Because the 'big picture' has changed this year for every function and team member, it’s important to assess whether you have the skillsets required to execute, writes talent risk expert, Traci Hudson.
Nine months ago, would you have believed that you and your workforce would be where they are now? For most of us, the answer is, “Absolutely not.”
So, what have you learned during these times? What part of your new business model and routine has been changed forever? What parts do you still consider “temporary”?
As the world continues to battle through a pandemic, we all continue to find new and innovative ways to continue conducting business. Every industry has been impacted in some way. In some cases, those have been positive impacts; in others, more negative. While some impacts are still being determined, many have caused permanent change.
As you think through the questions listed above, don’t forget the “human” aspect of all of this. We’ve all been given new opportunities and challenges to become better employees and employers. So how do we embrace this and leverage it for all it’s worth?
Begin by Re-evaluating Your ‘Big Picture’
Ask these questions. Think hard on each one, discuss with your colleagues and write your answers down:
Portfolio:
How has your portfolio changed? What new products and services are you now providing, and which ones have you discontinued?
Customers:
Who are your customers today and how have they changed? How has this impacted which ones have higher priorities for you?
Partners:
Who are your partners today and how have they changed? I’ll bet that in most cases, you are partnering with individuals and companies today that you were not eight months ago, and that these have become your more critical, high priority partners.
Performance:
How are you measuring your success today? What previous metrics are still relevant? What new metrics are critical indicators of how you are performing in this new way of working?
Learning:
And last, but not least, what have you learned over the past eight months that is most relevant and important to consider as you continue forward?
The Human Aspect
Once you’ve reassessed your Big Picture, it’s important to ensure that everyone in your organization has a solid understanding of these changes. How has each division, function, and team been impacted? How has each of their Big Pictures changed? Do they still align with yours?
By going through this exercise at every level in your organization, you can help ensure that all of your leaders, from yourself down to the front line, are in sync – that you’re all on the same page, working towards the same goals and sharing the same priorities.
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Related Article: Managing IT Talent Risk in a Season of Uncertainty |
Once everyone has this clarity, the next layer to peel back is around your talent – the unique knowledge and skills that each individual has and how they fit into the products and services your company provides every day. Who is doing what work, and where? Who are the experts on the teams who are setting the standard? Do you have enough bench strength in the areas that you need today? Or, are you still struggling with excess bandwidth in certain areas but don’t know the best way to reallocate those resources, or even where to reallocate them?
What about those partners? Are they still performing the same work and services for you that they were pre-pandemic? Do you have new partners providing new critical services or services that you used to provide with internal employees?
Take the time now to do a full Talent Risk Assessment. A Talent Risk Assessment starts with building a foundation that clearly states the work that your team is responsible for, the skills needed to execute that work and identifies the individuals who have those skills, both within and outside of your direct team. Once you have this, you can easily identify any gaps between what you currently have and what you need to successfully execute your charter. Use the learnings and output to finalize your future strategy. You can also use this to define what your HR Tactical Plan and budget needs to be for the upcoming year for either retaining, retraining or recruiting.
Understanding exactly where and what talent you need to recruit is a huge step to ensuring that you position yourself to stay one step ahead of your customer needs. Lastly, if you treat your Talent Risk Assessment as a living, breathing document, it can play a major role in your playbook. For most of us, our people, their knowledge and talent really are our most important asset. So why not manage them that way?
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