What Would We Rewrite in the Rules of Work?

2026-06-17 16:21 Events

During HR Updates 2026, Smart Minds invited participants to pause for a moment and reflect on one simple yet important question:

If you could choose 1 rule of work you could rewrite, what would it be?

The question was part of our interactive on-site activity - a conversation sparked through LEGO® Serious Play®, models, metaphors, and personal observations about how we work today.

We weren’t looking for “right” answers. We were looking for honest ones.

And that’s exactly what we received.

The responses opened up several important themes that we increasingly see across organizations: human connection, flexibility, feedback, trust, and the way people experience everyday work.

Congratulations to Our Selected Participants

We are happy to announce the three selected participants from our HR Updates 2026 activity:

🏆 Suzana Chakarova

🏆 Elena Goranova

🏆 Iva Panayotova

Each of them will receive a copy of Human Magic by Johan Roos.

Thank you for joining the conversation and contributing to a more thoughtful discussion about the future of work.

What Did People Want to Rewrite?

Across the answers, one thing became clear: people are not simply asking for “newer” workplace rules. They are looking for more meaningful ones.

1. More Human Connection at Work

One of the strongest signals was the need for more real conversations between managers and employees.

Not every conversation at work needs to be about tasks, deadlines, or performance. Trust is often built in the smaller moments - when people feel seen not only through their role, but also as individuals.

This does not mean removing professional boundaries. It means creating more understanding, context, and humanity in everyday work.

2. Flexibility With Clear Accountability

Another important theme was the desire to move beyond fixed working hours as the main measure of commitment.

The question is not whether people are present for a certain number of hours. The better question is whether the work is meaningful, the goals are clear, and the outcomes are delivered.

Flexibility does not mean a lack of structure. It means a more mature agreement around expectations, deadlines, responsibilities, and results.

3. Feedback That Actually Helps People Grow

Feedback also appeared as a key rule worth rewriting.

Many organizations have feedback processes. Fewer have feedback cultures.

A useful feedback process is not just a form, a meeting, or an annual step in the HR calendar. It is a rhythm of learning, adjustment, and honest conversation - clear enough to guide performance and safe enough to support growth.

A Small Question With a Big Signal

The answers we collected were short, but they said a lot.

People want work to become more human, more flexible, and more honest.

They want rules that create trust, not just compliance.

They want structure that helps them contribute, not structure that limits common sense.

For us, these insights are more than entries in a game.

They are a small but clear signal of where the future of work needs to go.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our activity during HR Updates 2026 - for the conversations, the models you built, the perspectives you shared, and the energy you brought to our booth.