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Core Values, Principles and the Materialisation of “What”

Core Values Principles and the Materialisation of “What?”

Core Values, Principles and the Materialisation of "What?"

By putting effort into our "Why" and "How", the effect will naturally follow through into "What" we do.

- ​​​Excerpt-

Over the past two weeks, we have shared articles centred around the “Golden Circle” as cited by Simon Sinek. In case you missed it, we published; Why core beliefs are important for any business and The core values and realisation of “how”

The Golden Circle business theory starts with "Why" we do what we do. Equally important, perhaps even more so, is "What" we do. Having discovered our motivation, and having laid out core principles, we finally turn what we do from a meaningless task into something that enriches ourselves and those who choose to do business with us.  

According to Sinek, the "Why" and the "How" exist in the limbic brain. These are the parts of the brain primarily involved in emotions. The "What" exists in the neocortex which is responsible for conscious and rational thought. The "Why" and the "How", through constant reinforcement and conscious practice become like tying a shoelace. They become part of our subconscious and as such, are ultimately exhibited in the "What" - the goods and products we provide, as well as the actions taken to implement our core values and principles.

How does this concept translate into success?

Firstly, success needs to be defined. In our world of business, characterised by profit-focused initiatives, success boils down to simply making money. However, human beings are far more complex than that. The old cliché that money doesn't buy happiness is inarguably true although it provides more comfort to those few who have it. And since we spend a vast amount of our personal time at work, it stands to reason that we should find reasons for happiness and fulfilment in the workplace and the work that we do.

In short, success needs to address the systemic need for money as well as the human need for emotional gratification. Understanding Sinek's Golden Circle of "Why?, "How?", and "What?" also means that seeking emotional gratification is not simply left to the individual. It is important for the individual to feel comfortable and to contribute to the company culture, and vice versa. By putting effort into our "Why" and "How", the effect will naturally follow through into "What" we do. By integrating into a business, and consciously adding to these values, the results will be significant, as the business is already, and constantly adding to your potential for emotional satisfaction. If one could quantify human emotions and gratification, in this case, the whole would certainly be greater in a collective manner.

Omni HR Consulting exists as a notable example of these ideals in that its vision ("Why"), its core principles ("How"), and the services it sells ("What") all interact with each other in positive ways that enrich the lives of those in its value-chain, such as, employees, clients and learners. The organisational vision statement: “Creating Standards Others are Drawn to”  is realised by enacting the core principles which in turn generates a service that is peerless in its quality, created by those with a stated purpose and a passion for it.

Contributor:

Greg Beyer
Researcher at Omni Academy for Education, Training and Development

References: 

Sinek, S. 2009. "Start with Why?". Portfolio.


Related Posts

Having discovered our motivation (“Why”), and laid out core principles (“How”), we finally turn to “What” we do and how it translates into business success.

Most companies and people know “how” they do what they do. A carpenter knows how to sand wood. Similarly, a company knows how it sells its product. The “How” …

Personally, I do not believe that the traditional approach to training and development will support long-term future sustainability for either the Skills…

The Core Values and the realisation of “How?”

The Core Values And The Realisation Of How

The Core Values and the realisation of "How?"

The Core Values And The Realisation Of How

The difference between "Why" and "How" in this regard is the vision and the mission statement.

- ​​​Excerpt-

Searching for justification and meaning in work is necessary for emotional fulfilment. In our last article, we discussed the concept of "Why?” as explained by the business theorist Simon Sinek. Businesses with strong core beliefs not only provide this meaning to their business but also provide emotional support and gratification for the employees who share the visions of these core beliefs. As such, it is necessary for businesses to seek out employees who believe in their mission and their principles. And thus, a beneficial association of emotional wellbeing is attained.

Most companies and people know “how” they do what they do. A carpenter knows how to sand wood. Similarly, a company knows how it sells its product. The "How" is an extremely important part of business operation. However, when it comes to core values and the implementation thereof, it is easy to simply pay lip-service to them and try to justify how our everyday activities fit into those core values rather than making time to consciously enact those core values. The difference between "Why" and "How" in this regard is the vision and the mission statement. The "Why" addresses the vision and thus the intent of the business. "How" is summarised by the mission statement wherein details are provided in how the business enacts the "Why".

When addressing core values, a business needs a clear idea of how to engage with the values. It is no good to simply tell staff and customers to hold values of, for example, honesty or liberty.  These values must be promoted and acted upon by members of the business. Jeff Ruby points out four ways of instilling core values:

  1. Encourage conversations about your core values
  2. Make your core values visible
  3. Recognise employees who emulate your core values
  4. Hold each member of your team accountable to your core values

Adherence to these methods can be done in many ways limited only by your creativity. It is important not only to envision positivity in the outcome but also through the implementation of the core values. Discussions can be engaging and interesting and workshops can be fun. Through this, employers and employees not only have something to strive for that goes beyond the physical purpose of the business, but they have methods of how to strive.

Let us help you align / realign your Corporate Culture

Corporate Culture is a set of values, attitudes, beliefs and standards that guide the way the organisation interacts with their employees and customers and can be seen in the organisation structure, strategy, goals and how business is conducted.

Omni HR Consulting provides business and people development solutions through training and consulting services. We can support teams (at all levels in the business) to align or realign to the organisations’ strategic drivers and the tactical approach to realise the company/organisational strategy and related goals.  Get in touch with us today!

Contributor:

Greg Beyer
Researcher at Omni Academy for Education, Training and Development

References: ​

Sinek, S. 2009. "Start with Why?". Portfolio.

Red Rock Leadership​​, ​Accessed 16 June 2020. Article by Ruby, J. 2017.


Related Posts

Having discovered our motivation (“Why”), and laid out core principles (“How”), we finally turn to “What” we do and how it translates into business success.

Most companies and people know “how” they do what they do. A carpenter knows how to sand wood. Similarly, a company knows how it sells its product. The “How” …

Personally, I do not believe that the traditional approach to training and development will support long-term future sustainability for either the Skills…

Self-Directed Learning – 2020 and beyond

Self-Directed Learning – 2020 and beyond

Self-Directed Learning – 2020 and beyond

In our current climate, unpacking the concept of self-directed learning seems appropriate. In a South African context, before the national-declared lockdown, most training and development organisations found themselves in client engagements which resulted from traditional training activities being halted. The uncertainty of what the long-term effects of both the lockdown and social distancing will have on our traditional learning delivery mechanism, such as face-to-face learning, is still unclear in addition to when traditional delivery may resume.

Personally, I do not believe that the traditional approach to training and development will support long-term future sustainability for either the Skills Development Partner, the Learner or Workplace. COVID-19 has placed a magnifying glass on our traditional and sometimes re-active strategies linked to Skills Development. It has highlighted some key flaws.

According to the World Economic Forum: “Access to skilled workers is already a key factor that sets successful organisations apart from failing ones. In an increasingly data-driven and complex future, this difference will become even more acute. Skills gaps across all industries are poised to grow in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and other emerging technologies are happening in ever shorter cycles, changing the very nature of the jobs that need to be done - and the skills needed to do them - faster than ever before.”

