Your employees are probably your organisation’s most important asset. Workforce development has never been more important, and some key themes are emerging. 

  1. Burnout– People are re-evaluating their work and what it means to them. The pandemic has taken its toll and people are tired and in need of a renewed focus and better balance of home and work. 
  2. Compassion- People are seeking a more compassionate culture at work- employees expect to be treated fairly and understood as people. 
  3. Flexibility- the demands of working during the pandemic has led to people making adjustments at home to make work, work. People now want a similar level of flexibility as they navigate a new normal. 

Taking note of these will be useful when planning your workforce priorities, for the new budget year. Here are some great ways that you can support your people, develop them and keep them. 

Support your People

Training and development: The best development programmes change the way people see themselves 

John Bright 

Yes, the Covid 19 pandemic has affected everyone in different ways. Months of uncertainty and disruption, sickness and the dreaded home-schooling means that people’s resilience has been truly tested. Many are finding it hard adjusting to a new normal that includes being back in the office and among work colleagues again. We help people be their best selves at work by helping people understand ways of managing emotions and communicating well across differences. 

Compassionate leadership means understanding what matters to people. Understand people’s strengths and help them shine! Our See Your Strengths-Boost Your Resilience development session is a great way to restore emotional wellbeing and generate positivity back into teams. Our resilience checker is a great tool for your staff to use and our conversation concepts make the tough stuff easy to talk about. 

Develop your People

The key to greatness is to look for people’s potential and spend time developing it 

Peter Drucker 

Are your conversations at work around identifying strengths, valuing contributions, supporting people to aspire, perform and achieve? If not, then our award-winning Chats That Matter® for employee engagement training could be just what you need. Having regular conversations with staff not just to review performance or delegate work but also to give feedback, and check in and see how they are, will mean that people will feel more valued and supported. 

Pay attention to individual development requirements and consider how to give opportunities to people and get the best from them. Listening to their ideas and helping people move towards positive action are skills that really count nowadays. Whether that is a chat in the kitchen, a monthly one to one or the annual appraisal we can show you how to make those conversations really meaningful and effective for you and your team by learning coaching skills and having access to our great conversation tools. 

Alternatively, you may want to arrange for some Leadership Coaching for yourself or one of your senior team. Coaching can help to develop emotionally intelligent leaders who understand their leadership styles, and can overcome challenges to lead with confidence to get the best out of their people. 

Keep your People

Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t want to.

Richard Branson 

An organisation that is flexible to the needs of its employees but still manages to get the best from their people and deliver high performing services, has got the balance right. With a jobs market where applicants have more choice and flexibility than ever employers need to find ways to ensure they are offering what people want from a work environment. Talent retention is key. Retain your existing talent by being an attractive, respectful, compassionate employer so people want to stay working for you and so that they also speak positively about their experience. 

Cultivating strong teams who collaborate and communicate well and where difference is celebrated and respected makes a difference. When people know their strengths, they can be encouraged to use them in new ways. Giving people a reason to stay might include identifying additional responsibilities and internal opportunities. 

Having access to work emails 24/7 and the regular ping of notifications from the whatsapp work group chat can mean that people struggle to switch off outside work. So, how can you help staff to balance their workload and working hours? Five Ways to Focus© is a way of helping people slow down, reflect and notice what matters to reprioritise, deal with distraction and combat that feeling of overwhelm. Having calmer, more productive employees will mean clearer communications, more productivity and healthier team dynamics without the risk of burnout. With a workshop, book and online course Five Ways to Focus can be accessed in different ways by your staff team. 

What is next for you and your People?

Talk to us about creating a blend of our workforce development offer especially tailored to your team’s needs. This might include; 

  • Focus and Productivity 
  • Emotional Wellbeing- Resilience and confidence 
  • Communication and team dynamics 
  • Leading with emotional intelligence 
  • Developing a workforce culture- values and behaviours 
  • Be your best self at work 

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