In my last blog I reflected on several aspects of the way an organisation is designed to thrive, or in some cases survive. In particular how the ecosystem of organisations are being tested or rapidly changing with the Corona Crisis.
In the days when CC’s were the shorthand for Corn Chips, rather than the Corona Crisis, organisations put time and energy in to getting the foundations of the business in place. As we experience this extraordinary and unwanted invasion on the way we do business, we are seeing how some foundations are holding organisations together, how some are crumbling and new ones are being created.
Whilst the foundations of a business incorporate technology, supply chains, finance and others elements, my focus is the policies, processes and systems that support employees to deliver.
As one of the four components of Organisation Design in the Kandula People Performance Model, Solid Foundations include elements such as:
- People policies & processes
- Business processes required for employees to deliver
- Talent development programmes and processes
- The working environment and how it supports or hinders
- The technology employees use to do their jobs
- The way health and safety is managed
Depending on the organisation, where it is on its growth journey and the environment it is operating in, the way each element is managed will be different.
Whilst we’re in this state of change the main challenges for organisations will come with the policies and processes, the working environment, technology and health and safety. We are already seeing that some policies need to be ripped up, whilst others are being created in an instant.
The most obvious of these changes, is the shift to working from home. Some organisations will have tried and tested approaches for this, others will feel as though they’ve been thrown in the deep end. Organisations are reacting quickly and will need to review their current flexible working and use of technology policies. It’s also worth bearing in mind that the policies introduced now will need reviewing again as we move towards a new normal.
This also raises questions about the way work space is being used. In the short term offices may be closed down, and there may be longer term changes.
Another people policy that is under the spotlight is anything to do with layoffs, redundancies and changing working hours for employees. Again, the requirements for now are different to the way it has been and will be different to the way it will be in the future.
Even though we’re experiencing something quite extraordinary in the workplace, in a slightly bizarre way, I’m excited about the future. In the months ahead it will be fascinating to work with organisations who get through this crisis, who will take stock and see which of their foundations have changed for the better and which foundations are obsolete.
For organisations that are grappling with how to adapt and would like to have a chat I’m here to help.
Now could be the time to do a quick review to see what will serve your organisation at this time.