A short-term solution to the skills gap challenge that we are facing, which is growing at an alarming rate, is acquisition. You can pay a premium for talent, but this strategy inflates scarcity and price of the skill and does not serve the long-term sustainability of the skill nor the workplace. We should also not forget that the skills required today will be obsolete within a much shorter timeframe, as we are in a continuous change cycle that is further compounded by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA).

What is an equitable approach? 

Organisations’ have to realise that investing in their workforce (learners) to re-skill is non-negotiable. We cannot continue a skills acquisition pathway – we need to develop the skills we need. We need to participate in the value chain for Skills Development to enable industry sustainability, not only ensuring organisational sustainability. Tapping into collaboration across the value chain is important. We need to work with each other. Organisations and skills development partners and policymakers need to engage to ensure Skills Development Strategies align to the increasing demand of future skills. One could say we need to all work toward a culture of lifelong learning!

I maintain that we are in a Skills Development era that requires two unique skills development pathways; One focused on the skills required for the current context and the other totally future-focused. The Skills Development Strategy is therefore no longer a one-dimensional or reactive one, it requires a broad contextual understanding of global challenges, local implication, and individual application. We need to be visionary, aspirational and contextual and then align this thinking to the individuals’ (employee/learner) unique circumstances.

Self-Directed Learning as a Model

Learners (employees) are responsible owners and managers of their own learning process and integrate self-management with self-monitoring.  A co-dependent relationship between the workplace and learner emerges.

The workplace needs to have a Lifelong Learning Culture – one that proactively advocates learning and upskilling with employees that take personal responsibility for their skills development. This is a symbiotic relationship that has far-reaching mutual benefits. 

Taking Malcolm Knowles’ (1975) influential definition of Self-Directed Learning into consideration and we unpack the model within the current global challenges it is obvious that Self-Directed Learning is going to play an instrumental role in the months and years to come within Skills Development.

In its broadest meaning, self-directed learning describes a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes.

- Knowles, 1975, p. 18-

Believe it or not, his views were seen as a threat to education and the educational construct when first published. I do not want to debate academic rigour. In fact, the debate I believe is beyond the academic sphere and is best framed within the context of unprecedented change and uncertainty. Yes, these are the buzz words for the season we are in, but we cannot deny the impact the current global pandemic has on Skills Development.

We are in unprecedented times and within a few weeks, we have seen our traditional educational systems adapting to virtual and electronic mediums. We no longer have the luxury of years for planning, testing and project-implementation; not to mention the impact the flux has on the Employer, the Skills Development Partner and Learner.

We currently find ourselves in a continuous change paradigm! Psychologists Don Kelley and Daryl Conner developed the Emotional Cycle of Change. They identified five distinct phases people go through as they experience major changes in their life. In context:  take a learner who is enrolled in a programme like the Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC): Generic Management in January 2020. The learner would have considered the impact of enrollment based on work demands, study demands and personal life. I do not believe thought was given to the impact of a potential global pandemic within the year of upskilling and development; do you? But the learner nevertheless finds this to be the reality.

We start with Stage 1 of the Emotional Cycle of Change: Uninformed Optimism;  we can conclude that the learner potentially contemplated: “I do not know what to expect. It cannot be that bad let us give it a try.  Working from home how bad can it be? Self-study, webchats throughout  my qualification – this should be manageable.”

Then Stage 2, Informed Pessimism kicked in: “No way, this is chaos! What do I do with my kids? The curriculum is not clear – this was better in class; how will this work? How will I submit my assignments? My internet sucks! I have no resources to do this. “ And this is where I believe we are now.

Stage 3 to 5 (Stage 3: Hopeful realism; Stage 4: Informed Optimism; Stage 5: Completion): we are getting to. Furthermore, we are not only asking our learners to adapt but workplaces as well. Not to mention the adaption the Skills Development Partners have to make to ensure that skills solutions are still relevant, contextual and filled with rigour to enable the continuation of learning and development. The time is now for all of us to contribute collaboratively towards the sustainability of our next generation and future workforce, but this is easier said than done.

Self-Directed Learning key characteristics, (a) Continuous exercise of authentic control and (b) Ability to gain access and choose from reliable and available resources gives us insight into the challenges we face.

Continuous exercise is driven by the learner, nearly like the concept of continuous professional development. It is the authentic control the learner has over the learning process. This decision-making process that is required from the learner relies heavily on the individual’s ability to set goals for the learning effort, estimate the resources that will be required and the methods that will work best for the learner.

Ability to gain access and choose from reliable and available resources implies that the learner has access to data, internet, computer, electricity (to name a few). Secondly, that resources are reliable and available, such as facilitator/tutor, reference guides, study notes, mentors, coaches, workplace support, and a conducive environment.

Herein lies the challenge – we are requiring learners to be self-directed, a demand in the change of consciousness (the known paradigm) – with little to no time to adapt to the change or consciousness. On reflection: what were the levels of self-direction pre-lockdown and pre-Covid-19 of the learner cohort? Do we understand that the level of self-direction we now need from our learners is integrated into their level of emotional maturity and self-awareness? How do we provide an equitable solution for the challenge?

A collaborative and inclusive approach to establishing a self-directed learning culture is needed. We need to take a closer look at what might be required to cultivate this, taking six key considerations into account:

Self-Directed Learning – 2020 and beyond

1. Take the initiative

Self-Directed Learning usually takes place in association with various kinds of helpers (teachers, tutors, mentors, peers). There is a lot of mutuality among a group of self-directed learners. (Knowles, 1975, p.18)

It must be our first consideration to establish what support systems need to be in place to provide our learners with guidance and support. Moving traditional-based learning (classroom, face-to-face learning) to virtual and/or e-Learning will require organisational learning culture changes. Working closely with learners and Skills Development Partners will ensure a shift towards self-direction (ownership) of the learning experience and the support mechanisms will unlock the mutuality between the cohort of learners.

The Harvard Business Review cites: The role of the chief learning officer isn’t just about training anymore “The need for organisations to become more adaptable means changing the goals of corporate learning. Instead of narrowly focusing on job or compliance-related training for all but their high-potential leaders, organisations should cultivate every employees’ ability to explore, learn, and grow (in other words encourage self-direction).  The objective is not only to train people but also position the company for success.” Do you see how this links to an organizational Learning Culture and how the collaborative model of engagement between the Employer, Learners and Skills Development Partner can help achieve this? Furthermore, it will contribute to the diminishing of skills scarcity.

2. Diagnosing their learning needs 

McKinsey on Adapting workplace learning in the time of coronavirus states: “…businesses can’t afford to put capability building on hold. Whether the effort is reskilling at the business-unit level or a company-wide aspirational transformation, companies can’t simply push the pause button on critical workplace learning, even as they move rapidly to put employee safety first.

To continue enabling and delivering value-creating efforts, learning leaders have a number of tactical steps they can consider to protect employees, adapt programmes and delivery, and establish and expand virtual learning. Digital and virtual learning programmes were already on the rise before COVID-19 struck, and we already see a marked increase in such learning programmes, which many younger employees embrace.”

