Meaningful Work in the Age of Automation

B The Change Weekly: January 10, 2020

Delivered on Fridays, B the Change Weekly delivers the most important and most relevant stories about people using business as a force for good. The newsletter features a weekly note from the B the Change team alongside insight and context on the stories we share here on Medium. Below is our latest roundup. To receive these insights directly in your inbox, sign up for B the Change Weekly today. Now on to the good stuff:

When the only constant is change, a sense of security can be elusive. That sense of unease is the reality for many workers in the modern economy, where ever-updating technology and increasing use of automation are driving forces.

But as future-minded businesses like Certified B Corporations realize, workers are among the key stakeholders that are crucial to their overall success. By valuing their people as much as their profits, B Corps can offer a sense of security for workers and create strong bonds that increase employee loyalty.

This week B The Change Weekly delves into changes that are reshaping our workplaces, and why B Corps and other companies should consider how the future of work will affect their employees.

Inside an ‘American Factory’

As the global economy and workplaces shift to increasingly rely on technology and automation, workers have growing concerns about what these changes will mean for their current job and long-term career prospects. These concerns are at the heart of a new documentary, produced by Certified B Corporation Participant, on the future of work.

On B The Change, learn more about the story behind “American Factory,” which examines the impact of globalization on workplaces and employees through a localized lens — and aims to prompt conversation and change.

The Differentiators

As workers increasingly look for jobs where they can make a difference beyond the bottom line — helping the larger community and environment — businesses are looking to set themselves apart to embody deeper value, more meaning, and sustained impact.

In this Grow Ensemble podcast highlighted on B The Change, Michèle Soregaroli shares how her business helps clients identify and emphasize the principles and values that are embedded in the core of their companies — “differentiators” that set them apart so workers can find deeper value on the job.

Seeking Conscious Leadership

The pace of change in the workplace continues to accelerate, with an expanding gig economy and evolving technology. Absent the economic security of long-term employment, more workers seek fulfillment and a sense of purpose from their work.

This article from Conscious Company Media on B The Change examines the implications of these trends for leaders, organizations, and employees, and how these conscious leaders can help people stay employed — and fulfilled — in a rapidly changing world.

Stay in the Know

Here’s your chance to catch up on all the good stuff we shared recently:

• The Global Future of Work: B Corp-Produced Documentary Takes a Local Look: ‘American Factory’ Shows How Workers Around the World Share Common Concerns from Corporate Accountability to Workplace Safety
• Building a Global Community Around Ethical Shopping and Fair Trade Goods: Liza Moiseeva and Her Mission-Driven Company GlobeIn Open Doors and Build Connections for Remarkable Artisans Worldwide
• How Conscious Leadership Will Shape the Future of Work: Accelerated Workplace Change Creates Opportunities for Individual and Company Fulfillment
• We’ve Lost Connection with Food. This Founding Mother Is Recovering It
• Your Office, Your Values: Creating Ripples of Impact Through Your Decisions: An Office Redesign Opens the Opportunity to Support Businesses You Believe In

B the Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of Certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.

Meaningful Work in the Age of Automation was originally published in B The Change on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.