One of the greatest workplace transformations of our lifetime is taking place right now driven by Covid-19. How will this massive transformation impact the workplace, you, your team, and your organization?
In the first session of a series on The Next Normal of Work, this live event with our industry experts and global keynote speakers Jeremy Blain, Godelieve van Dooren , Pallavi Srivastava and moderated by ace business storyteller Anjali Sharma, is an in-depth look at how Covid-19 will fuel up many Future of Work initiatives for the rest of 2020.
Here’s a quick preview:
Jeremy Blain: As we entered the new COVID-free 2020s decade, the workplace was already challenged by uncertainty, digitalization and human capital trends that were underpinning how organizations were transforming – or at least talking about it! These transformations had already become both urgent and important, with speed, not size, becoming competitive advantage. Many organizations entered 2020 with a need to balance short term wins with longer term, transformational growth strategy execution.
Over the past few years, I have conducted extensive research into the digital and human capital trends that continue to challenge our organizations and workplaces; and it became clear that the line between success and failure was so fine for many, that one more global or regional challenge would have a devastating impact on business longevity.
Enter COVID-19… Since February, I have further studied the impact of COVID-19, not just on our day-to-day ways of working, but how the pandemic continues to accelerate the macro transformational trends in the workplace that many organisations have been struggling with; and the relative success, or otherwise, being evidenced.
On the back of this, my session will highlight the accelerating trends, implications for organizations everywhere and uncover the strategic shifts / operational must-do’s that are rapidly evolving, as we continue through the pandemic into new territory. This will lead into Godelieve’s deeper dive into how organizations are oscillating between three distinct phases, as we search for the next normal.
Godelieve van Dooren: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work, and these changes are permeating far beyond the peak of the contagion. As we navigate these uncharted waters, we find ourselves dealing simultaneously with health crises, economic crises and digital crises.
What we are observing is that companies are alternating between three phases – depending on the course of the pandemic, government responses and the resilience of their industry and business:
1) Respond 2) Return and 3) Reinvent
The Respond phase includes immediate actions employers are taking; typically, reactive; with a focus on ensuring business continuity. The Return phase kicks in as the spread of the virus slows, and people and businesses are eager to return to “back to normal”. However, there is wide acknowledgement that “normal” within a work setting is going to look a bit – or perhaps a lot – different.
Therefore, in this session, I will mainly focus on the Reinvent phase. Disruption brings opportunity — to reflect, reset and reinvigorate. To meet the demands of a radically changed world, companies will need to reinvent themselves while holding true to their purpose. I look forward to discussing how companies can adapt quickly to this New Shape of Work and share ideas and best practices as we navigate through these trying times.
Pallavi Srivastava: In these times of exponential change, when the world is struggling with a global health crisis, supply chain disruptions, trade wars, climate changes and an overall societal rethink about what matters most in people’s lives – corporates and businesses across the globe are having to very quickly rethink the way we work, and how we respond to these changes.
While there will be many systemic changes to operating models and market responses within an organization, it is the competencies and the behaviours of the senior most leaders of an organization that will be most critical to navigate these changes.
In my session I will briefly explore the concept of ethical governance in times of digital evolution, and what leadership competencies will be most critical to enhance, to not just survive these disruptions, but also to thrive and succeed.
Come and join us for an engaging and vibrant discussion on the Next Normal of Work!