The new COVID-19 pandemic has raised concern regarding the environment, wages, budgets, marriages, and physical and mental health. Uncertainty is all around, and we crave stability as human beings. We always wish to feel safe and have a sense of power and well-being in our lives. You will feel depressed, nervous, and helpless about the direction of your life with anxiety and confusion. In a downward spiral of endless worst-case scenarios for what tomorrow can bring, it may rob you mentally and trap you.
Companies around the globe are worried about the effect on their financial results, in times of such crisis. In addition to that, and even more critically, they will need to discuss staff protection and social well-being issues that go far beyond what happens during the usual course of operation. Employees are also looking to representatives and management teams to take steps to protect them as well as the business. The strain and urgency make it critical to respond quickly with thoughtful analysis.
Here are some of the ways how employees and organizations focussed and developed themselves to lead in these uncertain times through professional training and development courses.
- Properly functioning crisis management – At present, business as normal is unlikely to be an option. Set up a cross-functional Crisis Response unit if you have not already done it and arranged the tools and facilities. The focus should be multidimensional: employee, financial, suppliers, customers.
- Supply Chain Stability– Set clear priorities to your production targets, the distribution network and the cost associated with meeting those goals. Covid has disrupted the value chain of even the big corporations who have learned that resilient frameworks have become essential.
- Stakeholder protection – Be imaginative and learn about how the stakeholder groups should be helped. When preventing physical interaction, put in place collaboration tools that allow you and your employees to connect through remote meeting software with each other, customers, business partners, etc., preferably with video functionality. Enable the staff to work at home. Trust your colleagues that, while you don’t see them in the workplace.
- Home-office balance – Make sure the guidelines are set in place to make work at home effective. During operating hours, the home office workers should be available online. A provision that the team meets virtually through remote meeting applications at least once a week – preferably with video functionality. Everyone should post regular updates.
- Customer loyalty – Focus on your customers during these uncertain times because they are the most vulnerable presently. Capture their imagination, put rest to their fears, and ensure them that you will consistently keep on delivering the best services to them.
- Avoid layoffs – For the sake of all workers, it is best for leaders to guarantee a profitable future. Only where you have no other alternative can workforce reductions be made, and they must be handled empathetically.
- Proper communication – This is a very crucial skill in the present times because work from home has increased the physical distances and at the same time invited new problems. To deal with such issues, communication is the solution.
- Focus on digital skills – Digital skills are the most skills to learn especially when Information & technology is making huge progress. Automation and Machine learning has become crucial skills to be put to use in almost all industries. Hard technical skills of automation and digitization will be very beneficial for the organization and your own professional growth.
- Stakeholder mapping – Draw a stakeholder map mentioning all of them, their interests, and ongoing concerns. Employees, clients, business partners, investors, government, and all others.
However long COVID-19 influences our lives and our jobs, life will finally return to normal. And the universe will realize that all of us are linked and happier together than apart. Your business and your people will succeed. Make sure to respond effectively to this turmoil by building on the present capabilities of your employees. There are many professional training courses available to improve both hard and soft skills. Indulge yourself in career specialized training programs according to the demands of the organization. There are many training and development blogs that focus on providing the best tips on quality corporate training. Follow Educational Know How to know the latest tips and updates on career development.