It is not very likely that the world will be the same place ever again. Many new skills and mind-sets will be needed to survive and flourish in the new post-pandemic future. The new normal has pushed the entire paradigm to a new level. Students are opting for virtual classes, and teachers need to respond accordingly. Major changes are taking places in every realm. Demand side changes are noticeable. Service sectors are sorting out new ways and means to cater to the needs of the people, and manufacturing industries are being challenged with a huge “paradigm shift” in their processes and products. Many apparel companies are now making surgical masks instead of fashionable clothes. Companies like Tesla, Ford, and General Motors are now producing ventilators from their car parts. According to Global Talent Trend 2020, for the last couple of years, innovation, complex problem- solving, and interpersonal skills, along with empathy, were the most discussed competencies for employees in the service sector. It concurs with the findings of many outfits working on the issue (World Economic Forum April, 2020). Incorporating the position of both the employers and employees must be kept in mind. Flexible working, working from home, and innovation are now given. “Design thinking” is leading the program and product design imperatives now. For new products, producers need to ensure not only product quality, but also the cognitive, strategic, and practical aspects. Otherwise, they will fail to address the new demands of the market. “Digital transformation” is at the top of the agenda. Every company and organization needs to transform their service production and delivery process mechanism into a digital path, or fail. Organizations need to be more employee-centric, as it is they who are taking more risks. Empowering remote workforces is a top priority now. Organizational bureaucracy not only delays the work process but also demotivates employees. It should be a top priority for every organization to empower its local and remote staffers. For quicker work delivery, organizations need to give access to every relevant document to every employee digitally. All work-related information should be available to the staff so that time is not wasted searching for them. This will accelerate the supply chain continuity and reduce operational costs as well.
Different organizations need customized adjustments
Although all set skills are more or less the same for every kind of organization, if we contextualize the skills into non-governmental organizations (NGOs), there will be more strategic skill sets for them to cope with during this new normal situation. Advocacy and attempts at small and big fundraising, regardless of the size of the NGO, are unavoidable now. As donor countries will be either short on funds or in a “no budget extension” phase, ensuring own funding and advocacy for the organization is a must. Increasing collaboration between local NGOs to implement field and remote activities is also another must-do for NGOs now. As we all know, the work pattern and services of NGOs require human interaction on a day-to-day basis; therefore, they need to be more innovative with their program participants’ service delivery system, and be fully digitalized like the other organizations. Lastly, each and every organization needs reskilling and exchange of talent between cross programs and sectors. The contextual tailoring of skills and competencies will be the essential building blocks for creating resilience in this new normal age. While dealing with extreme virtual presence, companies and organizations in Bangladesh might have to first work out their ultimate challenge of keeping networks secured by ensuring cyber security. Service sectors, merchandising sectors, and manufacturing sectors will need different sorts of preparation and employee preparedness. Non-government organizations have to drastically change their hardware and software in order to keep themselves operational. Each and every organization has to redefine their strategies and tune in their employees’ skills. It is true that tweaking skill sets would be tricky for service-providing companies, production-oriented companies, and non-government organizations. But the broad pattern might remain the same for each organization. Whatever happens, organizations, to remain relevant, have to act with agility. Failing to do so would jeopardize their very existence. To remain relevant, every organization is left with one choice — remodel your business to survive and thrive. Shake off the old, impoverished, outworn shell, and innovate products and services for the new normal age. The insights of all past pandemics and recessions show that they come with lots of new opportunities as well. So, go grab it!
