The conversation around work has been heated recently. From where we work, to how we work, to what we talk about at work — a source of inspiration or outrage is never more than a few clicks away.

Given the way this conversation has progressed, you’d be forgiven for believing the rightness or wrongness of these decisions is what’s causing the related commendation or commotion. But it’s more than just the decision, it’s all the things that came before...and all the things that come after.

A basic assumption:

• If you make the right decision, the next steps will be easy (and the reverse: if things are easy, it’s because you made the right decision)

And, therefore:

• If you make the wrong decision, everything will be really hard (and: if things are difficult, and/or you receive a lot of criticism, you must have made the wrong decision)

But in reality, it’s much simpler:

• Regardless of what decision you make, it will be difficult

There are new trends shifting the workforce, forcing a lot of decisions to be made — very public decisions. Some of these changes are understandably causing upset, frustration, and confusion. Others are welcome improvements, long overdue — creating opportunities and increased equality.

Trend 1: social and political views in the workplace. This is not easy to navigate, and I won’t pretend otherwise. In fact, it’s incredibly difficult to do well, even for companies that have been busting their butts over culture before it was trendy, building trust when times were good, when politics were easier, when divisions were less...dividing.

But the reality: these social trends aren’t changing. Gen Z is fluent in topics from pronouns to performative allyship and much more skilled in articulating nuanced feelings and experiences than their predecessors. 

They expect companies to have thoughtful policies and procedures, they expect managers will understand why things are done the way they are — because of active decision making, vs a shrugging that’s-how-its-always-been.

Choosing to support employees in forming a DEI committee is viewed by many as the right decision, but it’s really hard to do in a way that creates a positive impact on the organization. It’s also really hard to shut down a DEI committee because you feel its continuation is the wrong decision. 

But the point is that it’s really hard -- regardless of what you choose to do. So why move backward?

Trend 2: working from anywhere (WFX). This is also not easy to navigate, especially for teams that have always worked together, in person, everyday. In fact, WFX (or any flex option) is really hard to do well, even for companies designed as remote-first.

But the reality: this trend isn’t changing. The workforce has been long overdue for a break from unrelenting commutes, inflexible schedules, and discriminating norms that ignore the reality of working parents and caretakers — mothers and women, specifically. Mindful of these realities, remote work still might not be feasible for some, and that brings its own set of hard decisions.

Is it easy to implement a flexible workplace? Or to create and implement WFX policies? No, of course not. But neither is asking everyone to come back into an office if it’s unnecessary and unpopular, or even mostly necessary and somewhat popular; either way, you risk losing great talent, or losing trust and goodwill from your team.

If there are challenges with either decision, why not do the work of understanding what’s possible?

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If everything that follows a decision is challenging regardless of what we choose (read: if there’s no such thing as an easy decision), then let’s do the right things. Let’s listen to our employees, honor their humanity, and move toward the future of work.

Like decisions, change is rarely easy or seamless, or without its critics. But that doesn’t make it any less real.

So let’s focus on embracing these new realities, and the messiness of figuring it out, together, with talented and trusted colleagues.

The future of work — hard conversations, flexible work, and more — may feel uncomfortable and confusing, and you may not know how to navigate these shifts in your workplace. That’s ok. 

Is this an easy decision? Of course not.

Making the right choice does not mean it is easy to do. But together, we can do all sorts of hard things.