When will the pandemic end? When can we get back to working like we used to? Is the end in sight? The answers to all these questions vary and even as we speak experts are arguing about the most likely scenarios as both the virus and human nature prove too unpredictable to pin down. As leaders in business, we continue to grapple with the uncertainties that this pandemic has brought. The truth is, whether we are going back to the office or just moving back to a more hybrid workplace, we have to think about building back towards a new future.
So how do we build back better in a changed world that we have now inherited? First, we must accept that this pandemic has accelerated us into a future we were reticently moving towards, a more digital future. Notably, the adoption automation tools, and remote work applications has meant that we have now crossed over from this being a possible option, to being a default one. To build back better means that as leaders we must ask some very important questions to reposition ourselves, our teams and organisations for success going forward.
Here are some of the questions we need to ask to Build Back Better whether coming out of Covid or going through it:
- How have the needs, wants and expectations of our customers changed as result of the pandemic?
To succeed going forward we have to change with our customer/client needs. What worked well for many years before the pandemic will not be enough to take us to the future. If you haven’t already done so, you need to spend time on this question and find answers that will set you ahead of your competition. Burrowing and sticking to what you have been doing is not only foolish, but it may very well bring about your demise. How will the changes in your customer needs affect your services, products, purpose, skill gaps and opportunities?
- What infrastructure best positions us for future success?
The pandemic shifted our focus on what infrastructure we should be investing in. With remote, flexible and hybrid work on the rise the question we should be asking is where should we be investing more to succeed?
- Should we re-evaluate traditional measures of value within our organisation?
So many of the things and resources we placed so much value on before the pandemic, simply don’t make sense anymore. Are there roles and people we should be valuing more, not only in business but in society in general? We can use this opportunity to re-imagine what we value, celebrate and reward in our organisations that’s more aligned with our new reality.
- Re-Evaluate: What did we do better and what could have been done better?
The best way to build better into the future is by making sure that we learn from the lessons of this period. This means spending time evaluating and critically looking at how we did. What lessons are we taking into the future with us and how will we apply them for future success?
About the author of today’s Tuesday Tip – Buhle Dlamini
Buhle Dlamini can speak to your leadership team about Building Back Better AC/DC (After Covid / During Covid). This offering is designed for leaders and senior teams to have a strategic conversation about how to thrive during the current crisis and build back better into the future. The aim to provide context and guide leaders to make future-fit decisions about the way forward.