A year that has tested us all.
The shockwaves caused by Covid-19 have had a major impact upon every organisation. We all had to re-assess how we operate and deliver our services. Effective leadership and pragmatic management decision making gave focus to the essential change priorities and what really matters at work, home and in our lives.
The most significant global changes were in the rapid transfer to the virtual workplace and the accelerated shift of how and where work and learning take place.
Similar to the majority of organisations, Eliesha adjusted to being a completely remote working organisation, ensuring the quality and continuity of support for customers. Our technology-enabled, expert-led virtual learning services, together with our engaging online learning content, successfully supported our service delivery in response to diverse customer needs.
Interestingly, in assessing the knowledge and skills commonly required across diverse customers and sectors, clear workforce development needs and support trends emerged. We’re pleased to share these trends below – you may find that you’re not alone in your challenges!
As you might imagine, support was provided to build organisational and workforce confidence in remote working. Interventions helped people to be motivated, effective and productive whilst working remotely, as well as developing skills in the management of remote workers. Managers and leaders required skills and tools to improve their own resilience, in order to better cope with challenge and change, and build a resilient culture to help others do the same.
In complementary support of this, there was the need to equip managers and leaders with the capability and agility to think creatively, make difficult decisions and do things differently. Importantly, a golden thread was the continuing need for the development of key management and leadership skills. This investment has proved to be critically essential. Recent research demonstrates that organisations with the asset of skilled leaders and managers, particularly effective line managers, have been better able to deliver the value of maintaining staff and customer engagement, performance and production, during the prolonged period of challenge.
In looking to the future, there is talk of returning to a ‘new normal’.
However, concerns about Covid-19 are continuing well into the new year, together with the impending implications of Brexit – deal or no deal. This implies that more change is likely and many existing changes will be enduring. Again, recent research by professional bodies CMI and ILM, reinforces the view that organisations will not be reverting to how things were. Many organisations are entering 2021 with the understanding and motivation to think differently, do things differently, do them better – and in new ways, improve performance.
In support of your workforce development challenges, we hope you will continue to access and benefit from these blogs, as well as take up the opportunity to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and attend our popular series of free webinars, which will continue in 2021.
We look forward to our continuing dialogue and wish you a happy, healthy and much improved 2021.
