How to help your people excel in a time of Covid

Nick Goddard

There's no denying that 2020 was a tumultuous year for many. As the pandemic gripped the world, best-laid business plans were ditched in favour of a new look business as usual; remote working, online meetings, and a more autonomous workforce.

One of the key lessons from this new normal was something we've known for decades: Your strongest asset is your people. So, as we head into a new year, let's look at some of the ways in which you can help your teams to truly excel in 2021.

Focus on diversity and inclusion

Teams of similar, likeminded people can result in an echo chamber environment where collective blindness leads to poor decision-making. Working with a diverse team, however, will lead to better decision-making and ensures your people are a true reflection of the diversity of your customer base and our society.

Our research has shown that deliberately diversifying people within a group leads to diversity of thought. That's why all of our career management and talent development programmes are built on a solid foundation of success through consideration and inclusion, which includes greater equality in the workplace.

Implementing diversity of thought helps:

• Produce unique ideas that help you stand out from your competitors

• Attract the best talent who seek ethical, collaborative employers

• Position your company to thrive in a global community

• Build a modern business fit for today’s social objectives

Encourage critical thinking

Character drives judgement. Judgement drives decisions. Decisions drive business. It is therefore imperative that the character of your business aligns with your vision, purpose, and values, as this will inform how your people behave, think, and act.

Having a clear set of criteria will help your teams ask the right questions to take the appropriate decisions at the appropriate times. Over time, their experiences of this culture will help them instinctively know what is the right thing to do.

Promote strong inclusive leadership

You may know from experience the importance of a supportive role model, mentor, or coach. Having someone to guide your employees on their career journey can have a huge impact on their thinking, behaviour, and goals.

Leadership schemes, such as our ACCELERATE and 'You as a Leader' programmes, will help rising stars within your business to gain the confidence, motivation, and resilience to take responsibility for their career and become strong, inclusive and considerate future leaders.

This is particularly important in our modern age of remote working, where effective leaders can help inspire, motivate, and unite teams in what can be a challenging virtual environment.

The best investment you can make

Having worked with many leading companies, we know that businesses who invest in their people see a return on their investment.

"A combination of the great content and the safe but challenging environment has made it one of our most impactful programmes, with 100% of our delegates reporting this will make a difference to both them personally and to the business." Mary Pender, Standard Life Aberdeen

To find out more about how we can create real beneficial change within your business get in touch.

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