Referencing back to my previous comments around Skills Development pathways and Lifelong Learning.;  it is our collective responsibility to understand the unique learning needs of not only the organisation, department, team – but also the individual. If COVID-19 has taught us anything; to enable continuous development, we need to understand the individual learning challenges, like access to data, with the level of self-direction the individual has. This needs to be built into a clear Development Stack that supports the individual learner from a career progression and skills development perspective, but also aligns to the unique needs of the organisations current and future skills requirements.

We need to diagnose the learning needs in such a way that currency is top of mind – for immediate application and future contextual application. Consider the concept of data and how it influences decision-making. One of our key future contextual skill requirements for most individuals and organisations would be the development of data-driven decision-making. This skill is key for nearly everyone in the world of work, but for different reasons and application. We need to work on developing our people and teams in such a way that they can use data to activate decision-making – digital-data competency. In other words, how do we interpret data and integrate it into our decision-making? … A very different cognitive skill.

3. Formulating learning goals

I find myself referring to collaboration across the value-chain when considering formulation of learning goals related to self-directed learning. It strikes me that to be able to craft effective skills development pathways we need all the stakeholders. The learner needs to consider the context in which they want to develop. They need to recognize the need for development and more so for continuous development within the current global talent market. Adults are motivated to learn as they experience needs and interests that learning will satisfy. Their orientation to learning is life-centred – career progression, growth, personal interest and they tend to find experience as a rich source of learning. In my opinion the sooner and more often learning gets applied in real-life scenarios, the more likely it is to STICK! Therefore, the contextual framework of skills development within the organisation becomes critical. Is the learner able to see the intent of the development? Has the skills development partner created a development stack that supports not only the workplace but also the learners need for self-direction?

The preceding questions need to be integrated within the organizational context; reference (for example) the need for digital-data competency, as noted in point 2 above. Formulating learning goals need to be shaped by skills development pathways. As mentioned previously; pathways which are focused on the skills required for the current context and one that is totally future-focused. The current context will be more competency-focused and the future-focused skills development pathway would be more capability- focused.

Self-Directed Learning – 2020 and beyond

4. Identifying human and material resources for learning

The experience of locating resources and discovering new information and opportunities is contagious. The more learners feel the pride of figuring it out on their own, the more they will feel empowered to keep learning and will repeat the pattern of discovery. In today’s open online environment learners can pursue knowledge through massive open online courses (MOOCs). Let’s be honest, most of us search the web if we need to learn something quickly and want to have a rudimentary understanding. YouTube, TedTalks and so many more options are available for the enquiring mind. But most Skills Development Partners will attest to the fact that creating a framework for learners to engage in learning through self-discovery is hugely beneficial. The framework allows for equal access and opportunity to engage so that the skills transfer (learning) is considered and crafted to meet not only the learners need for self-direction, but also the organisations one for consistency, competency, capability and a learning culture.

Organisations would need to consider how they engage in creating a learning environment that is able to ensure effective skills transfer that is beneficial for all. I believe the power lies in the value-chain. Collaboration is key and working with nimble, agile, and strategic thinkers that engage the leaders of the organization to help craft solutions that are learner-centric and meet the organisations’ demand is critical. This is a symbiotic relationship between the Employer, Learner and Skills Development Partner.

5. Choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies

In this instance, this is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Traditional based skills development that is not highly adaptable to the environment and/or the unique needs of the learner is going to have a major negative impact in the future world of work. Digital learning (both virtual and electronic) allows us to expand our reach of learning opportunities.

It is very encouraging to witness the accelerated speed at which learning strategies are being adapted to meet not only the challenges that the (COVID-19) global pandemic has brought about but also the unique needs of the organisation and learner. Skills Development Partners should work closely with stakeholders (employer and learner) to create engaging and effective skills development solutions that meet their unique needs. 

It is important to create learning strategies that allow for digital application, blended learning application and face-to-face application. One cannot be seen as better than the other, in fact, the true power lies in a combination of the learning strategies deployed.

Omni Online Learning Methodologies

6. Evaluating learning outcomes

In my opinion, two of the most critical aspects of evaluating the learning outcomes is currency and relevance. It is important that learning must be framed within the current context of the environment and/or application required. All stakeholders need to work together to ensure the learner has the most current learning content. To ensure that this is a reality we need to engage the value-chain; as “currency’ is continuously under threat due to the speed of change. So, not only must the Skills Development Partner ensure continuous review of content, but employers need to engage the Skills Development Partner and learner for contextual environmental updates. The learner has to get the reality that continuous learning is the way of survival in an extremely competitive and evolving world of work.  

The relevance of the outcomes to the world of work micro and macro application must be given equal consideration. This requires Skills Development Partners working with the self-directed learner to ensure personal aspirations, interests, and associated experiences of the learner, i.e. personal relevance,  is stacked within the contextual relevance of workplace problems and real-world issues.

Consideration of Instruction (learning), Introspection (reflection) and Immersion (practical application) is important when evaluating learning. We need to encourage the entire value-chain to be active participants in this.

Self-Directed Learning is here to stay. Technology advancement and rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) are challenging the way in which learning of individuals and teams are framed by Employers and Skills Development Partners. Organisations require employees’ (learners) autonomy and self-directedness alongside agile operations and low hierarchies. Learning is also increasing the responsibility of the individuals as it requires self-management and self-monitoring. The multidimensional concept of self-directed learning is essential in the new world of work and learning. It is a constant cycle within the continuous change paradigm.

As the great philosopher John Dewey stated over one hundred years ago, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.”

- EXCERPT -


Related Posts

Having discovered our motivation (“Why”), and laid out core principles (“How”), we finally turn to “What” we do and how it translates into business success.

Most companies and people know “how” they do what they do. A carpenter knows how to sand wood. Similarly, a company knows how it sells its product. The “How” …

Personally, I do not believe that the traditional approach to training and development will support long-term future sustainability for either the Skills…

Why core beliefs are important for any business

Why core beliefs are important for any business

Why core beliefs are important for any business

Why core beliefs are important for any business

Human beings are immensely complex creatures. We have emotional needs that do not fit snugly into simplistic ideals of socio-economic order.

- EXCERPT -

Why do we work?

The answer to this may seem straightforward, but in reality, it isn't. When we break society down into its individual elements, the logical answer is to say that we work to make money so that we can live. This is a logical explanation, but life isn't that simple. Human beings are immensely complex creatures. We have emotional needs that do not fit snugly into simplistic ideals of socio-economic order.

For many of us, the drudgery of day-to-day work takes a toll on our psyche as individuals. Even the most profitable jobs can leave us feeling empty and unsatisfied. It is thus, necessary for our mental wellbeing to justify and designate reasons for our work. And while this may seem like something that the individual is responsible for doing, there are significant benefits for businesses to invest in emotional support for their employees.

With this in mind, we can examine the success of businesses that have strong core-beliefs that help transcend the self-serving employer-employee dynamic that is prevalent throughout the world. Simon Sinek, the author of "Start with Why" (2009), provides much insight into purpose-driven business attitudes and functions. He sheds light on how to improve the relationship between employers and employees so that all who take part feel emotionally fulfilled. Sinek's theory revolves around what he calls the "Golden Circle" -- three concentric rings representing from the innermost to the outermost, 'Why?", "How?", and "What?".

