Digitalization enabled the fourth industrial revolution and has made possible the further development and automation of work processes. In production and logistics, for example, companies can use drones and driverless forklifts in centrally and digitally controlled warehouses. While creating many new jobs, this process also requires some tasks to evolve and others to be completely removed.

In addition, the general working conditions have also changed. Cloud-based systems make it possible to flexibly choose working hours, as well as work locations. For example, employees can be connected to their colleagues and work with them in virtual teams, while still in their home office.

Without digitalization, there would be no fourth industrial revolution and no New Work movement. The introduction of new information and communication technologies has fundamentally changed the way we work and has created the need for new professional qualifications.

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The future of work opts for the automation of processes, for example in the field of production. Machines can be controlled centrally via computer systems and run independently. However, Industry 4.0 cannot function without people. Studies predict that human resources will continue to be important in fields such as controlling functions.

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Temporal and spatial flexibility are an important part of New Work, including working from home, also known as the "home office." Whether freelancer or permanently stationed, employees can work efficiently from home through accessing the cloud. Plus: You don’t have to do your daily commute to work.

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The responsibility areas of many professions have changed due to the emergence of new technologies. That's why more and more companies are promoting the concept of lifelong learning. The concept entails offering employees both on-site workshops and e-learning courses on learning platforms to expand their digital skills. In line with this, Henkel has launched its Digital Upskilling Initiative to prepare its employees for any digital endeavours in the future.

Being connected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week can lead to information overload and long-term psychological stress. Therefore, mindfulness is all the more important during the daily routine at work in order to recognize early warning signals and counteract them. A short meditation or a digital detox can work wonders and prevent a burnout in the long run.

Putting the smartphone aside and going offline to not be available 24/7: a digital detox can help reduce stress and clear the mind.

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It is difficult to quickly react to changes when working with traditional project management methods. However, agile working methods like Scrum, Kanban or Design Thinking are able to overcome this disadvantage through flexible and interactive processes. Agile teams follow a project plan that is designed for the duration of one- to four-week long sprints, where projects are structured more efficiently as the workload and subtasks are more clearly divided. Planning with short intervals means that you can react quickly and adapt your approach as much as you want and need, without having to overturn the entire project. At the end of each sprint, the team meets to evaluate their work before moving on to the next sprint.

We come across the word “agile” everywhere. It suggests that flexibility and transparency are the most important factors for dynamic project management. Having a clear vision and goals, paired with independent teamwork, increases the responsiveness and efficiency of companies.

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Responsibility will be distributed among employees who now organize themselves as they think and act more entrepreneurially. This will lead to the dissolving of strict hierarchies so that structures can become more agile. The motto is: No to micromanagement, yes to "Just do it!” Companies can offer their employees the opportunity to work together in strong teams on the basis of cooperation and transparency. Keywords such as "regular feedback” and "lifelong learning” also play an important role, as they are factors that employees these days demand from a management culture.