2026年工作趋势指数年度报告

As AI and agents take on execution, our own agency expands.The question is whether organizations are built to capture it.As Aland agents take on execution, our own agency expandsThe question is whether organizations are built to capture it. ContentsContents Foreword03Foreword03 Introduction06Introduction06 LeadersThe job of every leader is to rearchitect work11Leaders11The job of every leader is to rearchitect work OrganizationsEvery firm is a Learning System15Organizations15Every firm is a Learning System Looking ahead21Looking ahead21 Methodology22Methodology22 ForewordForeword by Dr. Karim Lakhaniby Dr. Karim Lakhani Dr. Karim Lakhani is the Dorothy& Michael Hintze Professorof Business Administrationat the Harvard Business School.He specializes in technologymanagement, innovation,digital transformation and AI.His innovation-related researchis centered around his roleas the founder and co-directorof the Laboratory for InnovationScience at Harvard and as theprincipal investigator of theNASA Tournament Laboratory.His digital transformationresearch investigates the roleof analytics and AI inreshaping business andoperating models. This researchis complemented through hisleadership as cofounder andchair of the Harvard BusinessSchool AI Institute. Dr. Karim Lakhani is the Dorothy&Michael HintzeProfessorof BusinessAdministrationat the Harvard Business School.Hespecializesintechnologymanagement,innovationdigital transformationand Al.Hisinnovation-relatedresearchis centered around his roleas the founder and co-directoroftheLaboratoryfor InnovationScienceatHarvardandastheprincipal investigatorof theNASA Tournament LaboratoryHis digital transformationresearch investigates the roleof analytics and Al inreshaping business andoperating models.This researchis complemented throughhisleadership as cofounder andchair of the Harvard BusinessSchool Al Institute. Every era of business is defined by a dominant managerialquestion. The industrial era asked how to scale production.The information age asked how to digitize and coordinatethe enterprise. The emerging AI era asks somethingmore fundamental: How should work itself be designedwhen intelligence can be embedded, distributed, andincreasingly delegated? Every era of business is defined by a dominant managerialquestion. The industrial era asked how to scale productionThe information age asked how to digitize and coordinatethe enterprise. The emerging AI era asks somethingmore fundamental: How should work itself be designedwhen intelligence can be embedded, distributed,andincreasingly delegated? The 2026 Work Trend Index Annual Report report arguesthat the most consequential change underway is not simplythe adoption of new tools. It is the emergence of a newoperating model. That distinction matters. Business modelsdescribe how firms create and capture value, but operatingmodels determine how that value is actually delivered—through workflows, roles, decision rights, governance, andthe everyday architecture of execution. When the operatingmodel changes, management changes with it. The 2026 Work Trend Index Annual Report report arguesthat the most consequential change underway is not simplythe adoption of new tools. It is the emergence of a newoperating model. That distinction matters. Business modelsdescribe how firms create and capture value, but operatingmodels determine how that value is actually delivered.through workflows, roles, decision rights, governance, andthe everyday architecture of execution. When the operatingmodel changes, management changes with it. That is why the rise of AI agents should be understood asmore than the next wave of software. As AI moves fromassisting with isolated tasks to participating in workflowsacross functions and systems, leaders must rethink thefundamental design of the enterprise. Work is no longerorganized only around people, processes, and applications.Increasingly, it is organized across people, agents, and thesystems that connect them. The central task of leadership,therefore, is shifting from deploying technology to leadingand enabling their teams to redesign work and processes.That is why the rise of AI agents should be understood asmore than the next wave of software. As AI moves fromassisting with isolated tasks to participating in workflowsacross functions and systems,leaders must rethink thefundamental design of the enterprise. Work is no longerorganized only around people, processes, and applications.Increasingly, it is organized across people, agents, and thesystems that connect them. The central task of leadership,therefore, is shifting from deploying technology to leadingand enabling their teams to redesign work and processes. ForewordForeword The most forward-looking organizations are beginning to seethat AI does not merely automate execution; it changes thelocation of human value. As execution becomes more scalable,the premium on judgment rises. As expertise becomes moreabundant, the ability to orchestrate