managers with real examples, decision frameworks, and guided intake that makes alternative options visible and viable.
How do we redesign workflows around outcomes and skills, not just job titles?
- Break down work into deliverables and capabilities, then rebuild processes to prioritize what needs to be done—not who’s doing it.
Can our processes adapt if we shift from roles to skills, or employees to freelancers?
- Only if you audit your policies, tech stack, and compliance model to support dynamic sourcing channels and engagement types.

The future of work might be flexible, AI-enhanced, and global. But your strategy still has to be local, structured, and aligned to your culture, priorities, and how you truly operate.

If your roadmap doesn’t name owners, identify tradeoffs, and connect to business outcomes… you might be trend-chasing instead of strategizing.