This article written by Alliance President & CEO, Manar Morales was published in the October issue of the NALP Bulletin.

We are living in an uncertain, sometimes volatile, world. Our workplaces have been impacted by this uncertainty becoming more complex. Obviously, in 2020 COVID-19 turned everything we knew on its end and forced us all to reevaluate the way we work. But beyond the pandemic, there are a myriad of new forces at play affecting today’s workplaces.

For the first time, we have five generations of talent working together in the legal industry. Two of those generations are “digital first,” meaning they grew up with technology. Further, many of those new to the workforce in the last three years have never worked fulltime in-person in the office. As we think about the hybrid workplace, consider that connecting in person does not come naturally to some in your workforce.

Additionally, technology is growing at a rate faster than many can keep up with. For example, artificial intelligence is advancing and expanding its reach before we really understand its true capabilities and impact. In fact, in just two short months Chat GPT reached one hundred million users!

The global economy is uncertain. The global climate is volatile. The political climate is unpredictable at best.

I do not say this to be alarmist, but to put the evolution of the workplace in context. I often say, “The way that 9/11 forever changed the way we travel, COVID will forever change the way we work.” We’re not going back to the pre-COVID workplace. We need to accept that the evolution of the workplace must go handin-hand with the way the world is changing. The future of work is much bigger than simply adapting to the challenges and opportunities COVID brought about.

Read the full article here.