by Nomazibulo Tshanga, Ziyana Business Consulting
On 1 June 2020, we have seen South Africa move from a prohibitive national wide lockdown to a more economic active alert level 3. This means that millions of employees have returned to work as 70% of the economy has re-opened for activity.
It’s not going to be business as usual for most companies as they have lost revenue for the past 2 months due to lockdown restrictions. With alert level 3, companies have re-opened and employees have returned to work on 1 June 2020. Most probably companies will be driving the bottom line and trying to push productivity in order to remain sustainable in business. Let’s be honest, two months’ worth of revenue is a lot for most companies. However, this should not be done to the detriment of the employees’ mental health and wellness.
With the return of employees to the workplace, how do companies prepare and rebrand themselves for the future world of work? In order for companies to navigate this crisis and emerge successfully, the company culture will set the context for everything the company does. The following should be at the top of the agenda for business leaders in order for their companies to survive:
1. Company Strategy
Companies will need to revisit and redefine their company strategy. Important questions business leaders should be asking themselves when redefining the company strategy are, is the company strategy still valid, tactical, flexible, people centric, digital, performance driven, and is it driving the ideal culture to shape the company for the future world of work.
2. Organisational re-design
Once business leaders have re-evaluated and redefined the company strategy, it is important to look at an organizational structure that then talks to the newly redefined strategy. Companies should be looking at a lean and mean structure that supports the delivery of the new strategy. The organizational structure will need to fit in with the new company strategy.
3. Create a people centric culture
In a people centric culture everyone in the company is trained to understand how they’re all connected. Employees work together to achieve a common goal. It is common practice to implement processes to help accelerate company growth. However, in a people centric culture the processes never replace human logic. Employees should be empowered to and be capable of making sound logical decisions and given the space to implement the ideas that they bring. Research shows that about 87% of employees expect their employer to support them in balancing work and personal commitment. Employees productivity, creativity and innovation should be what business leaders are driving. This people centric culture requires an energy leadership style which is a leader that leverages employee competencies in order to help them shift their energy levels from negative emotions to a more positive, collaborative energy. Research shows that 9% of companies that came out stronger than ever from the great recessions in 2008 are companies that had a people centric culture.
4. People Development
Companies should now be looking at doing a skills audit of their current skills. This means evaluating the current skills that the company has and identifying future skills required for the new direction the company is embarking on. Upon the company redefining the strategy and putting lean structures in place, you may find that most skills will be obsolete. Companies will then need to decide whether to upskill and/or multi-skill the current resources or let employees that have redundant skills exit. Training and development of employees will no longer be a tick-box exercise, as it will need to be intentional, deliberate and in line with the company’s new mandate.
5. Digital Workforce
Digital workplaces start with technology. Companies will need to plan for the digital workforce by understanding how the company works today. This is by evaluating the current systems and process to understand if they talk to the new company strategy. Companies should be asking themselves what information employees need to access, what systems currently hold that information, and is the information stored in systems that can be accessed remotely. If companies want to evolve and emerge successfully during this health crisis, they need to digitize everything that moves, digitize business processes, and determine the right way to provide access to this information. line with the new strategy, companies will definitely have to relook at their policies and procedures, and these could include code of conduct, health and safety, work from home, travel etc.
6. Change Management Plan
Companies will not be able to do the above without a structured change management plan. If possible, companies will need to bring on board change management specialist to assist them with this new shift in culture to ensure that all employees are not left behind and that they understand the nature and the impact of the change and how this change will impact in their own careers. Should companies rush this change process, this can be a recipe for disaster with employees possible ending up at CCMA/ or Labour Court.
7. Communications Plan
Most companies say that employees are their greatest assets however this is not evident in their behavior especially when to comes to the investment in employee communication. Communication is often resources starved and kept out of strategy engagement entirely. However, during this health crisis and company shift communications becomes imperative. Companies will need to establish regular communication channels, build a sense of connection, support collaborative and productivity and build an ecosystem of speed and scale in order to get all employees on board as the company is shifting in preparation for this new world of work.
Shifting the company culture to a more people centric culture should really be at the top of the agenda for business leaders. Should companies fail to place focus and emphasis on people centric culture, I’m afraid those company will be running on empty. Companies need to evolve, and people should be at the center of this new shift in preparing for the future world of work.
Nomazibulo Tshanga is the Founder and Managing Director of Ziyana Business Consulting and Training. She’s passionate about gender transformation, accelerating the growth of women in leadership, mentorship and youth development. She holds a National Diploma and Baccalaureus Technologiae in Human Resources Management as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration. She also holds an Executive Development Programme from the Wits Business School. Before founding Ziyana Business Consulting and Training, Noma held HR positions at Coca- Cola, Schaeffler South Africa, Bidvest Facilities Management, CSIR and her last position in corporate was that of a HR Director at Bidvest Steiner. Noma is professionally registered as a member at the SABPP, APSO, BMF and is also a member of the Institute of Directors in Southern Africa.
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