The "why?" questions the reason for the business or the job's existence. It questions the cause and what the beliefs are. The "How?" asks which specific actions are taken to realise the "Why?", and "What?" addresses the result of this process. According to Sinek, much of what constitutes finding success and fulfilment in the realm of work can fit into this template. This speaks directly to the business with strong core beliefs.

A business that addresses these questions properly will benefit its employees, its customers, and ultimately its stakeholders. This benefit will not just be in monetary, but emotional terms as well. A business that has a set of strong core beliefs will also show that it has a passion for what it does, and it is this passion that influences all within its sphere of operation. It gives meaning to the work done by the employees who will feel satisfied with the fact that they are contributing to the positive outcome engendered by the core beliefs of the business. It is important that a business employs people who share these core beliefs. By doing so, the business addresses its "Why?" by joining with it, people who have the passion to work towards a common goal.

Ultimately, there needs to be a symbiotic relationship between the employer and the employee that goes beyond the simplicity of profit-making. It is by addressing why we want to make a profit that drives the emotional success of the business and its employees.

Omni HR Consulting has developed a new leadership approach to gear leaders for the changes brought about by the 4th Industrial Revolution. ACORN (an acronym) to the leadership approach is both practical and operational and can be implemented in any environment. An environment that cares and acknowledges that “we’re all in it together” will create conditions that allow for growth and upskilling, yielding a purpose-driven team.  To learn more about ACORN  visit our website

Contributor: Greg Beyer
Researcher at Omni Academy for Education, Training and Development

References: Sinek, S. 2009. "Start with Why?". Portfolio.


Related Posts

Having discovered our motivation (“Why”), and laid out core principles (“How”), we finally turn to “What” we do and how it translates into business success.

Most companies and people know “how” they do what they do. A carpenter knows how to sand wood. Similarly, a company knows how it sells its product. The “How” …

Personally, I do not believe that the traditional approach to training and development will support long-term future sustainability for either the Skills…

Self-Directed Education at Work

Self Directed Education At Work

Self-Directed Education at Work

Self Directed Education At Work

 It is, perhaps, ironic that limitations imposed on society are responsible for the success of certain functions and learning adaptations.

- EXCERPT -

In our current climate, specific to the restrictions brought about by COVID-19, it is valuable for many people to increase their own responsibility for driving learning and acquiring the skills necessary to succeed in their careers; through active participation in various online courses available to them. It is, perhaps, ironic that limitations imposed on society are responsible for the success of certain functions and learning adaptations.  In this respect, it is easy to see that online communication and learning, is becoming not just a more efficient way of succeeding in careers and education but will become a vital part of society.

A good example to note is the approach of Just-in-Time Learning which stresses the promotion of information in bite-size chunks for easy dissemination. This works especially well in replacing traditional methods of upskilling in the workplace, as time-consuming and costly workshops will be less relied upon. As is apparent with this dynamic, there is a greater reliance on individual rather than group responsibility. As businesses shift to this model of functioning, there is a greater level of trust put on individuals to manage their own education, be it within the business itself, or in the wider world of education.

Many people will enjoy the opportunities that come with this shift in operating. Similarly, there will be those who prefer more traditional methods. Nevertheless, the shift is happening and will continue to gain traction in the fields of business and education with various evident approaches being shared. This, in part, is a direct result of social order dynamics that are governed by adherence to global pandemic we are experiencing.

There are several avenues for taking charge of your own upskilling.

  1. Workplace or On-the-Job Upskilling: An employee could decide what skills they want to acquire and discuss with their line manager. Perhaps, taking on an extra project to benefit themselves as well as the business, by uncovering new abilities. Consideration needs to be taken as to how this extra work will impact the workload.
  2. Staying Connected: Open source and social platforms such as YouTube provides access to a myriad of resources. Although these are not as structured as accredited online learning; many videos are short and as thus easily consumed. The benefit of online learning is hassle-free, not having to attend workshops with set-schedules and therefore employees can learn in their own time.
  3. Employer-initiated Workshops: Many businesses offer e-Learning modules and webinars to help employees gain the skills necessary to improve themselves. One should not discount the benefit of peer-to-peer learning and colleagues serve as an invaluable resource as well.

As we march towards the future, we are reminded of how automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and robots will emerge, taking over jobs or functions within businesses that can be automated. In finding opportunities for upskilling, employees will also enhance their abilities in generating ideas. It is this ability for creative thinking that will be in high demand in the future, as repetitive tasks (within some job functions) will be automated. Human skills (skills that cannot be done by AI or robotics) will become more valuable.

Along with the need for creativity, is also the need for Emotional Intelligence (EQ). All jobs that require human interaction rely on this trait, example,  leadership and management positions, sales and marketing, HR, waiters and bartenders to name a few. Never underestimate the need for your emotions! Understanding how people think and being able to respond is a skill that is far beyond the capabilities of AI at present.

Ultimately, self-improvement cannot be done without self-management.

The world is rapidly changing around us. Every day brings new challenges, and new initiatives open to meet these challenges. What they do today may become redundant tomorrow. Those who maintain a high level in managing the acquisition of skills will not only protect themselves from redundancy but also improve their standing as an asset to their business.

Omni HR Consulting has done extensive research on the topic of Leadership, Artificial Intelligence and the Need to Redefine Future Skills Development. As a result, we have developed a curriculum of skills development solutions to assist leaders (and employees) to engage in the positive based future of Artificial Intelligence.

To learn more about the skills solutions to remain relevant well into the future, visit our website for all available open-programmes.  Alternatively, our e-Learning offering allows you to learn online, at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home – please visit our e-Learning platform: OmniStack

Contributor: Greg Beyer
Researcher at Omni Academy for Education, Training and Development


Related Posts

Having discovered our motivation (“Why”), and laid out core principles (“How”), we finally turn to “What” we do and how it translates into business success.

Most companies and people know “how” they do what they do. A carpenter knows how to sand wood. Similarly, a company knows how it sells its product. The “How” …

Personally, I do not believe that the traditional approach to training and development will support long-term future sustainability for either the Skills…

Is Just-in-Time Learning a Temporary Phenomenon?

Is Just In Time Learning A Temporary Phenomenon

Is Just-in-Time Learning a Temporary Phenomenon?

One could argue that Just-in-Time Learning is what is needed in our country (and the world) right now [...] due to COVID-19 and social-distancing norms.

- EXCERPT -

Having to learn new things can often be a daunting task. In the workplace, employees often do not have the time to get to grips with new concepts and ideas in training sessions in addition to meeting deadlines and working effectively. The added pressure on employees could create negative environments in which to work.

Just-in-Time Learning addresses this problem by making information easily accessible in bite-size chunks that can be disseminated and interacted with minimal effort, and as such, it's convenience cannot be denied. The application of this approach is done most often through the internet and by the use of computers and mobile devices. It is for this reason, that the rise to this approach is more evident as we experience the unprecedented situation that COVID-19 brings – with so many employees working from home.

