We thank you for your positive comments on Issue #6, which addressed the issue of Resilience. Before we delve into the topic of this week, we take a minute to stand in solidarity with the family of George Floyd and all who face systemic racism, discrimination and disregard for black lives. We hope that just as COVID-19 has irreversibly changed our lives all over the world, that George Floyd’s murder will serve as the catalyst to lead to a worldwide dismantling of systemic racism and discrimination and lead to respect for black lives and all lives facing racism and discrimination. This week we explore the topic, “Work and Business Post COVID-19.”
So, how then do companies plan and prepare for work Post COVID-19? What measures and systems must they put in place to ensure safety of employees, customers, intellectual property and sustainability of the company?
There are many suggestions from varied sources. However, there are a few common threads. They include:
- Greater clarity of purpose
- Rationalisation and refocus
- The use of technology
- Increased digitisation
- Upskilling and reskilling
- Continuation of Remote Work
- People-centred and focused
Blair Shepherd, (June 3, 2020), Global Leader, PwC,[3] posits four steps to prepare for work and business Post COVID-19:
- Accelerate the Move to Platform – COVID-19 has accelerated efforts to not only digitalize but also transition to a platform model. Platforms create ecosystems of technologies, services and products that bring consumers and producers together, and which can scale quickly and encourage third party collaboration.
- Transition to Digital/Virtual Work – the move to remote work is pushing people to learn not only digital skills but also to improve auxiliary skills, such as collaboration, creative problem-solving and openness to new ideas. Managers and team leaders have to learn how to motivate and engage teams from afar
- Assess your Skillset and Expand it as Needed – As organisations recalibrate, now is an ideal time to conduct a Human Resource Skills and Competency Audit to determine whether the company has the skillset needed to take it into the future and, if appropriate, to plan on acquiring new skills and competencies needed.
- Plan for the Future – Shepherd concedes that planning for the future in uncertain times is tricky at best. However, the key, he argues, is to begin thinking about where demand for work will exist and how best to prepare for those spaces. He advises that the type of work that is robust across several different future scenarios is not a bad way to start.
This article is copyright © 2020 DOM767
