For most organizations, the past two years have been defined by overlapping change. SparkEffect’s 2026 research found that 85% of employees had experienced a significant workplace disruption in that period, up from 71% the year before, and that the majority had experienced several at once. Management layers were reduced, AI was introduced, reductions in force became routine, and the leaders responsible for steadying their teams were frequently the least supported people in the organization.
Many 2027 plans are being written on the assumption that next year will be quieter. The evidence suggests otherwise. This session is designed to bring that evidence into the planning conversation while there is still time to act on it.
About the five trends
Each trend challenges an assumption that is common in leadership teams today. The discussion will be organized around questions such as:
- Does the current guidance on performance and productivity hold up under scrutiny?
- What did this year’s structural changes cost that will not become visible until 2028?
- When managers last received difficult news, did they receive it before their teams did?
- Is AI the disruption employees are experiencing, or the term being used to describe something else?
- Does the retention figure reflect what leadership believes it reflects?