Dynamic in nature, Just-in-Time Learning, bypasses many of the restrictions in which we currently find ourselves. We have no concrete idea as to when the pandemic will be over, or restrictions lifted. Societal action and interaction have increased the possibility for new epidemics (and pandemics) and therefore it is of great necessity that we have options that bypass the need for physical interaction in the business world, but not simply as a temporary measure. It needs to be a permanent fixture.

We have outlined the benefits to Just-in-Time learning, and in many ways, this approach exhibits success greater than systems before the COVID-19 crisis. We have learned that business can, contrary to popular belief, operate despite not having its employees in-office. It is likely that Just-in-Time Learning will continue long into the future.

Will Just-in-Time Learning be a sustainable learning practice?  One could argue that Just-in-Time Learning is what is needed in our country (and the world) right now and due to COVID-19 and social-distancing norms; regular face-to-face classroom interventions are unable to occur. One could further argue that due to the pandemic, individuals and organisations have needed to find ‘creative’ ways to ensure that skills are enhanced when and where it is needed. The reality though: COVID-19 and the pandemic have undoubtedly impacted all of us, especially learning practitioners. In saying so, Practitioners need to adapt to a new way of doing things, as returning to regular classroom (face-to-face) delivery may not be enough! Our world, society and communities have changed. Learners have changed. Organisations have changed. Our need for information and learning consumption too has changed.

Just-in-Time Learning will be sustainable as one has to consider who is sitting in the driving seat of the learning intervention. If a learner (or end-user) takes charge of their own learning, decides where, when and how they want to learn; acquiring skills on-demand meets the need and in part defines the concept of Just-in-Time Learning.

Omni HR Consulting has developed a full-service e-Learning platform called OmniStack, which is specifically designed to meet the changing environment and evolving development needs of individuals who are wanting to enhance their careers through a development pathway.

Not only does Omni Stack allow for on-demand learning but encourages individuals to “stack” their development, leading to progression linked to a specific career or industry.  The need for exponential transformation within the learning space is now! We need to evaluate and rethink our approach to learning and skills acquisition.

Get in touch with Omni HR Consulting, should you wish to discuss opportunities to help you or your organisation move to a digital way of learning.

Contributor: Greg Beyer
Researcher at Omni Academy for Education, Training and Development


Related Posts

Having discovered our motivation (“Why”), and laid out core principles (“How”), we finally turn to “What” we do and how it translates into business success.

Most companies and people know “how” they do what they do. A carpenter knows how to sand wood. Similarly, a company knows how it sells its product. The “How” …

Personally, I do not believe that the traditional approach to training and development will support long-term future sustainability for either the Skills…

What is Just-In-Time Learning: Can I benefit from it?

JUST-IN-TIME LEARNING

WHAT IS JUST-IN-TIME LEARNING: CAN WE BENEFIT FROM IT?

JUST-IN-TIME LEARNING

A key issue here is that Just-in-Time learning must be well laid out and the answers that are being sought must be easily identified and accessible.

- ​​​Excerpt-

Communication can be regarded as the lifeblood that connects human society. With the growing pace of communication, it is vital that if we want to be and remain competitive, we must make use, not only of technology but of ideas and theories of learning that encapsulate the desires for faster communication. The faster that communication can be achieved, the faster we can act and react.

Bearing this in mind, a particularly interesting avenue of investigation is "Just-in-Time Learning".

Just-in-Time Learning is not something that is directly defined. Moreover, it is a broad term to describe an organisational method of providing learning exactly when and how it is needed. Traditional methods rely on scheduled meetings and events that all members must adhere to in order to benefit. This can be disruptive in a negative sense, as it interrupts workflow and inconveniences both the business and the employee. The main difference is that Just-in-Time Learning operates on a level that offers flexibility in this regard, with the aim of making events accessible exactly when needed and via a variety of electronic methods such as laptops or mobile devices. In other words, the goal is to provide what is needed, when it is needed, and how it is needed in ways that bypass traditional logistical problems.

The emphasis here is on brief, bite-sized chunks of information, usually in the form of short videos that target a specific snippet of information. The user is not looking for a full learning experience, but a simple and quick answer to a question, a quick tutorial, an informative infographic, or an interactive exercise.  A key issue here is that Just-in-Time learning must be well laid out and the answers that are being sought must be easily identified and accessible. Success in this regard is that the learner, not being overwhelmed with reams of information, is more likely to retain the information relevant to their specific need.

In short, what is needed for the provider and the learner is the essence of brevity. Articles must be short and must address a single point. Videos must be concise and instructional, uncluttered with extra information, and must get straight to the point without lengthy introductions, repetitive explanations, and irrelevant facts.

The benefits of Just-in-Time Learning are clear when used in a corporate setting. Special attention must be given to the benefits in terms of worker productivity. Upskilling need not be long sessions requiring extensive and expensive logistical concerns. What is needed can be disseminated and engaged within every office space in the workers' own time. This includes mobile workers as Just-in-Time learning can be used through mobile platforms. As such, productivity does not suffer.  

Just-in-Time Learning optimises currency and learner control. It offers mature and convenient ways to access information from almost anywhere. It is a technological development for an increasingly younger and more technologically savvy workforce. In this regard, Just-in-Time learning is not simply a convenient development, but a necessity that addresses the demands of the millennial workforce.

Our environments,  educational systems and workplaces are changing at a rapid pace. As training providers and employers, we need to ensure we understand the psychographics of our future workforce and adapt accordingly to ensure we remain relevant in order to have a competitive advantage.

We have adopted a bit-learning approach to our e-Learning solutions, thus providing learners (and employers) with the opportunity to develop the required knowledge and skills on-demand. Take a moment to browse our catalogue of online solutions delivered via OmniStack.

Contributor: Greg Beyer
Researcher at Omni Academy for Education, Training and Development


Related Posts

Having discovered our motivation (“Why”), and laid out core principles (“How”), we finally turn to “What” we do and how it translates into business success.

Most companies and people know “how” they do what they do. A carpenter knows how to sand wood. Similarly, a company knows how it sells its product. The “How” …

Personally, I do not believe that the traditional approach to training and development will support long-term future sustainability for either the Skills…

PART 7 | Digital Transformation Strategy: A CEO Perspective

Digital Transformation Strategy A CEO Perspective

Digital Transformation Strategy: ​A CEO Perspective

Part 7 | Who led ​Digital Transformation ​within ​your Organisation?

Digital Transformation Strategy 5 Key Lessons

"Yes, technology plays an extremely important part, but it is the intent and purpose of the organisation that will drive the associated digital transformation not the technology."

- ​​​Lize Moldenhauer-

We recently hosted a Facebook Live event where we posed the question: Who led your Digital Transformation Strategy?

A: COVID-19

B: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or

C: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Before I get into the dialogue associated with the question,  I think it is prudent to unpack what is meant by Digital Transformation. From my perspective, ‘it is a foundational shift in how organisations deliver value to its customer or end-user’. This is easier said than done. What shift? What value?

Let’s start with value.

