The Advice That Changed Everything
Back in 2002, I was sitting in a rundown building in Birmingham, trying to soak up business strategy insights from a lecturer while working on my accounting qualifications. It was a grim, beige kind of place, but I wasn’t focused on the environment. What stuck with me happened during a simple coffee break.
The lecturer, seeing that some of us hadn't stepped out for coffee, shared a nugget of career wisdom that shifted my entire trajectory. He said, “Always try to work yourself out of a job, and you’ll never be without a job.”
At first, I didn’t fully grasp it. The concept seemed counterintuitive—why would I make myself obsolete? But as my career unfolded, I realized he was talking about continuous evolution. If you’re always improving, optimizing, and solving problems permanently, you’ll never be at risk of stagnation. You’re irreplaceable because you’re always growing beyond your current role.
This idea became the foundation for my passion in workplace transformation. It’s not just about automating tasks, creating efficiency, or building systems. It’s about evolving culture, habits, and mindsets. And that’s what I want to talk to you about today.
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
Let’s get one thing straight. In any business, culture trumps strategy every single time. I’m sure you’ve heard Peter Drucker’s famous line: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” But what does that mean for your business?
Most people try to tackle change by altering strategy first—new processes, better tools, different metrics. But those are just surface-level solutions. The real transformation lies in changing behaviors, and the gateway to that change is reshaping culture.
Think about your organization. Are people wearing "busy" like a badge of honor? How often do you hear someone say, “I’m so busy,” as if the number of hours they’re working is somehow the best measure of their productivity or worth? The truth is, being perpetually busy is not a sign of success—it's a sign of lazy thinking and poor prioritization.
Busyness can be a form of laziness. Sounds harsh, right? But if you think about it, being busy often means we’re avoiding the hard questions. We’re stuck in the weeds, reacting to fires instead of stepping back, assessing the landscape, and making decisions that can create real change. As leaders, it’s on us to break out of this cycle—not just for ourselves, but for our teams.
Your Culture Is What You Do Consistently
Seth Godin said it best: “People like us do things like this.” This simple statement defines culture. It’s not what you say your values are on a poster in the office. Culture is what happens when no one is watching. It’s what people default to when stress levels are high and when the unexpected occurs.
If we want to create a culture that moves toward a modern workplace—one that’s agile, open to new ideas, and focused on high-value work—then we need to focus on behaviors. And behavior change starts with mindset change. All action is preceded by thought. To do differently, people must think differently.
Why Change Anything At All?
If you’re reading this, you probably already see the writing on the wall. The way we work is changing, and it’s changing fast. Moore's Law, which states that the amount of computing power you can buy for a fixed amount of money doubles every two years, tells us that technology evolves exponentially. In the 1990s, $1,000 bought you a powerful Pentium PC. Today, that same $1,000 buys computing power that is 100 million times more powerful.
But what does this mean for us as business leaders? It means every single industry—no exceptions—will become an information business. Agriculture, which most people think of as the least techy industry, is already becoming a tech powerhouse, with satellites, robotics, and coded seeds driving competitive advantage. The car industry is no longer just about horsepower and metal—it’s tech-driven, with companies like Tesla leading the way.
The bottom line is that technology is transforming industries at lightning speed. If you’re not evolving, you’re falling behind. From 2000 to 2015, over half of the Fortune 500 companies disappeared—gone bankrupt, acquired, or simply rendered irrelevant by digital disruption. And this trend will continue unless companies embrace change, starting with their own mindset and culture.
The Secret to Thriving in a Modern Workplace
So, how do we create this new culture? How do we ensure we’re on the winning side of this shift? The answer lies in embracing the new rules of engagement.
A recent study identified four key elements that help Millennials thrive in the workplace:
Create a Culture of Collaboration: People are at their best when they work together. Millennials, especially, value collaborative environments where sharing ideas is encouraged, and teamwork is the norm.
Offer the Latest Technology: No one wants to feel like they're stepping back in time when they go to work. Millennials grew up with technology at their fingertips. If your workplace is technologically outdated, it’s not just inconvenient—it’s demotivating.
Keep Data Safe: Security isn’t just about compliance; it’s about trust. Your team needs to feel confident that the organization is taking all steps necessary to keep their data secure. Trust fosters loyalty.
Have a Strong Purpose: Millennials want to work for more than a paycheck. They want to feel like they’re contributing to something bigger than themselves. Having a clear and compelling purpose drives motivation and commitment.
Collaboration Tools: The Real Game-Changer
If you think about your daily workflow, you probably spend a lot of time switching between different tools—email, documents, chat, video calls. But imagine if all these were unified. A study by Forrester on knowledge workers found that getting everything into a single collaboration tool, like Microsoft Teams, can save four hours per person per week. That’s four hours every week per employee that could be used on high-impact, creative, or strategic work rather than wasted in context-switching.
And the impact of modern collaboration tools goes beyond just saving time:
Improved Speed to Decision-Making: Almost 9% of participants noted faster decisions.
Reduction in Meetings: Nearly 20% reported fewer meetings when everything was in one place.
Significant Cost Savings: The financial benefits of streamlined collaboration, fewer meetings, and better onboarding add up to millions of dollars in savings.
But it’s not just about the technology—it’s about how you use it. Technology amplifies behavior. If your culture is resistant to change, slow to adopt new ways of thinking, and stuck in the status quo, then adding new tools is just adding shiny features to a flawed system. The key to unlocking real potential is changing the culture first.
The Path Forward: Lead by Example
So, how do we create this shift?
As a leader, you need to set the example. Encourage people to work themselves out of a job—not in the sense of making themselves redundant, but in constantly evolving and improving processes, driving towards efficiency, and being passionate about finding a better way.
Ask yourself, and your teams: “What are we busy with?” If the answer is routine, repetitive tasks that could be automated or streamlined, then it’s time for a change. Reclaim that time and use it for innovation, for creating, for connecting.
Change starts with you. Remember, people do what people see. If you create a culture of curiosity, adaptability, and continuous learning, your teams will follow. If you value efficiency, drive collaboration, and embrace technology—not just as tools but as part of your culture—you’ll lead your organization to thrive in the modern workplace.
Conclusion: Embrace the Modern Way of Working
The modern workplace isn’t just about having the latest gadgets or fancy collaboration tools. It’s about evolving how we think, how we interact, and how we prioritize our energy. Let’s stop wearing busyness as a badge of honor. Let’s work smarter, prioritize value, and lead our teams towards a future where technology and culture go hand in hand—where efficiency and human creativity are the ultimate goals.
Always remember, the key to staying ahead is to work yourself out of your current role, evolve, grow, and then help your teams do the same. That’s how we not only keep ourselves employed, but how we lead our businesses to real transformation.
About the Author
Gavin Jones is a transformation consultant and founder of MeeTime, dedicated to helping businesses maximize their use of Microsoft 365. With over 15 years of experience in corporate finance and IT transformation, he focuses on cutting through internal clutter to boost productivity and foster open communication. A technology enthusiast and family man, Gavin believes that working smarter drives better business outcomes and enhances overall quality of life.
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