May 5, 2020 Two Future of Work Conversations featuring Topcoder CEO Mike Morris

Topcoder CEO Mike Morris recently took part in two digital conversations about the Future of Work. First—as part of Techonomy’s Digital Roundtable, and second—on the popular Techie Bytes Podcast.

Watch and listen to the conversations, and check out the recaps, below.

TECHONOMY DIGITAL ROUNDTABLE – WHERE AND HOW WILL WE WORK NOW?

Techonomy’s Digital Roundtable was hosted by David Kirkpatrick, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Techonomy, and in included Gina Hadley (co-founder of The Second Shift), and Gary Bolles (head of the “Future of Work” program at Singularity University), as well as Mike.

The group discussed how the business space has completely changed in the wake of COVID-19, and how the crisis may create an entirely new model of work.

1. A Shift in Employee Management Frameworks

As businesses transition to remote settings, many managers are coming to grips with their biggest pain point — not being able to monitor employee activity. In what Gary Bolles calls “management by surveillance,” many managers believe that they have to see productivity for it to happen. But shouldn’t employee value be tied to outcomes, not time? 

2. The Rise of Remote Work

“You’re going to see a sustained need for enterprise to stay resilient. Our duty is to figure out how to make that resiliency work for the talents of the workers.” — Mike Morris

97% of respondents in The Techonomy Roundtable Audience poll believe that more businesses will embrace remote work after the pandemic is over. For many businesses, this is a stress test. Fear of integrating new technology and reshaping management practices has held many companies back from fully embracing the future of work.

3. Removing the Barriers to Work

In the “Passion Economy,” the future of work isn’t bound by qualifications or physical location; it’s bound by results. It doesn’t matter what race, age, or gender you are. It doesn’t matter what socioeconomic background you come from or what college you were able to attend. All that matters is that you’re willing to step up to the plate and provide value.

This pandemic is going to deepen the value commitment between employee and employer. As remote work stresses traditional boundaries and the number of unemployed rises, finding ways to bring everyone together to create long-lasting and meaningful changes to society will be glued to changing how we understand, utilize, and organize talent.

TECHIE BYTES PODCAST – THE PASSION ECONOMY IS THE FUTURE OF WORK

Mike’s appearance on Techie Bytes kicked off with a discussion of the many advantages of using remote, on-demand talent to solve complex business problems. From more creative ideas to faster turnaround times, there are myriad benefits compared to a static, in-house team. The main hurdle to getting enterprise companies to adopt open talent models is that it requires a large-scale culture transformation. Leadership buy-in is a must. 

The discussion moved to the passion economy and Topcoder’s unique community of talent. Mike is a huge believer that talent is worth what is worth regardless of their location. Topcoder was founded with a focus on community and prioritizing people and the power of connection is part of what has helped us grow. Our talented members engage and learn from each other. They cheer each other on and share stories in the Topcoder community Facebook group. The vibe of creativity, curiosity, and competition is palpable among our members, and it leads to better outcomes for our customers.

Thanks to Jeff of Best Techie and to Techonomy for hosting these great conversations. To start your own conversation, contact us.