During incredibly trying times, it’s crucial to remember that a better future is not something we can hope for; it’s something we can count on. Our country has lived through countless daunting economic and social challenges, always striving to emerge better on the other side.
That said, for many workers, managers and business leaders, thinking about the future right now can be paralyzing. The number of crises we are being confronted with feels overwhelming, and most of us are just managing for the moment.
I am particularly concerned with the trend toward fearing what’s next because I have two young daughters. The older just finished her first year of college, and the younger was scheduled to start her freshman year in college this fall. When I was their age, I had anything but a fear of the future. I had an intense desire to make my mark on the future and to make it better. They deserve to share in that same sense of optimism.
At Samsung, we are already seeing how the future of work, business and education is evolving in the pandemic’s wake. Sales of our tablets, PCs and security software have risen dramatically, but this is not surprising. The majority of the U.S. workforce has been forced to work from home, telemedicine has become a necessity and an entire generation is continuing their education remotely. Like many other companies, we are also seeing the impact of social distancing as digital sales outpace traditional brick and mortar.
These business trends are in lockstep with the ways in which our country’s workforce has adapted to the new remote working environment. And that situation isn’t changing, with 60 percent of those currently working from home indicating they want to continue doing so once the economy has reopened.
I also find it quite interesting, and encouraging, that while many of us are still getting used to digital commuting, overall business productivity has not been impacted. A recent report finds that productivity for people working from home has decreased a mere 1 percent.
The fact that businesses have pivoted so quickly to this radically new working environment makes me optimistic about how, together, business leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators can address and solve the issues we are facing across multiple industries.
Samsung is committed to playing a leading role in ensuring that the future of how we work, learn, live and deliver healthcare is better and brighter for all of us. While we will continue to accomplish that through innovative products and solutions, we also know that if we want to make an even greater impact, we can’t do it alone.
With that in mind, I will be engaging in a series of “Future Of” conversations. I’ll speak with leaders and innovators from a range of industries who will help us examine the complex issues people and businesses are facing in new and creative ways. We will discuss the pivotal physical, behavioral and cultural changes taking place in key sectors of the economy, including enterprise, education and healthcare, as we prepare to move into and define the “next normal.”
It is my sincere hope that these conversations not only help identify more creative solutions to the business and societal issues we’re facing, but also address the fear of the future many of us have, turning some of that trepidation into a sense of optimism and opportunity.
Stay tuned to Samsung Insights in the coming weeks for new conversations in the series. In the meantime, learn about how Samsung is leveraging wearable social distancing technology to enable businesses to return to work with confidence. And keep up to date with the latest announcements and insights by following Taher Behbehani on Twitter.
