Andy Penn (Telstra)
“The companies that will be the most successful in the future, will be those that offer maximum flexibility to their people. Flexibility to work from where they want, flexibility to work how they want, and the flexibility to work when they want,” Penn said.
He was hesitant however on predicting what exactly the future of that flexibility looks like.
“Are we all going to stay working from home? Will we go back to the office in the city, or will regional Australia become a winner? Frankly, personally, I think it is too early to answer these questions,” Penn said.
“For now, the opportunity sits clearly before us. Those organisations that embrace digitisation stand the best chance of success, because it is that is now the new normal.
“Distance does not have to mean disconnection and I believe these past few months have proved that. The businesses that will be successful in the future, therefore, will be those that can embrace this newfound humanity and make it the foundation of their culture.”
As for businesses who choose not to accelerate their digitisation efforts, Penn believes they will be left at a “serious competitive disadvantage, and I think it’s only been reinforced by COVID”.
“One of the things that the internet has done is it's democratised competition. So, it doesn't matter how big or small your business is, you are competing on a global platform, you can be competing with a business from Wisconsin in the US or Bordeaux in France, it really doesn't matter in the wine industry," he said.
“Organisations that can offer their people flexibility to work from where they want, when they want, how they want are going to be the ones that can attract absolutely the best talent.
“What the last few months has shown us is it's actually not been the technology that's inhibited the adoption of digital ways of working, it's actually been more our ability and our willingness to adopt it.
"As we've all been forced into becoming digital natives very, very quickly over the last period of time, I really don't think there's any going back.”