Stephen Covey’s bestselling book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People states: To begin with the end in mind! What is the value you want to create for the customer or end-user, in other words, have the end in mind: who is the person that will utilise the service or solution? And to truly understand this, we need to have an intimate understanding of consumer behaviour and needs. We need to be careful however not to fall into the trap of focusing too closely on being cutting-edge and relevant that we place most of our effort in technology solutions that don’t meet the consumer or end user's needs.

Organisations need to figure out what digital transformation means for their business and what their goals are before they go throwing a bunch of new technologies at poorly defined problems – this is the shift. Herein lies the golden thread of Digital Transformation – it is not so much about technology as it is about strategy. Yes, technology plays an extremely important part, but it is the intent and purpose of the organisation that will drive the associated digital transformation not the technology.

In the Wall Street Journal: Businesses Predict Digital Transformation to be Biggest Risk Factor in 2019, “Organisations need to gear up and align the culture, people, processes and intelligence gathering to embrace this rapidly changing environment.” said Protiviti Managing Director, Jim DeLoach.  I believe that this is still the reality. Businesses are scrambling, globally, to cope with the disruptive effect of COVID-19. The pandemic has far-reaching implications and has resulted in business survival tactics through digital “crisis” transformation.

This brings me back to the initial question: we are finding an extensive amount of businesses seeking survival through alternative strategies and therefore, adapt their services and solutions to a digital platform. This implies that Covid-19 (in some businesses) has led the Digital Transformation agenda and has disrupted business in an unprecedented manner. Business as usual is not working with the new realities that lockdown and social distancing has brought about globally.

Existing operational parameters, legacy technology infrastructure and a sharp decline in revenue forecasts pose a risk to companies. They are struggling to transform fast enough to survive and compete against companies that are “born” digital and/or has Digital Transformation in place. Covid-19 has placed a magnifying glass on Digital Transformation Strategies and businesses ability to adopt and adapt to this transformation. The more complex the organisation the more challenging the shift.

The Harvard Business Review article: Digital Transformation Is Not About Technology, refers to five key lessons of Digital Transformation. As an entrepreneur, business owner, shareholder and leader these lessons resonate with me.

Lesson one, figure out your business strategy before you invest in anything! When asked the question in our event, my answer was decisive and clear – our Digital Transformation Strategy was led by our Transformational Purpose:

  • to provide access to affordable, quality education post-school and,
  • to provide education for employability to eradicate poverty.

All decisions that are made within the context of Omni must support this purpose. Our intent does not change, why we do business does not change – we want to make a difference, but the way in which we do business, might. Therefore, 18-months ago, we established a Digital Transformation Committee whose primary directive was to digitize the entire organisation across our Transformational Purpose and our associated Strategic Objectives. To achieve this, you cannot work in isolation. It might be a visionary leader’s insight that opens the door to the need for digital transformation but occupying the building once the door is open needs a team.

That brings me to the second lesson: Leverage insiders.

The success of Digital Transformation sits in the diversity of the individuals that drive Digital Transformation. It is not about one leader’s influence or directive – it is about a diverse team challenging thought processes, scenario planning and co-accountability that ultimately leads to a sustainable Digital Transformation Strategy. Every proposal needs to support the intent of digitizing the entire organisation. To enable these strategies, we needed to frame our thinking very differently.

As a team we focused on creative, anything is possible, innovative, disruptive thinking. Mindsets must change; we need to think differently when engineering solutions. Remember the concept of starting with the end in mind?  That is exactly what we did – and that brings me to the next lesson.

Lesson three: Design customer experience from the outside in. It was not about our need for automation and convenience, we wanted to design and engineer experiences that made sense to our customers/ end-users.  

Think about all the noise that consumers are exposed to. One has to find a meaningful and authentic way to connect with your customer/ end-user. Solutions and services must be framed to help and serve. Personally, I don’t believe we can continue to sell. I know some of you might find this statement challenging.  We need to start framing our services and solutions in a way that helps people and supports people. If this unprecedented time of uncertainty and disruption is teaching us anything; it is that the currency for success is leadership and the demand is for authentic and individualized solutions.

I want to skip lesson four and first focus on lesson five: Bring Silicon Valley start-up culture inside. This is critical!

Lean and flat structures, rapid deployment of minimal viable products (MVP), agility, speed, quick decision making, and exponential change management strategies are needed to drive effective Digital Transformation. I believe that a major success factor for Omni has been the way in which we have deployed the start-up culture. From the diverse committee that strategically drives Digital Transformation to the various sub-committees that drive the operational and tactical aspects of the strategy.

The “sub-committees” are designed to be lean, agile and autonomous. It is about the end result, the customer /end-user experience and not micro-management and task-focused reporting. Understanding that in the current construct of business operations, nothing is ever finite or finished and this has helped us adopt a mindset of continuous professional development. It has enabled us to adapt fast and not be afraid of testing services and solutions that are still in the development phase. Technology and environmental aspects evolve way too fast to wait for perfection. Perfection - authentic individualized solutions – are achieved through testing and retesting with a mindset of evolvement, not arrival.

Lastly,  lesson four:  recognize employees’ fear of being replaced.

Within Digital Transformation, the change and adaption curve that employees experience are unprecedented. Covid-19 has aided this fear. The reality of global recession and associated job losses are the stark reality of what most of our employees read in the news and on social media. In addition, the global disruption of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the associated technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D-printing, Genetic engineering, Quantum computing, Blockchain and other disruptive technologies are a huge contributor to how employees feel about Digital Transformation. Here, our leadership currency is a real differentiator. We need an ethical approach to how we support our employees to remain current. We need to work on un-skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling our staff so that they remain relevant. A higher level of skill will be required. We will not be able to compete with technology, but we need to find a way to work effectively with technology to leverage human capabilities. Some of the skills that will be required from our employees are:

  • Complex Problem Solving (Use data to solve a problem which is complicated or intricate)
  • Critical & Computational Thinking (Interpret and manage massive amounts of data through the use of statistics)
  • Creativity (The ability to generate inventive ideas using blue-sky thinking and out of the box disciplines)
  • People Management (Manage, lead and influence people through a servant and situational leadership framework)
  • Collaborative Management (Collaborate as a cross-functional team in complex situations to solve problems with speed and agility)
  • Emotional Intelligence (To manage one’s emotional framework through self-awareness and develop empathy and social skills)
  • Judgement and Decision Making (To deploy thinking and cognitive processes that leads to making a decision)
  • Service Orientation (The ability to recognise and meet customer needs)
  • Negotiation Skills (The ability to find common ground & reach an agreement in complex and disruptive situations)
  • Cognitive Flexibility (Adapt strategies with ease in an evolving environment)

It should be our mission to provide our employees with opportunities for growth to enable Skills Devolvement that is relevant for the future world-of-work. It will require us as leaders to craft an integrated plan of Human Capital and Digital needs. In doing so, we will not only construct the organisational Digital Transformation Strategy but also the associated Human Capital needs that will be instrumental to support the strategy.

In closing, a Digital Transformation Strategy of any organisation should not be crisis or technology-driven. It should be driven by a strong organisational purpose and the associated desire to create value for its people,  customer and end-user.

