This blog is brought to you by PCW Consulting Group
Prior to the World Pandemic taking a hold earlier this year, many organisations had become insular, bureaucratic, inflexible and rigid in their approaches. Many identifying that they had cultural challenges, finding it hard to move away from long existing operating models that seemed to be fit for purpose. Theorists have for many years stated that cultures are not easy to change.
The pandemic led to businesses overnight adapting to change in a way that they had never previously had too, with operating models being relinquished and employees being entrusted in ways they have never been before. For many businesses the pandemic in a perverse way, led to them shifting attitudes and culture overnight. Now changes have taken place, businesses are now asking who are we post pandemic? How will we re-grow and how will we operate in this new world?
Many of these questions were addressed previously in the post-World War era, with businesses on a global basis having to reinvent or rejuvenate themselves.
Who are we?
As a business you will have undoubtedly had a set of values, a purpose and maybe even a corporate set of mission values. They have over the years become your mantra and foundations in your ability to recruit, win work, and educate external parties what your business was about. At the start of the year you, your employees, and your clients could easily identify with these. Having reviewed them over the past few months, you will realise that these may no long be fit for purpose.
Your cultural shift will have been visible during the crisis, were you a business that historically had employees working in a traditional office, to now grappling with the concept of remote working? Or perhaps you were used to face-face business meetings and are now getting to grips with running a business via Video Conferencing.
It is useful to reassess the business purpose; many have reviewed their annual business plans, to realise that the strategies are no longer fit for purpose, as the markets no longer exist or for some, business will have grown.
During World War Two, Coca-Cola quickly marketed itself as a symbol of US war effort by offering free drinks to soldiers, which in turn boosted its brand recognition in destination countries. By reacting swiftly and proactively in the expectancy of changing circumstances, this example demonstrates the impact change management has on strategic vision.
Employees at this time need a sense of direction – what are they now ‘turning up’ to work each day to do? It is therefore vital to review and recommunicate your business plans and to consider how your teams can engage and contribute to the change in direction.
In conjunction with the business plan review, it is also useful to re-iterate your company values, a useful reminder for those remote workers who you may have lost connection over recent months. Leaders must role model your company values, for example, if agility is a core value, be confident that Leaders are demonstrating this and not being bureaucratic when making critical decisions during this challenging period.
How will we operate?
The traditional hierarchical operating structure has been taken over by the pandemic, with chains of command having to adapt and demonstrate agility. Historically you may have heard employees say, “it’s not my job”. In recent months employees have corralled together and demonstrated true teamwork like during the wartime efforts.
Teams have operated outside the pre-pandemic structures and have demonstrated ‘network models’ have succeeded. This model has empowered employees and teams to make decisions and have enabled talent to flourish, with those eager to demonstrate their abilities thriving on the devolved responsibilities.
Along with the empowerment of internal talent, remote working has also led to the flexibility to now recruit talent from wider geographical locations. No longer do we need to recruit from the radius of the office location.
How will we grow?
With the spotlight being shone on internal talent and the ease to acquire talent from a wider geographical pool, businesses need to ensure ‘right people, right role’ underpin strategic choices and growth plans. There will be a need to invest in training at all levels to support a cultural shift.
Learning experiences have had to evolve, Learning and Development professionals are now offering an array of remote learning experiences. Meaning employees are not lost for weeks at a time to attend traditional training sessions.
Digital behaviours have significantly changed due to COVID-19, with platform companies overnight seeing significant uptake in their video conferencing offerings. How we now engage with our employees, supply chains and customers has become more flexible, time efficient, and ‘green’. Therefore, many businesses will be keen to ensure that platforms remain in place to become the new norm.
This pandemic has led to significant changes in our day-to-day world, leading businesses to re-identify, re-establish and re-build.
To discuss your current challenges and how we may be able to support please get in touch via www.pcwconsultinggroup.com, email private@pcwconsultinggroup.com or call 0800 037 5029.
Michelle Page
Head of Organisational Design and Development
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