There are some crises that force entire companies or even sectors to change the way they work. The present COVID- 19 pandemic is one such that has brought several industries back to the drawing board. Some of the changes made now, should hopefully in the long run, help the way work is carried out. The need to enhance workers’ skills, is the current challenge. New set of skills highly in vogue are now those that work bets with the ‘distance economy’. There are imbalances unfortunately in the talent recruitment being done, and the demand for certain skills. Supply chains are also likewise seeing a churn in their design. Before any company starts the process of re- skilling, they need to identify the skill areas on which the business model’s recovery will impinge upon. Corporate training programmes need to be adopted that will specifically handle the key skills required for the new business model. These training programmes need to be tailored towards the critical areas. The system of start- test- iterate needs to be implemented. Companies that will display humility and acknowledge themselves to be small, are expected to ace this period. Learning budgets will need to be protected now at all costs, else there will be regret later on.

Source:https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/to-emerge-stronger-from-the-covid-19-crisis-companies-should-start-reskilling-their-workforces-now

Uploaded Date:20 May 2020

Now is possibly the best time to effect any change in behaviour. The current pandemic has forced us to rethink the way we live our lives. While stringent rules may be put in place for some time, eventually the onus lies on the people themselves. Team leaders will need to show the way. The best way to show this is by highlighting gaps in the system. The right questions need also be posed. Critical reasoning will be needed at such times. A bit of moderation is also needed. So the new approach, must include asking for less. Excesses of the pre- pandemic era will need to be curtailed, at least for some time. The entire corporate strategy will now need to be prepared for a period of relative austerity.

Source:https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-to-persuade-people-to-change-their-behavior?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_monthly&utm_campaign=leadership_not_activesubs&referral=00206&deliveryName=DM79314

Uploaded Date:13 May 2020

Right now is the time, when companies must encourage and even help their employees to undergo training towards developing news skills. The skills gap is unfortunately on the rise, in spite of years of forewarning. A report from PwC, titled Talent Trends, published in 2019, reported that a staggering seventy- nine percent of global CEOs are worried about the lack of essential skills among employees. This is in stark contrast, to the future of fifty- three percent just a few years back, in the same report in 2012. Two of the partners at the business consulting giant PwC, have confirmed that up skilling is the way ahead. For this, the command and control culture needs to completely disappear. Corporate training sessions must be arranged, where instead of teaching, employees must be taught, on best ways to learn. Peer- based coaching must be arranged, so that employees get the time and space to reflect upon their work.

Source:https://www.strategy-business.com/article/How-to-help-employees-learn-new-skills-amid-a-crisis?gko=836fb

Uploaded Date:30 April 2020

For companies or businesses involved in doing relatively routine tasks, the definition of product and customer come fairly easily. But for others, who may be involved in the services, a non- product category also exists. There is now an urgent need to bring some of the product- thinking concepts to the non- product teams. This is especially true for teams working in talent management, legal services, or in corporate training. It is often in such cases, difficult to determine the exact value of productivity. This work needs to be reframed with the use of terms such as customers and products. The removal of the mention of the word solution also helps in this case. Such concepts are not yet common to such functions. But it is getting more popular, simply because of the agility it provides.

Source:https://hbr.org/2020/04/bring-product-thinking-to-non-product-teams?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=dailyalert_activesubs&utm_content=signinnudge&referral=00563&deliveryName=DM75772

Uploaded Date:16 April 2020

A lot of jobs that are extremely bound up in routine, end up as the first to get the nod towards automation. This could lead to mass retrenchment of job opportunities, but could also provide scope for further corporate training sessions that will focus on up skilling. The right up skilling measures require a deep understanding of business analytics and the data used for it involving insights on employment prospects, skills and tasks. Six steps have been identified in this entire chain. First of all, the situation needs to be analyzed and understood. Then, one has to design a skills plan. The third step is to assess individually the skill levels of the employees present already. Then one needs to match the right jobs, and engage the workers accordingly. The specific training is the fifth step, followed by administering the entire project and monitoring it to ensure the desired results are achieved.

Source:https://www.strategy-business.com/feature/A-strategists-guide-to-upskilling?gko=0bb8b

Uploaded Date:31 March 2020

Due to the enforced work break as a result of the corona virus outbreak, there is ample scope now for online learning. For this, one needs to start off by deciding on some online management training programme. The leadership needs to work on motivating employees to take up such courses for self- development. It is also essential that people get to understand the software to be used. This will help ensure that these training sessions may be accessed by all. Some amount of leeway still needs to be provided for those who aren’t well. The managerial staff too needs to chip in by boosting their team members’ motivation levels. A timeline has to be curated for all to follow, as this will inculcate a sense of seriousness.

Source:https://innovationexcellence.com/blog/2020/03/30/7-strategies-for-online-learning-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/

Uploaded Date:31 March 2020

Up- skilling is the need of the hour, as several CEOs have testified in the 23^rd Annual Global CEO Survey, published by auditor PwC. One of the ways to do so is by changing the conversation, to elicit interest in other topics. Due corporate training needs to take place with the existing workforce. A system of transparency needs to be followed all across the organizational chain. The key foundational issues will need to be addressed at the root. Education should not mean merely the possession of degrees, but continuous learning needs to be encouraged. An Executive MBA for instance may be the right approach to take this on. Greater degree of flexibility needs to be incorporated at work. Redundant activities must be automated without delay. One needs to plan for the growth of the entire company, and not merely in silos. This will also help make the complex work, easier to execute. All changes need be implemented right from the very top.

Source:https://www.strategy-business.com/pictures/10-CEO-perspectives-on-upskilling?gko=e2d38

Uploaded Date:28 January 2020