Contributor: Lize Moldenhauer
Managing Director at Omni HR Consulting


Related Posts

Having discovered our motivation (“Why”), and laid out core principles (“How”), we finally turn to “What” we do and how it translates into business success.

Most companies and people know “how” they do what they do. A carpenter knows how to sand wood. Similarly, a company knows how it sells its product. The “How” …

Personally, I do not believe that the traditional approach to training and development will support long-term future sustainability for either the Skills…

PART 6 | Digital Transformation: A Change Management Perspective

Digital Transformation A Change Management Perspective T

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: A CHANGE MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

Part 6: Who led Digital Transformation within your Organisation?

" Acknowledging to your teams that you too are feeling pain makes you look more human in the eyes of your staff ".

- ​​​Dot Fernandez-

Who led Digital Transformation within your Organisation?

A: COVID-19

B: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or

C: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Introducing Dot Fernandez, Change Management Specialist at Omni HR Consulting

I have been a Change Manager since 2005 and joined the Omni team in 2015.  My portfolio is a blend of project and change management which is different to most portfolios in other organisations. At Omni, because we are slightly different, I have a foot in both spaces. 

From a Change Management point of view, we are finding that the rate of change that we have been experiencing has been quite progressive, but I think that within the last two years the pace at which change has happened has increased significantly. We have reached a place of unprecedented change where we don’t have a blueprint that we can look at as in the case of the pandemic, that guides us on what to do. What we are mindful of, is that this change does impact our business, not only for us as employees of Omni, but also our clients and our learners.

Q:  A lot of companies had to adapt because COVID-19 came at a time when they were not necessarily ready to implement Digital Transformation. What should people (organisations) generally consider when trying to implement any kind of change process? Are there general rules that apply?

DF: The first thing to be aware of is that, the minute when changes are announced (in any organisation), it is our instinct to have a bit of resistance and that this resistance is normal. It is there because it is our human nature to be comfortable with our status quo so we like things to remain the way that they are. In these unprecedented times, we cannot afford to be doing the same things we did before Covid-19 because it will produce the same results which can’t afford to do this going forward into the “new” normal that we will return to our places of work based on the magnitude of change that has taken place.   

Any change that you implement in any organisation, considers your processes, your people and your product or service that generates your revenue, but for change to be successful, you need the buy-in from your people. You need to ensure your people are ready to receive the change. People naturally resist change because they are unsure of what the future looks like.  What does make a significant difference is making sure that the people who lead us are there to support us  - this is critical. Ensuring that your management and your leadership buy into the change so that they can be role models for and involved the change, is equally vital to move the people in the direction that they need to be going.

Communication (not necessarily only on e-mail) but formal and informal communication modes are essential so that you can get feedback from your people in terms of how they are feeling. When people feel that they are being included in a process because they are involved,  they are a lot more committed to making change happen. This will only happen though, once people understand what the change is,  how it impacts them and more importantly what the future will look like for them. These are all aspects that need to be put in place to make sure that people are prepared to move with you on this change journey.

Q: In an Omni context, how has Change Management been woven into the implementation of Digital Transformation?

DF: If I look back to when we started our Digital Transformation journey, it may have been something that at a strategic level was a focus amongst our senior leadership team, but it wasn’t something that was a secret to everyone else in the organisation.

What was key to us from the onset, was to spend a significant amount of time with our people, especially those that were impacted by the change, making sure that they were able to adapt and that they were ready to receive the changes that were coming.

Changes that were implemented were not only digital - it was a fundamental shift in the way that we worked at Omni, which meant that it impacted our work situation, from the work that we did to changes in reporting lines to the people that we worked with. We made sure that our teams were involved from the get-go in building the new.  We ensured they had the necessary skills that were needed to adapt to the change in work processes and they also gave input into what those work processes would be and that was one of the biggest success factors we had. As leaders, we had an understanding of what needed to change but involving the people who actually do the work meant that we had a much clearer view in terms of the level of detail of how the changes needed to be adopted.  

If I cast my mind back, we had our Managing Director introducing the Digital Transformation journey to all our staff, particularly those in our Operations space because we were most impacted by it.  Our MD was readily involved in the process but so too our other executives.  We had regular communication sessions with our national teams hosted by our Operations Executive who was the sponsor. One of the big things that I do feel was a big success factor was the level of involvement of our people across all levels.  Because of team involvement, we got real-time feedback which provided an indication of what was working well, areas where we needed to improve and what we needed to adapt so that our processes remained compliant and that they were efficient and effective.  We provided a protective environment for learning so when mistakes were made, we used the opportunity to learn by correcting it and putting contingency measures in place to mitigate risks in these areas.

Three years later and our teams are so comfortable with the change that they are now providing suggestions on how we can improve processes even further.  The digital platforms that were introduced are now being integrated more and more by the people who are working with them by identifying opportunities for us to improve the way we do things, so we are continuously transforming.

Because we had onboarded our teams so early in the process, they were willing to adopt it then and now we can see that they are willing to make it work even further.

Q: Many companies have not had the luxury of time to implement a Digital Transformation journey; they simply had to adapt in order to survive when faced with COVID-19. In that context, what advice would you provide organisations from a Change Management perspective?

DF: If we look at the impact of COVID-19 on us as a society in general, I think that even the most well-prepared firms with contingency plans and disaster recovery plans, could not have foreseen something as radical as this impacting us for such a long duration.

If you take a step back (and it can be overwhelming for many in our personal and business space), there are a lot more factors to consider because this change impacts every facet of our lives. I think as leaders particularly in this time, apart from focusing on strategies on how to move your business forward during this time, it is critical to remain close to your people because under any circumstance, be it this pandemic or be it under normal circumstances, it is our people that generate our revenue. And our people are fearful and anxious about how this virus is threatening their health, safety and their livelihood.

Business as usual and what brought in your revenue stream may not be the same going forward because of the changes that the pandemic has introduced.  Things like social distancing impact our ability to engage our customers going forward as something as simple as opening up a meeting with a handshake is no longer allowed.  Businesses need to adapt to a new normal and organisations need to ensure that our people’s mental stability and sense of security is in place.  This means pulling multiple levers in one go – one of which is looking at the strengths in your organisation and identifying people who are natural influencers that can influence positively and help people to remain connected.

There is an opportunity for leaders to be seen as human in the eyes of their teams; leaders are also going through the same pain from an impact point of view, based on what the pandemic brings. Even though our circumstances may be different, everybody is feeling some sort of pain. Acknowledging to your teams that you too are feeling pain makes you look more human in the eyes of your staff.  They will look to you for guidance, they will look to you for answers, and they will also look to you for a sense of security and comfort.

What is also important is that where you can have your operations normalising from a remote working point of view, (where you are able to adapt and depending on the technologies you have available within your organisation), you can still have a core group of people that run your business in the absence of being physically present in your office. That also goes a long way to ensuring your sustainability and keeping things moving.  Being digitally transformed allows you to respond sooner, be a bit more flexible with what you are doing and making sure that you can deploy quickly and effectively while ensuring that you are mitigating risks as you move forward.

