What's In/Out in 2025: AI and the Strategic Evolution of RTO
Welcome to the Culture Edit.
Our next few newsletters will focus on what’s in and out for the upcoming year.
AI and the Strategic Evolution of RTO
AI tools have transformed workplace productivity, with employees completing tasks faster through personal AI tools and some employer-sanctioned solutions. Yet this efficiency doesn't automatically translate to innovation or expanded contributions, particularly in hybrid environments. Effectively, employees are using these tools to get the job done but not going any further. And leaders are noticing.
As a result, watch for more organizations to implement full-time 5 days a week return to office with an intended dual strategy: 1) to motivate employees to provide discretionary effort and 2) reduce the workforce through natural attrition because many employees will not want to return full-time. The intention of this approach will be to maintain market confidence while demonstrating a commitment to efficiency and innovation. But without a robust strategy to maintain and promote culture, it could fall flat.
The winners in 2025 won't be focused on location mandates alone. Forward-thinking organizations will leverage their culture as the primary driver of engagement and innovation. They'll prioritize authentic leadership communication, clear purpose alignment, and meaningful development opportunities—regardless of where work happens.
Prediction: Companies that successfully blend AI productivity gains with a strong culture will outperform those using office presence as their primary engagement strategy. The secret sauce? Leaders who prioritize authentic communication and connection to purpose.
The American Worker Is Becoming More Productive
“Productivity—the total output of the economy divided by hours worked—rose 2% in the third quarter compared with a year earlier, according to the Labor Department.” Most of this is attributed to the utilization of AI tools.
What Happens When a Whole Generation Never Grows Up?
“As American 30-somethings increasingly bypass the traditional milestones of adulthood, economists are warning that what seemed like a lag may in fact be a permanent state of arrested development.”
Surgeon General calls for cancer risk warning on beverages with alcohol
Dry January is trending.
America's Drunkest and Driest Counties
Wisconsin needs to chill.
'Hey Siri, are you recording?': Apple agrees to pay $95M to settle privacy lawsuit
The things we got wrong in 2024
U.S. Industries With the Most CEO Turnover
Healthcare leads the private sector.
The 80’s are back in the gym.
Culture Edit Podcast
Ep. 072 – Culture Takes, Trend Reports, and What’s Ahead in 2025
This week’s one-on-one on New Year’s Eve finds Nikki and Chad still in Miami where they provide their “culture takes” like how Christmas is non-existent, lots of eye contact, social relationship priority, the latest on shrimp cocktail, whether coquito is just eggnog, and how Sunny’s Steakhouse could be the best restaurant in America. Since it’s year-end, they also tackle the big trend reports, including Airmail’s over/under hyped and the Strava “Year In Sport.” They also provide their own 2025 workplace culture predictions: the death of perks, AI’s impact on return to office, the shift to performance-based pay, and getting creative with leadership communications.