New-Age HR Leadership Skills to Lead in a VUCA World

1. New-AgeHRLeadershipSkillstoLeadinaVUCA World Volatility,uncertainty,complexity andambiguity havealwaysexistedin every businessand everyfunction. New technology comes in and disrupts the markets overnight. New competitors emerge from unexpected corners. In order to operate successfully in a world where everything is fast-moving and complex, leaders often feel they have to run to stay where they are. They are also expected todevise astrategytomanage andmitigate VUCA. WhatdoesVUCAmeantothe leadership? The concept of VUCA is not new. We deal with it every day. The pandemic only aggravated the situation, so the leaders need to seek answers to these questions in order to deal with it effectively: How should we deal with VUCA? How predictable is it? How was it handled in the past? Is the strategy relevant today? How can we leverage human capital and technology to handle the situation? After finding the answers, the concerned stakeholders have to patiently and consistently move towards the goal of addressing the challenge, be it volatility, uncertainty, complexityorambiguity. What’sthebestwaytoimplementstrategicworkforceplanning? Outline a unique strategy to reach the organisational goals. This includes the short-term goal, long-term goal, and investment required for the same. You also need to know how you got to the currentpositionandwhereyou wanttogo.Onceyouget started, aimtoachievesome

2. progress every day. What’s more, you need to simplify the work with technology and assign taskssmartlytomaximiseproductivity. Whatarethechallengesofstrategicworkforceplanning? Theoverallstrategy mustbecommunicatedinsuchawaythatpeopleunderstanditand become committed to it. This is often a challenge. Preliminary and frequent discussions are essentialforsustenanceandsuccess.Peoplemaynotalwayshavethetimeforthe same. After the strategy has been rolled out, progress should be measured with the right processes and tools. No doubt, this is another ordeal. The entire process can be challenging if there are flawsinplanningorexecution. Whatis employee engagement,andhowimportantisit? Employee engagement is not about tapping everybody every day and asking, Are you happy? Are you fine? It evolves from practices, situations and how communication and execution happen.Itisimportanttoensurethatanengagementinitiativeimprovesanemployee’ssense of belongingness and commitment. A committed employee is likely to be more productive. This commitmentisalsoessentialtomake anyengagementinitiativesuccessful.Simplyput, employee engagement is not a one-way street! It requires the efforts of both employer and employee. What isthenew-agestructureforan organisation? It is a triangle consisting of people, technology and wellness. Organisations should invest in human capital and encourage everybody to rise through the ranks. The second component is technology. The leaders should adopt the right technology, automate processes and maximise efficiency. The third component, wellness, is much more than mental wellness. It is about ensuring holistic wellness and building an ecosystem where everybody feels mentally and physicallyhealthy. WhatstrategiesshouldHR adoptfor asustainablelearningframework? The first step is to create employee buckets based on their expertise and experience. Then they must put together a set of processes to help them realise their dreams, keeping the organisational goals in mind. Monitoring progress for continuous improvement is the next logical step. But it requires the deployment of the right kind of programs and tools. Only then cantheygaugethe impactandsustainabilityofthestrategy. HowimportantisHRAnalyticsintoday’senvironment?

3. Ten years ago, HR quantified only administrative tasks (e.g., Number of people interviewed, onboarded or trained). Now it is a lot more advanced. Analytics is used to calculate the cost of hiring, employees’contributiontothe organisationandmore. As the custodian of human capital, HR has now become responsible for employee retention and productivity. Analytics can enable them to draw the right insights for handling these challengeswhile contributingtothegrowthoftheorganisation. Whataretheprovenways toretainanemployee? First, we need to understand why it has come to this stage and ensure that it does not get repeated. The next step is to try and retain the person by offering what is possible. Lateral moves,reskillingandwellnessprogramsare someofthewaysthatcanhelpretainanemployee. ReadonthegreytHRblog.