Q: As mentioned, there is no singular blueprint that can be applied. Any closing remarks or encouragement from a change perspective? 

DF: As individuals, we wear many hats but what is important is finding that balance;  it’s about being real about the situation we find ourselves in, but also about being hopeful.  We understand the regulations that we need to comply with, but there is a very blurry picture of what the future holds. When you realise that you are not in it alone and that there are a significant amount of people who feel the same pain that you are, you start to realise that your response to this pandemic is natural, you are in a better position to absorb it and find better ways to make it work.

To leaders who manage teams, the sooner you acknowledge your emotions, confront them and deal with them, the sooner you will be able to be that advocate for change. Your teams are going to be looking to you to be the one that gives them comfort, a sense of security and points them in the right direction.

As a leader also make sure that you don’t generalise in terms of the impact that people face because this pandemic impacts people differently. For some, it is a huge frustration because they can’t go out and walk their dog or go for their morning run but for others, this impact is significant because their livelihoods are affected. Many people have lost their work as a result of it, so your approach should be with a certain amount of empathy, you must look at someone else’s circumstances because you can do more damage than good if you don’t.

Contributor: Dorothy Fernandez, Change Management Specialist, Omni HR Consulting


Related Posts

Having discovered our motivation (“Why”), and laid out core principles (“How”), we finally turn to “What” we do and how it translates into business success.

Most companies and people know “how” they do what they do. A carpenter knows how to sand wood. Similarly, a company knows how it sells its product. The “How” …

Personally, I do not believe that the traditional approach to training and development will support long-term future sustainability for either the Skills…

PART 4 | Digital Transformation: An Operations Perspective

Digital Transformation An Operations Perspective T

Digital Transformation: an Operations Perspective

Part 4 - Who led Digital Transformation in your organisation? 

" We can recognise the challenges and we can recognise the concerns, but it goes back to 'anything is possible'. ”

- ​​​Cindy Londt-

Who led Digital Transformation within your Organisation?

A: COVID-19

B: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or

C: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Introducing Cindy Londt, Operations Executive at Omni HR Consulting

Operations, I would say is the heart of the organisation in terms of engaging with learners and clients. As a Private FET College, our focus being in education and business to business consulting, really what I do is look after the part of the organisation that implements the activities that are aligned to client and learner engagement and consists of multiple different departments.

Q: Can you give us a bit of an overview/makeup of Operations, specifically those who would be affected by Digital Transformation?

CL: I think that the two areas most affected that support the overall Operations in terms of Digital Transformation would be our client engagement which was very much around business to business consulting as well as project implementation for organisations around skills development initiatives.

Aligned to the business component is, obviously, the learners that sit within those learning components. Our Learning and Development Practitioners that would typically do classroom face-to-face training would be most impacted by the need for them to shift; how they do learning, how they do coaching and learner support and how we make sure from a risk and compliance perspective we still maintain the quality assurance aligned to assessments and moderation practices within our space.

Q: If I could backtrack you to pre COVID-19, it would be safe to say that Omni was not impacted by remote operations. From your perspective what is the type of processes, systems and procedures that has been put in place that has prepared the entire team to operate and continue post-COVID?

CL: From a Digital Transformation Strategy perspective, for us, it was around how we manage and lead a national team for implementing projects. If we go back to the organisation [Omni] in terms of what we stand for, it really was around saying: how do we ensure customer centricity through everything we do.  In order to achieve that we need to have a team that is quite agile in terms of being able to shift and move.

From a workforce perspective, our team needed to be able to do their jobs, because at the end of the day they are the face of our brand. As part of our DTS in operations, we had started with our first phase of the process about 18-months ago when we looked at streamlining our overall processes and procedures. As we operate nationally, it required resources to make sure that everything we do is consistent in terms of how we engage with both learners and clients. Ultimately, it was around the customer experience and making sure that everything we were doing aligns ourselves to the quality and compliance within the Private FET College space.

DTS thus took on two-folds: looking at the tools that supported the activities of our staff and how do we make sure that they are able to implement projects effectively. This aligned itself very much to project management tools that allowed for large-scale implementation of projects and our workforce management tools, not for micromanaging individuals but it really was about being able to have a platform to engage with our staff.

The second component was around client engagement and the tools we were using for ease of engaging with clients and that resulted in a Client Relationship Management system to be able to track and better be able to support and engage with individuals through Sales and Marketing platforms and then the other one was the launch of our e-learning platform.

In a nutshell, it really was about streamlining processes and ensuring that we would be able to support both our learners and our clients.

Q: 18-months on,  what would your comments be regarding the team’s willingness (or not) and ability to embrace the Digital Transformation change?

CL: Change is always broken into two different spectrums:  you have those individuals that are very comfortable with change and are quite excited with new tools, new technology, and new ways of doing things; so, they naturally embrace it. Then there are those who take a step back because there is a technology component “I don’t like technology and I don’t know how to use it” and there is just that adversity to change in general.  

I think as a team we needed to go through that process. There were early adopters and were comfortable and then those who dug their heels in a little bit more.  At the end of the day, we were quite lucky as a team as we had a good mixture and we were able to move the team forward. I think the impact right now has been less; because we are in constant change and flux all the time as we move and shift and change to the needs of our clients and learners.

Q: Since COVID-19 and the extended lockdown,  is there a shift in the attitude from the people [towards Digital Transformation]?

CL: We have always had a saying “anything is possible” and it really is around “what are we doing next?” There was a natural feel of, this is another big change. The team has been working slowly and steadily towards a more drastic shift in terms of online learning and what that looks like.

The actual willingness and desire of the team to move very quickly in terms of evolving into the new space has been good. Again, there are those who have shifted quickly and those that have gone a bit slower but overall, in general, we have been successful in shifting the team.

Q: People are still going to work remotely for some time.  What would you say are some of the significant changes that you can attest to that has allowed Omni to add value to customers in the area of learning and skills development strategies?

CL: What we have found in moving Omni to more virtual online platforms, is that a lot of the times we have been ready but organisations (businesses) are not necessarily assured that their organisations are ready. A success factor for us is that we have been able to have a lot of engaging conversations with clients because DTS and COVID-19 have forced them to shift into a more digital way of learning. It has allowed us to start shifting our clients thought processes around online learning and virtual classrooms.

The ETDP landscape as its is didn’t necessarily support virtual and online learning and so again, conversations with our SETA’s have been a lot more fruitful in them being willing to and wanting to collaborate with skills development providers who have the e-Learning platforms. 

Q: Any closing remarks you would like to share pertaining to your people (within Operations) and Digital Transformation still currently happening?

CL: We have used this time as a unique opportunity to expedite a lot of the strategies that Operations did have from a Digital Transformation perspective. It has been an exciting time for us, it’s challenging, and we are uncertain of when we are going to see the inside of a classroom again, but it has been phenomenal to see how the people and the organisation have really just jumped onto it. 

We can recognise the challenges and we can recognise the concerns, but it goes back to “anything is possible.”

Contributor: Cindy Londt, Operations Executive, Omni HR Consulting



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